Resolve to Ride Your Bike More in 2009 with Jamie Smith and Jef Mallett

Kick Off a New Year of Riding with Roadie Author Jamie Smith and "Frazz" Illustrator Jef Mallett in Royal Oak

December 23, 2008 - Boulder, CO, USA - Make a New Year's resolution to ride more in 2009 at the Roadie event in Royal Oak, MI on January 2. Jamie Smith and Jef Mallett, the entertaining minds behind Roadie: The Misunderstood World of a Bike Racer, invite fellow bike riders and fans of the sport to join them at the American Cycle & Fitness Trek Bicycle Store of Royal Oak.

A Roadie New Year
Friday, January 2nd at 7:00 p.m.
American Cycle & Fitness Trek Bicycle Store of Royal Oak
29428 Woodward Avenue
(just North of Twelve Mile)
Royal Oak, MI 48073
americancycleandfitness.com | (248) 542-7182

Refreshments provided. Public welcome. Free of charge. Get your copy of Roadie autographed at American Cycle & Fitness!

Veteran race announcer and long-time roadie Jamie Smith sets out to explain the sport he loves and the roadies who live for it in his new book from VeloPress, Roadie: The Misunderstood World of a Bike Racer. With help from the pen of nationally syndicated cartoonist Jef Mallett, Roadie celebrates cycling as it explains the neurotic tendencies of the sport and its lifestyle, from shaved legs and garish jerseys, to garages full of bikes worth more than cars. Perfect for roadies and their confused friends, family, and co-workers, Roadie puts an end to the head scratching and leaves roadies laughing out loud as they revel in their misunderstood world. Roadie is available in bookstores, bike shops, and online.

Roadie begins by explaining the lifestyle of a roadie, or bike racer, through the staples of a roadie's life: devotion to the sport, the bike, the training ride, nutrition and bonking, and more. Smith offers "classroom sessions" about drafting and the breakaway, sprints and temporary alliances, and crashes. The book explains the rituals of race day, the referee and race rules, and the tenuous relationship between rider and sponsor. Finally, Roadie explores cycling's race formats and how friends and family can get involved in their Roadie's favorite pastime.

Roadie is needed more today than ever as more Americans take up cycling as riders, racers, and spectators. The New York Times has called cycling "the new golf" and thousands of people are buying shiny new road bikes each year. For these recreational and fitness riders, Roadie offers a much-needed primer on the lingo, the gear, even the politics of a group ride. Pacelines, drafting, sprinting, climbing, and breakaways are turned into everyday commonsense with colorful anecdotes.

Roadie is perfect for those who have ever walked away from a bike race completely puzzled, explaining strategy for each race format and how best to watch the action from roadside. Roadie brings the excitement of bike racing alive for anyone who has ever taken off the training wheels.

Jamie Smith has been a bike racer since 1983 and a bike race announcer since 1985, working his way up through the ranks of amateur cycling and traveling with some of the world's greatest cyclists. When he's not on his bike, Jamie is a public information officer and photographer for the City of Rochester Hills in Michigan. Please visit Jamie's blog at RidersReady.net.

Jef Mallett launched his "Frazz" comic strip in 2001 and it now runs in 150 newspapers nationwide. An avid cyclist and frequent triathlete, Mallett is a regular contributor to VeloNews and Inside Triathlon magazines.

Media copies, author events and interviews: Dave Trendler, Marketing and Publicity Manager, (303) 245-2138, dtrendler@competitorgroup.com

Shops and clubs can place wholesale orders through: Jen Soulé, Sales Manager, (800) 811-4210 x169, wholesale@competitorgroup.com

VeloNews Seeking Candidates for Tech Editor Position

AVAILABLE: THE BEST JOB IN THE BIKE INDUSTRY

VeloNews tech editor position open to qualified candidate

Boulder, CO, USA - December 15, 2008 - Do you love working on bikes and know them inside and out? Do you appreciate staying on top of the latest tech trends? If you have the right stuff, VeloNews magazine has a career waiting for you.

VeloNews is growing its tech department, expanding on the huge body of work done by Lennard Zinn and Matt Pacocha, the most respected technical writers in cycling. VeloNews is seeking a tech editor to spearhead the department, producing their own work while collaborating with Zinn and Pacocha.

The position requires a thorough understanding of bicycle technology, management ability, professional writing and editing competency, and solid communication and interpersonal skills. The ideal candidate will have bike industry experience, preferably in a bike shop or R&D. Attention to detail, multi-tasking skills and the ability to work under tight deadlines are essential.

Interested candidates can send a résumé, cover letter and three writing samples to: Attn: HR, 1830 55th St., Boulder, CO 80301 or boulderjobs@competitorgroup.com. No phone calls, please.

More information on VeloNews magazine is available at VeloNews.com.

###

Meet Joe Parkin at Bicycle Trip in Santa Cruz, CA

Santa Cruz Bike Shop Kicks Off Amgen Tour of California Buildup with Charity Event Featuring Local Author and Former Pro Cyclist Joe Parkin

The Amgen Tour of California is coming to Santa Cruz for the first time in 2009, and race sponsor Bicycle Trip is kicking off the buildup to the race. On Friday, December 12, cyclists and friends of the sport are invited to Bicycle Trip to meet local author and former pro cyclist, Joe Parkin. Parkin will autograph copies of his new book A Dog in a Hat: An American Bike Racer's Story of Mud, Drugs, Blood, Betrayal, and Beauty in Belgium.

10% of book sales from the event will benefit Project Bike Trip, a national nonprofit based in Santa Cruz that introduces the bicycle as a safe and healthy alternative method of transportation and offers technical bike maintenance training to youth and adults. This is a free event with refreshments provided.

AMGEN TOUR OF CALIFORNIA EVENT
Meet Joe Parkin, local author and former pro cyclist
Friday, December 12, 5-7 pm
Bicycle Trip
1127 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA 95062
5-6 pm social hour: mingle, munch, shop
6-7 pm author reading and book signing
Questions? Visit bicycletrip.com or call (831) 427-2580.

Parkin's new book is A Dog in a Hat: An American Bike Racer's Story of Mud, Drugs, Blood, Betrayal, and Beauty in Belgium. The book is a memoir of Parkin's experience as one of the first Americans to race bikes professionally in Europe. The book is available in bookstores, bike shops, and online. Parkin will autograph copies during the event.

In 1987, Joe Parkin was an amateur bike racer in California when he ran into Bob Roll, a pro on the powerhouse Team 7-Eleven. "Lobotomy Bob" told Parkin to go to Belgium to become a pro bike racer. Riding along a canal in Belgium years later, Roll encountered Parkin, who he describes in the book's foreword as "a wraith, an avenging angel of misery, a twelve-toothed assassin". Roll barely recognized him; Belgium had forged Parkin into a pro, and changed him forever.

A Dog in a Hat is Joe's remarkable story. In plainspoken, fast-paced prose, Parkin describes the true life of the professional bike racer, putting the reader into the whirlwind of this hardest of athletic educations. A Dog in a Hat begins with Parkin's terrifying first visit to his team doctor, where he is strapped to a table and monitored by humming electrodes as men in white lab coats coldly divine his future as a pro.

A Dog in a Hat celebrates the glory of bike racing, but Parkin tells the hard reality of the life-the drugs, the payoffs, the betrayals by teammates, the battles with team owners for contracts and pay, the endless promises that keep you going, and the sheer physical agony of racing day after day. Despite the pain, despite the suffering, A Dog in a Hat is a beautiful book. It is one American's story of his love affair with professional cycling, set in the hardest place in the world to be a bike racer. It is a story untold until now, and one that readers will never forget.

Joe Parkin represented the United States at the World Professional Cycling Championships and the World Cyclocross Championships. Following his road racing years in Belgium, he returned to the United States and began a successful second career as a pro mountain bike racer. Parkin lives in Santa Cruz.
For more information about this event, Bicycle Trip, and Project Bike Trip, please contact:
Julie Mitchell, Bicycle Trip, (415) 235-8377, julie@bicycletrip.com

To schedule author interviews or request media review copies, please contact:
Dave Trendler, Marketing and Publicity Manager, (303) 245-2138, dtrendler@competitorgroup.com

VeloPress Revises Weight Training for Cyclists

Cyclists Build Power and Endurance with Weight Training for Cyclists

Boulder, CO, USA - November 19, 2008 - Just in time for off-season training, VeloPress is pleased to announce the release of Weight Training for Cyclists: A Total Body Program for Power and Endurance by Ken Doyle and Eric Schmitz. The book is now available in the U.S. and Canada in bookstores, bike shops, and online.

Cyclists need more than just powerful quads and chiseled calves. Cyclists need total body strength-a strong core and solid upper body-to ride with power and endurance. Put simply, stronger muscles last longer and stabilize the body, improving technique and efficiency.

Weight Training for Cyclists is the only book available that shows cyclists how they can get stronger to ride stronger. The authors explain how strength training in the weight room translates to endurance and power on the bike.

New in this second edition are easy-to-follow drawings that clearly demonstrate strength training exercises. Doyle and Schmitz update exercises to include the newest weight training equipment and present the latest information from new research on core strength, nutrition, stretching, and warm-up.

Weight Training for Cyclists presents a series of training plans that require only a fraction of the time that cyclists spend in the saddle. For newcomers and veterans alike, Weight Training for Cyclists will become their fundamental guide to better performance.

Weight Training for Cyclists: A Total Body Program for Power and Endurance, 2nd Ed. Ken Doyle and Eric Schmitz Paperback | 6" x 9", 224 pp. | VP-WTC2, $18.95 | 978-1-934030-29-5

• This is the only book on weight training for cyclists.
• All-new illustrations for clarity and ease of use
• Includes new chapter on stretching and warm-up
• Expanded coverage of core strength and lower-body strength exercises

Ken Doyle, a licensed coach with the U.S. Cycling Federation, is an exercise physiologist certified by the National Athletic Trainers' Association and the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He's a competitive road racer, coaches a road and a mountain bike team, and is also the head coach of the Santa Barbara Special Olympics Cycling Team.

Eric Schmitz has a degree in Exercise Physiology and is certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association, the American College of Sports Medicine, and the National Academy of Sports Medicine. He is a Level I USAT triathlon coach and the creator of two strength and conditioning DVDs.

Author interviews, media copies, sidebar content, and events:
Dave Trendler, Marketing and Publicity Manager, (303) 245-2138, dtrendler@competitorgroup.com
Distributors/specialty retailers, please order through:
Jen Soulé, Sales Manager, (800) 811-4210 x169, wholesale@competitorgroup.com

VeloPress Publishes the First Strength Training Book for Triathletes

Boulder, CO, USA - November 3, 2008 - VeloPress is pleased to announce the publication of the first strength training book for triathletes. Strength Training for Triathletes by Dr. Patrick Hagerman is a groundbreaking book, the first to integrate strength training into the triathlete's training regimen. Now triathletes who are reaching their highest potential for cardiovascular fitness have a new way to gain performance, without spending more time on the road or in the water. Strength Training for Triathletes is now available in the U.S. and Canada in bookstores, bike and tri shops, and online. The book will be available in the UK in December through Cordee.

Every triathlete wants to be faster, and most know that strength training should be a part of their program. In Strength Training for Triathletes, fitness expert Dr. Patrick Hagerman explains how small changes in muscle strength add up to big race results. For triathletes, the benefits of strength training are many, from increased stability in the water and on the bike to a faster metabolism. Put simply: stronger muscles can work longer, making strength training indispensable to endurance athletes.

Clearly organized by discipline (swim, bike, run) and by muscle group, Strength Training for Triathletes helps athletes quickly find the best exercise for their unique training needs. Every exercise is accompanied by full-color art, making the routines inviting and easy to follow.

This groundbreaking book further explains how triathletes can adjust their workouts to emphasize endurance, strength, or power, and how to balance the three to reach race goals. It includes complete information on structuring a periodized weight routine to maximize results for a sprint, Olympic, half-Ironman or full Ironman race distance. Sample seasonal plans for each race distance and instruction on how to adapt training plans to individual needs make it easy for readers to develop specific approaches and reach their personal goals. Paperback with full-color illustrations throughout.

Strength Training for Triathletes by Patrick Hagerman
7 3/8" x 9 1/4", 224 pp. | VP-STT, $21.95 | 978-1-934030-15-8

• The only strength training book designed specifically for triathletes
• More than 60 exercises organized by sport and muscle group
• Triathlon participation is growing by 22% per year in the U.S.

Dr. Patrick Hagerman is a recipient of the National Strength and Conditioning Association Personal Trainer of the Year award in 2002, Dr. Hagerman has coached for USA Triathlon and USA Weightlifting and has competed in triathlon, cycling, windsurfing, and adventure racing for over 25 years. He is a Fellow of the National Strength and Conditioning Association and a past member of its Board of Directors. He is the Director of Sport Skill Development for Quest Personal Training.

VeloPress is an endurance sports and fitness publisher. VeloPress is the book publishing division of Competitor Group, Inc., publisher of VeloNews, Triathlete, Inside Triathlon, and Competitor magazines.

Author interviews, media copies, sidebar content, and events:
Dave Trendler, Marketing and Publicity Manager, (303) 245-2138, dtrendler@competitorgroup.com

Distributors/specialty retailers, please order through:
Jen Soulé, Sales Manager, (800) 811-4210 x169, wholesale@competitorgroup.com

2009 Cycling, Triathlon, and Mountain Biking Calendars Available Now

2009 Calendars from VeloNews, Inside Triathlon, and the International Mountain Bicycling Association Are Available Now

Boulder, CO, USA - October 22, 2008 - Prepare for 2009 with new cycling and triathlon calendars from VeloNews and Inside Triathlon magazines and the International Mountain Bicycling Association. With a year of the best photography in cycling, triathlon, and mountain biking, each 2009 calendar makes a great gift.

The 2009 calendars are available in bike shops, tri shops, and online at VeloGear.com. 

Preview the photos from all three calendars at VeloGear.com.

VeloNews 2009 Road Racing Calendar

From the Editors of VeloNews magazine

12" x 12", $13.95, VP-R09, 978-1-934030-30-1

Inside Triathlon 2009 Calendar

From the Editors of Inside Triathlon magazine

12" x 12", $13.95, VP-T09, 978-1-934030-31-8

2009 IMBA Calendar

From the International Mountain Bicycling Association

12" x 12", $13.95, VP-I09, 978-1-934030-39-4

Calendars are ideal for holiday gift guides and buyer's guides. To request a review copy, please contact:

Dave Trendler, Marketing and Publicity Manager, (303) 245-2138, dtrendler@competitorgroup.com

Distributors and specialty retailers please order through:

Jen Soulé, Sales Manager, (800) 811-4210 x169, wholesale@competitorgroup.com

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Campagnolo Celebrates 75th Anniversary with a Lavish History Book, Campagnolo: 75 Years of Cycling Passion

Campagnolo: 75 Years of Cycling Passion Is Now Available in Bookstores, Bike Shops, and Online

Boulder, CO, USA - October 15, 2008 - This fall, revered cycling component manufacturer Campagnolo celebrates 75 years of its glorious and storied legacy, which is captured in a new book: Campagnolo: 75 Years of Cycling Passion. The book includes a chapter on the company's legendary Super Record group and on the new 11-speed Super Record group, which Campagnolo launched at Interbike in September. The book is now available in bookstores, bike shops, and online in the U.S. and in Canada and will be available soon in the U.K.

As Leica is to cameras and Ferrari to racing automobiles, Campagnolo is to cycling: designer of the finest parts for bicycles ever made. Campagnolo's jewel-like brakes, pedals, derailleurs, cranksets, and wheels have been ridden to more race victories than any other brand, yet the same components are available to cycling enthusiasts worldwide.




Campagnolo's rich history began with the founder, Tullio Campagnolo, a racer who turned to creating better bicycle parts when he found the equipment of the day inadequate for the rigors of professional competition. Blending exotic alloys with sound engineering, Campagnolo created a series of patented designs that are still in use today as the fundamental standards upon which modern parts are based.

With its deeply researched history (much of it from the company's private archives), spectacular color photography, rich text, and lavish presentation, Campagnolo is a book for every lover of the sport of cycling, as well as connoisseurs of the bicycle itself. Color and black-and-white photos and illustrations throughout.















Campagnolo: 75 Years of Cycling Passion By Paolo Facchinetti and Guido Rubino
Hardcover with jacket. | 9 1/2" x 11 3/4", 160 pp. | VP-C75, $39.95 | 978-1-934030-37-0

• Published to coincide with Campagnolo's 75th anniversary celebration
• Featuring archival material from the Campagnolo family and Campagnolo company that has never been previously published
• Promotional campaign includes print ads in VeloNews, Cycle Sport America, Procycling, Bicycle Quarterly, and Bicycle Retailer
• Book launched at Interbike, a cycling industry tradeshow attended by cycling's most devoted enthusiasts

VeloPress is an endurance sports and fitness publisher. VeloPress is the book publishing division of Competitor Group, Inc., publisher of VeloNews, Triathlete, Inside Triathlon, and Competitor magazines.

Limited numbers of review copies are available for members of the media. Please contact:
Dave Trendler, Marketing and Publicity Manager, (303) 245-2138, dtrendler@competitorgroup.com

Distributors/specialty retailers, please order through:
Jen Soulé, Sales Manager, (800) 811-4210 x169, wholesale@competitorgroup.com

Circle Yoga Offers Workshop for Athletes

Yoga Makes Good Athletes Better - Circle Yoga Offers Workshop for Athletes

Endurance Coach, Athlete, and Yoga Instructor Sage Rountree Presents Yoga for Athletes Workshop

October 15, 2008, Washington, DC - Circle Yoga is pleased to present a workshop "Yoga for Athletes with Sage Rountree" on Saturday, October 18 from 1-4pm. Rountree is a Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher, USA Triathlon and USA Cycling certified coach, and author of The Athlete's Guide to Yoga. This three-hour workshop, appropriate for all levels of yoga and athletic experience, will introduce poses to increase flexibility, core strength, balance, and focus.

Yoga for Athletes with Sage Rountree

Saturday, October 18, 12:30 - 3:30 p.m.

Circle Yoga

3838 Northampton Street NW

Washington, DC 20015

Please call (202) 686-1104 with questions.

Register at circleyoga.com/workshops

$60 early registration by Oct. 11

$65 registration after Oct. 11

Sage Rountree's three-hour workshop is appropriate for all levels of yoga and athletic experience and will cover:

• improving flexibility, especially in hips and hamstrings
  
• building core strength for several specific sports
  
• poses that hone balance
  
• yoga as mental training
  

For more information on this workshop, please contact Circle Yoga at (202) 686-1104 or visit circleyoga.com/workshops.

For more information about Sage Rountree, please visit sageyogatraining.com.

Monique Ryan to Lead Presentation "High Octane Fuel for Cyclocross" in Chicago

Chicago, IL, USA - October 3, 2008 - The Chicago Cyclocross Cup is proud to announce that Monique Ryan, MS, RD, LDN will lead a presentation on fueling for cyclocross racing on Tuesday, October 7. Advance registration is required and the deadline for registration is Sunday, October 5.

High Octane Fuel for Cyclocross with Monique Ryan, MS, RD, LDN

Tuesday, October 7 at 6:30 p.m.

200 West Madison Street

11th Floor Conference Room

Chicago, IL 60606

Register by Oct. 5 at www.chicrosscup.com.

Learn about the techniques of fueling for a cyclocross race including:

• cooler weather hydration,
  
• fuel replacement during training,
  
• training and recovery nutrition,
  
• and 24-hour pre-race nutrition.
  

Attendees may purchase autographed copies of Monique's book, Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes. There will also be a prize raffle. The Chicago Cyclocross Cup thanks its sponsors, Cycle Smithy and Hammer Nutrition.

Monique Ryan, MS, RD, LDN is a nationally recognized nutritionist with more than 24 years of professional experience. She is founder of Personal Nutrition Designs, a nutrition consulting company based in the Chicago area. Started in 1992, Personal Nutrition Designs provides nutrition programs for diverse groups of people with an emphasis on long-term follow-up and support programming. Monique has developed thousands of nutrition plans for clients in the areas of sports nutrition, weight management, women's health, eating disorder recovery, various medical and health concerns, and disease prevention and wellness. She provides her clients with practical cutting edge nutrition information based on current scientific research. More information on Monique is available at moniqueryan.com.

The Chicago Cyclocross Cup was started in 2004 by a group of 'cross racers from local teams that had a strong desire to race in their neighborhood. They spoke to other people who had similar goals and before you knew it a series was born. While the series will vary from year to year, you can expect great new venues with spectacular support and all the fun that you expect at a 'cross race. The goal of the group is to create a series that a rider can enjoy great competition and lively courses.

More information is available at chicrosscup.com.

Interbike 2008: Joe Parkin Booksigning Successful!

A Dog in a Hat sold out! We've sold all 120 copies we brought to Interbike, many during Joe Parkin's autographing today. Joe signed over 60 books for about 40 minutes, all while chatting with industry friends and bike shop owners, and drinking one of Belgium's finest beers.

Joe is to the left in the plaid shirt.

Interbike 2008: the VeloPress/VeloNews booth

media alert: VeloPress to launch two books at Interbike

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Top Cycling Publisher to Launch Two Cycling History Books at Interbike

September 22, 2008 -- Boulder, CO, USA -- VeloPress will launch two new cycling books this week at Interbike.

Campagnolo celebrates 75 years of its glorious and storied legacy with a new book: Campagnolo: 75 Years of Cycling Passion. The book includes a chapter on the company's legendary Super Record group and on the new 11-speed Super Record group, which will be launched at Interbike.

A Dog in a Hat is Joe Parkin's memoir of his experiences as one of the first Americans to become a professional bike racer in Europe. Joe Parkin will autograph copies of A Dog in a Hat at Interbike on Thursday, September 25th from 5-6 p.m. at the VeloPress booth # 2139.

For media copies, author interviews, and excerpts, please contact:
Dave Trendler
Marketing and Publicity Manager
VeloPress
dtrendler@competitorgroup.com
(303) 245-2138

September is National Youth Soccer Month!

Teach Kids Good Sportsmanship with Shawn Sheep the Soccer Star

Olympic Athlete Writes Children's Book on Soccer and Being a Good Team Player

Boulder, CO USA - September 9, 2008 - Olympic athlete Erin Mirabella has written a new children's book in time for National Youth Soccer Month this September. 

Shawn Sheep is the best soccer player he knows - and that's part of the trouble. Shawn can dribble around oncoming defenders, shoot from the corner, pass, kick, and score goals better than anyone on his team, the Barnsville Sports Squad.

At least that's what he's been telling everyone. But when it comes time for one of the biggest games of the season, Shawn is so busy bragging that he irks his teammates and makes some big mistakes that could cost them the game. Shawn finds out he has a lot to learn about being a good team player. And when Shawn sees his soccer hero making the same mistakes, he knows what he has to do.

Children ages 5-8 will love this action-packed story, which emphasizes teamwork and fair play. Sarah Davis's vibrant illustrations bring all the characters to life as they run, flip, and cheer through the pages.

The Barnsville Sports Squad series introduces kids to Olympic sports and the concepts of fair play and good sportsmanship through situations that children can readily understand. Each title also includes fitness tips for kids to put into practice as they participate in their own favorite sports. Shawn Sheep the Soccer Star is the second title in the series and follows Gracie Goat's Big Bike Race (2007).

Shawn Sheep the Soccer Star

Story by Erin Mirabella, Illustrations by Sarah Davis

Hardcover with jacket, full-color interior | 8.5" x 10", 32 pp. | VP-SSSS, SRP$15.95 | 978-1-934030-16-5

Published by VeloPress | www.velopress.com | VeloPress books are distributed to the book trade by PGW.

* Soccer is the most popular youth sport in America, with 3.6 million players

* September is National Youth Soccer Month

* Book includes: "All About Soccer," a brief tutorial for kids, and a Fitness Fact on healthy eating habits

* In 2006, the U.S. Olympic Committee presented the author with the prestigious Jack Kelly Fair Play award for sportsmanship

Erin Mirabella represented the United States in the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games. In 2005, the U.S. Olympic Committee awarded Erin the prestigious Jack Kelly Fair Play Award, which is presented to an athlete, coach or official for an outstanding act of fair play or sportsmanship. She is the author of Gracie Goat's Big Bike Race (2007) and was a Home Depot Olympic athlete in track cycling. The Barnsville Sports Squad series is inspired by Erin's experience as an Olympic athlete, and highlights the fun, value and life-long lessons that sports offer. Erin lives near the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Sarah Davis is a full-time artist who has worked on a wide range of projects, including toy design, storyboards and concept art, advertising, and character design. She also provides the illustrations for another popular series, Childhood Heroes, which creates personalized children's books in association with some of Australia's biggest sports stars. She lives in Sydney, Australia.

Author interviews, events, media copies:

Dave Trendler, Marketing and Publicity Manager

dtrendler@insideinc.com | (303) 245-2138

Distributors and retailers may order through:

Jen Soulé, Sales Manager

wholesale@insideinc.com | (800) 811-4210 x169

Campagnolo Celebrates 75th Anniversary with a Lavish History Book, Campagnolo: 75 Years of Cycling Passion

Boulder, CO, USA - September 9th 2008 - This autumn, revered cycling component manufacturer Campagnolo celebrates 75 years of its glorious and storied legacy with a new book: Campagnolo: 75 Years of Cycling Passion. The book includes a chapter on the company's legendary Super Record group and on the new 11-speed Super Record group, which will launch at Interbike. 

The book will be available in the U.K at the beginning of November at good bookshops or direct from www.cordee.co.uk.

As Leica is to cameras and Ferrari to racing automobiles, Campagnolo is to cycling: designer of the finest parts for bicycles ever made. Campagnolo's jewel-like brakes, pedals, derailleurs, cranksets, and wheels have been ridden to more race victories than any other brand, yet the same components are available to cycling enthusiasts worldwide. 

Campagnolo's rich history began with the founder, Tullio Campagnolo, a racer who turned to creating better bicycle parts when he found the equipment of the day inadequate for the rigors of professional competition. Blending exotic alloys with sound engineering, Campagnolo created a series of patented designs that are still in use today as the fundamental standards upon which modern parts are based.

With its deeply researched history (much of it from the company's private archives), spectacular colour photography, rich text, and lavish presentation, Campagnolo is a book for every lover of the sport of cycling, as well as connoisseurs of the bicycle itself. Colour, black-and-white photos and illustrations throughout. 

Campagnolo: 75 Years of Cycling Passion

By Paolo Facchinetti and Guido Rubino

Hardcover with jacket. | 9 1/2" x 11 3/4", 160 pp. | £27.50 | 978-1-934030-37-0

* Published to coincide with Campagnolo's 75th anniversary celebration

* Featuring archival material from the Campagnolo family and Campagnolo company that has never been previously published

* Book launch at Interbike and the London Cycle Show - cycling industry trade and consumer shows attended by cycling's most devoted enthusiasts

Campagnolo: 75 Years of Cycling Passion retails in the U.K. for £27.50. Available at good bookshops or direct from www.cordee.co.uk. For trade enquiries, please contact:

Richard Robinson

Cordee

3a De Montfort St

Leicester LE1 7HD

United Kingdom

+44 (0) 116 254 3579

info@cordee.co.uk

www.cordee.co.uk

Joe Parkin's Cycling Book Launches this Weekend!

Bike Racing and Belgian Beer: Come to Joe Parkin's Book Launch Party at One on One in Minneapolis!

Minneapolis, MN - September 2, 2008 - Local author and former pro cyclist Joe Parkin will celebrate the launch of his new book at One on One Bicycle Studio in Minneapolis on Saturday, September 6th at 7:00 p.m. This is a free event with Belgian refreshments provided.

A Dog in a Hat Book Launch Event with Joe Parkin
Saturday, September 6 at 7:00 p.m.
One on One Bicycle Studio
117 Washington Ave N. | Warehouse District
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401 | USA
Questions? Please visit oneononebike.com or call (612) 371-9565.

Parkin's new book is A Dog in a Hat: An American Bike Racer's Story of Mud, Drugs, Blood, Betrayal, and Beauty in Belgium. The book is a memoir of Parkin's experience as one of the first Americans to race bikes professionally in Europe. The book is now available in bookstores, bike shops, and online. Parkin will autograph copies during the event.

In 1987, Joe Parkin was an amateur bike racer in California when he ran into Bob Roll, a pro on the powerhouse Team 7-Eleven. "Lobotomy Bob" told Parkin to go to Belgium to become a pro bike racer. Riding along a canal in Belgium years later, Roll encountered Parkin, who he describes in the book's foreword as "a wraith, an avenging angel of misery, a twelve-toothed assassin". Roll barely recognized him; Belgium had forged Parkin into a pro, and changed him forever.

A Dog in a Hat is Joe's remarkable story. In plainspoken, fast-paced prose, Parkin describes the true life of the professional bike racer, putting the reader into the whirlwind of this hardest of athletic educations. A Dog in a Hat begins with Parkin's terrifying first visit to his team doctor, where he is strapped to a table and monitored by humming electrodes as men in white lab coats coldly divine his future as a pro.

A Dog in a Hat celebrates the glory of bike racing, but Parkin tells the hard reality of the life-the drugs, the payoffs, the betrayals by teammates, the battles with team owners for contracts and pay, the endless promises that keep you going, and the sheer physical agony of racing day after day. Despite the pain, despite the suffering, A Dog in a Hat is a beautiful book. It is one American's story of his love affair with professional cycling, set in the hardest place in the world to be a bike racer. It is a story untold until now, and one that Parkin's readers will never forget.

A Dog in a Hat: An American Bike Racer's Story of Mud, Drugs, Blood, Betrayal, and Beauty in Belgium
By Joe Parkin, foreword by Bob Roll
Paperback with color photosection | 6" x 9", 232 pp. | VP-DOG, $21.95 | 978-1-934030-26-4

Joe Parkin represented the United States at the World Professional Cycling Championships and the World Cyclocross Championships. Following his road racing years in Belgium, he returned to the United States and began a successful second career as a pro mountain bike racer. Parkin is a long-time resident of Minnesota.

For media review copies, author interviews and events, please contact:
Dave Trendler, Marketing and Publicity Manager, (303) 245-2138, dtrendler@competitorgroup.com

Distributors and specialty retailers please contact:
Jen Soulé, Sales Manager, (800) 811-4210 x169, wholesale@competitorgroup.com

Bloggers Enjoying Joe Parkin's "A Dog in a Hat"

VeloPress gave away over 100 advance copies of Joe Parkin's new book, A Dog in a Hat, at BookExpo America in May and then shipped out 80 more advance copies to Amazon's Vine reviewer program (read the Amazon Vine reviews). The resulting early feedback on the book has been overwhelming. Here's a sampling of reviews of A Dog in a Hat from the blogosphere.

"Joe Parkin is a beautiful piece of work, and he turns out to be a better writer than I am a bike racer." - Bill Strickland, Bicycling magazine

"Whether you're a hard core cycling fanatic or are passingly aware of the Tour de France each year, you will enjoy this page turning chronicle of a young man's coming of age as a cyclist in Europe. It might even inspire you to dust off that old bike sitting in the closet and take it for a spin." - The Wisdom of Dre

"This book is a very short, entertaining read. It keeps up fast pace, moving from race to race and season to season smoothly and quickly." - Pete's Entertainment Reviews

"Parkin chronicles the years he spent training and racing in Belgium during the late '80s with brevity and candor, giving the reader plenty of breathing room to enjoy the behind the scenes look at professional bike racing." - Scott's Bookshelf

Edel Rodriguez is a cyclist and the artist who created the cover illustration for A Dog in a Hat. The book cover's illustration is not the only one Edel drew. Check out the early sketches on his blog.

The Athlete's Guide to Yoga by Sage Rountree on InsideTri.com

VeloPress author Sage Rountree has contributed content from her book, The Athlete's Guide to Yoga, to InsideTri.com.

The first article explains the benefits of Tree Pose (see left), which builds balance and opens tight hips.

The second article shows variations on Chair Pose, which builds strength in the legs and core.

Sage Rountree combines endurance coaching cred with yoga. Sage is a USA Triathlon and USA Cycling certified coach and a registered yoga teacher with the Yoga Alliance. She's also an accomplished age group triathlete and marathon runner.

VeloPress Publishes A Dog in a Hat by Joe Parkin, foreword by Bob Rolll

"A Dog in a Hat is the most authentic book ever written about making a living as a pro cyclist in Europe." -Bob Roll, Versus TV cycling commentator

Boulder, CO, USA - August 28, 2008 - A Dog in a Hat is the remarkable story of American bike racer Joe Parkin. Parkin was an amateur racer in California in 1987 when he met Bob Roll, a pro with the powerhouse Team 7-Eleven. To become a real pro, "Lobotomy Bob" advised Joe to go to Belgium, host to cycling's most grueling race scene. What follows is the amazing memoir of a blue-collar cycling career carved out of the rain-soaked trenches of Europe. The book is now available in bookstores, bike shops, and online.

Parkin's memoir reads like a novel. In plainspoken, fast-paced prose, Parkin describes the true life of the professional bike racer, putting the reader into the whirlwind of this hardest of athletic educations. A Dog in a Hat begins with Parkin's terrifying first visit to his team doctor, where he is strapped to a table and monitored by humming electrodes as men in white lab coats coldly divine his future as a pro.

A Dog in a Hat celebrates the glory of bike racing, but Parkin also lays out the hard reality of the life-the drugs, the payoffs, the betrayals by teammates, the battles with team owners for money and contracts, the endless promises, and the exhaustion of racing day after day.

Despite the pain, despite the suffering, A Dog in a Hat is a beautiful book. It is one American's story of his love affair with professional cycling, set in the hardest place in the world to be a bike racer. It is a story untold until now, and one that Parkin's readers will never forget.

A Dog in a Hat: An American Bike Racer's Story of Mud, Drugs, Blood, Betrayal, and Beauty in Belgium
By Joe Parkin, foreword by Bob Roll
Paperback with color photosection
6" x 9", 232 pp. | VP-DOG, $21.95 | 978-1-934030-26-4

Joe Parkin represented the United States at the World Professional Cycling Championships and the World Cyclocross Championships. Following his road racing years in Belgium, he returned to the United States and began a successful second career as a pro mountain bike racer.

For media review copies, author interviews and events, please contact:
Dave Trendler, Marketing and Publicity Manager, (303) 245-2138, dtrendler@competitorgroup.com

Retailers and distributors, please contact:
Jen Soulé, Sales Manager, (800) 811-4210 x169, wholesale@competitorgroup.com

VeloPress is an endurance sports and fitness publisher focusing on the sports of cycling, triathlon, and running. VeloPress is the book publishing division of Competitor Group, Inc., publisher of VeloNews, Triathlete, Inside Triathlon, and Competitor magazines; producer of Elite Racing marathons and half-marathons and the Muddy Buddy adventure series; and owner of VeloGear, an online and catalog retailer. For more information, please visit velopress.com.

Gale Bernhardt Appearing on Denver TV Before Men's Olympic Triathlon Final

Tune into Denver's CW2 Morning News at 7:45 a.m. MT on Tuesday, August 19 to see VeloPress author Gale Bernhardt introduce viewers to triathlon and discuss the differences between your local sprint tri and the Olympic race format. Gale will be interviewed by Chris Parente.

Gale will compare a road bike and clip-on aero bars and an Olympic-legal time trial bike. She'll demonstrate the advantages of speedlaces. She'll also show off one of Jarrod Shoemaker's tri suits.

Root for Jarrod and Team USA triathletes during NBC's coverage of the men's Olympic triathlon finals.

VeloPress Buyer's Guide updated for fall 2008

Unlike many team sports that take a break between seasons, endurance athletes tend to train year round. Yet endurance sports do have seasonal cycles. For example, late fall begins the base building period, with lower intensity, higher volume training. Early winter might involve crosstraining like yoga or strength training.

Many VeloPress books sell strongly all year, but some are more applicable during specific seasons or around particular race events. People who don't participate in our sports are sometimes unsure when to stock certain titles.

Enter: the VeloPress Buyer's Guide, which is now updated for fall 2008.

Our Buyer's Guide is designed to help buyers stock up on the right books at the right time, so that they sell through.

We've found that our Buyer's Guide also helps people shopping for gifts books.

VeloPress Fall 2008 catalog now available

Please download the VeloPress Fall 2008 catalog. This is a 1.5 meg pdf file. Download now.

How to get in touch with VeloPress

Get in touch with VeloPress editorial and sales and marketing staff through our website.

Welcome to the VeloPress blog!

VeloPress is an endurance sports and fitness publisher. VeloPress is known best for cycling and triathlon training and history books, but we also publish books on running, yoga, snowsports, nutrition, and related topics.

We've begun this blog to stay in closer touch with our readers, authors, industries, sports, and with our friends in the media.