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Wanted:Cat 3 Racers who like free gear and racing like pros
Sat, 09/13/2008 - 11:52pm
Tired of having no teammates to race with? Tired of racing against your teammates instead of with them? Tired of shelling out $500 for a new kit every year plus hundreds more in race entry fees? Want a tight knit team instead of a big club whose members you only see at races? Then read on about Third Pillar . . .
We are a team located on the SF peninsula but with riders located throughout the Bay Area. We limit ourselves to about 15 members, almost exclusively cat 4 elites and masters. Despite our small size, last year we had 11 wins and 30 podium finishes.
Two of our riders, myself and my co-captain Tony Borba, will be racing in the elite 3s next year and we have 2-4 open slots for interested cat 3 racers.
We are also have a slot or two for masters 4 riders.
Our team is unique in several ways:
- we are well funded. Our owner, Jon Orban, is CEO of Third Pillar Systems, a hugely successful financial services software company. Jon is nuts about cycling - think of him as the Michael Ball of amateur cycling. The deal we have is as good or better than any cat 1/2 deal out there. Third Pillar gives each team member a full Louis Garneau manufactured kit for free. This includes 2 bibs, 2 regular jersies, 1 sleaveless jersey, one super light jersey, one vest, one skinsuit, gloves, arm warmers and leg warmers. We also get a discount off our local bike shop, Cyclepath, great deals from our other sponsors including Cannondale, Ritchey, etc, and highly subsidized winter training camps in Napa and Sonoma. In addition, our race entries are comped for all participants in a race if any team member in that race reaches the podium.
- every race we work together as a team and execute a strategy. This is really the core of what we are all about: well executed teamwork.
For Third Pillar it is team first. Every race we have a designated rider or two, folks who cover breaks and lead out men. And we spread the roles around so everyone has their chance at the podium. We apply professional level tactics to amateur racing. It takes a lot of work, practice and sacrifice (we practice almost weekly on the offseason). But the teamwork results in team success and a much more rewarding, unifying experience than just belonging to a club or team that doesn't race together.
- we are a close knit group. One of the reasons we keep our team small is so that we remain close knit. We hang out after races together, have regular barbeques and team parties and hang out casually with one another and our families. I am a bit biased, but all of our team members are great cyclists and awesome people. We have everyone from tech workers, to CEOs to plumbers, to radio reporters on the team and the diversity makes it a blast to be around everyone.
If you are interested in learning more about our team and kicking some ass next year, please email me at davidjamesmayer@yahoo.com.
check out our website as well: http://www.thirdpillarracing.com
Thanks and have a great off-season!
Dave
I am on a cental valley team but raced with Third Pillar at Henleyville (Jon and the team) and Chico (Peter only). I can affirm that they do race as a team and play well with others. Although we each sent guys into a break and their riders got pulled back early, they did not stop working for the break, as agreed. I am looking forward to racing with them in more races next year. Great group of guys.
This is the funniest string I have read in a while. Yes we are team. Yes we are a club. Yes we are friends. Yes we want to race hard. Yes we want to use team tactics during races. Yes we like wearing all that RED.
So now that's out of the way. Are there any Cat3 racers interested in joining? We have ridden with a couple of guys thus far and that's been good. We have a few open spots. Let us know.
http://www.thirdpillarracing.com
Cheers
I'm starting a TEAM where every time R posts a hair-splitting circular foray into semantics we all get to hit him with a CLUB with "over exaggerated intensity".
todd h wrote:Wow! Who knew a guy looking for people to race hard with would get so many panties in a bunch?
It's the off-season (for most). Relatively few opportunities now.
By late December there will be the overflowing optimism that the coming season will bring better results than ever!
Wow! Who knew a guy looking for people to race hard with would get so many panties in a bunch?
Actually Kyle, I am being a little critical of the over exaggerated intensity, not necessarily the specific use of the word "team".
The whole pro Cat 3 thing is just a bit over the top.
Saying your club intends to race as a team is fitting statement. Saying your club is not a club, it's a team...bit over the top.
Truthfully, my point is the same as yours. "back it down a notch sparky, we do this for fun".
Ron
Hey old guy, it sounds like you need to add some fiber to your diet.
8)
Ron goes to bed right now! :x
And you can just forget about staying up to watch the Varese reruns, young man!
You'd better straighten out that attitude, mister, or I don't know what!
Hey R,
I am pretty sure you, me, Third Pillar and the rest know that they hold club status. However, they are attempting to operate like a team like a lot of other clubs do. I am also pretty sure we all know what cyclecyborg meant in his previous post. After all, don't you remember the invitation you gave me to join your "team" after Tower District crit. last year? I guess the point here is your last post was being a bit critical on the improper use of a word that is used in that manner all the time. Remember, we are all friends here so keep it fun and friendly!
Kyle
I have news for you...you are a club.
http://www.usacycling.org/clubs/index.php?club=11388
When it says USPRO next to your club name, you can say you are not a club.
Till then...CLUB.
-R
another reason for this aproach is that we are not a club, nor do we have the numbers out there to attract alot of attention. we are hand picked by a selective process sort of like a job interview, so that there is no complications caused by personalities. There for we need to post our open spots to gain interests from possible future members.
Hope my team is taking pointers on building the slush fund.
My 2 kits are worn out from frequent use/washings 8)
Looks like maybe a few more people now know:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2008/sep08/sep19news2
Ouch that looks like that hurts...
In my teammates defense, the kit comes out of team funding and is not part of a sponsorship deal. We also don't advertise the actual deals we get from sponsors, but we do list our sponsors, as most other teams do, on our website and our team kits. That's kinda deal with sponsors, we are out there to raise awareness for them.
The most important part of this post is explaining how we race as a team. Because it is just that... A Team. So if you're interested in joining the Cat3 team please let us know.
http://www.thirdpillar.com
Mad Axeman wrote:The actual discount received from a sponsor is usually considered privileged information, as in for club members eyes only.
It puts your sponsor at a disadvantage with non-sponsored customers.
-R
Yeh, I'm not exactly "Styleman", but it's probably not the best form to advertise your team's bene's - even to the other team members.
But on a forum posting? Okay, I'll say it ........ IT'S TACKY!!
p.s. - Does Third Pillar offer kit replacements for routine incidents?
The actual discount received from a sponsor is usually considered privileged information, as in for club members eyes only.
It puts your sponsor at a disadvantage with non-sponsored customers.
-R