By Velonews Interactive
The 2006 CapTech Classic will continue a tradition of twilight racing June 1 in downtown Richmond, Virginia.
The Thursday-evening race, part of USA Cycling’s National Racing Calendar, will use the same spectator-friendly course as last year, with 125 feet of climbing and eight turns per 1.2-mile lap.
“The move to a Thursday night worked quite well for the event last year,” said event director Tim Miller. “We attracted far more spectators in 2005 than in previous years, and successfully created an after-work party in the heart of downtown Richmond.”
CapTech, the Richmond-based technology consulting firm that has sponsored the event since its inception, continues as title sponsor.
“CapTech greatly values its association with this world-class event, which just keeps getting better each year,” said Slaughter Fitz-Hugh, the company’s co-founder and chief operating officer.
The event is operated by the CapTech Foundation Inc., a non-profit foundation that supports economic development initiatives, charitable giving programs, and the promotion of active, healthy lifestyles. For more information, see www.captechclassic.com.
Mills to direct Targetraining squad
Ken Mills will join Targetraining as director sportif for the 2006 racing season, the team has announced.
Other staffers include coach Rick Crawford and team manager Tom Schuler.
Mills directed the Jittery Joe’s-Kalahari team in 2005 and has worked with a number of other squads, including Navigators, Festina, Linda McCartney and Iteam Nova.com. He raced for many years as an elite in Portugal and Spain.
“I’m really excited to be working with a sponsor as passionate about cycling as Targetraining, and I’m really looking forward to helping all our athletes reach their full potential both as individuals and as a team,” Mills said.
The Targetraining squad will be co-captained by Anthony Colby and Frank Pipp. Other riders include newly crowned cyclo-cross national champion Todd Wells, Alejandro Acton, Ryan Blickem, Josh Bezecny, Dustin MacBurnie, Eneas Freyre, Dan Greenfield, Wes Hartman and Matt Shriver.
For more information, see www.targetraining.com/racing.
DiStefano signs on with Chris King
Chris DiStefano took the long way around to his new job with the King Cycle Group sales and marketing management team in Portland, Oregon.
A Shimano America veteran who most recently worked in PR and brand strategy at Leopold, Ketel & Partners, also of Portland, DiStefano underwent a program developed by KCG vice president Matt O’Rourke that trains new hires in all areas of the company, from manufacturing and assembly to sales and shipping.
“Before any newly hired professional person sits down at a desk, gets a computer or phone extension, they work in the shop,” said O’Rourke. “Not just for a day or two — they are out there for a month or more working alongside our production staff.”
The newbies mop floors, move raw material around, cut bar stock and handle inventory transactions, O’Rourke said. “Once it seems that they know how to work, we move them out into the other areas of the production floor, assembly, polishing, grinding, CNC, all of it. They are trained to run the machines and left to run them. If they can’t do it, maybe they’d be better off working at another company.”
DiStefano’s break-in period lasted five weeks. “I mopped floors, operated CNC machines, built components, shipped orders, and worked with customer service,” he said. “At every position I encountered individuals committed to personal excellence and company success through process improvement. This is a demanding workplace but I am certain every cyclist who has chosen us for their bicycle appreciates the effort taken.”
For more information, see www.chrisking.com.