Photographic account of Canadian Continental team's first Amgen Tour
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As a second-year Continental team, Team SpiderTech sits in the shadow at the Tour of California of bigger Pro Tour outfits like Rabobank, which they don’t often have the opportunity to compete against.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
A long day and a packed trailer both come to a close as mechanic Rick Barrow closes shop for the night in Visalia. Getting there required a 2.5 hour drive from the day’s finish in Modesto.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
David Boily during lunchtime on the road. Boily sits fourth in the best young rider classification.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
Andrew Randell, following 195 km of hills, wind and sun.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
Director Sportif Steve Bauer is a cycling legend, having competed in 11 Tours de France and medaling in both the Olympics and the World Championships. He says he believes in fostering his riders’ intuition as much as telling them what to do on the course.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
Mechanic Barrow keeps an eye on the speeding caravan as he gets Guillaume Boivin rolling again after a rear puncture.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
Eric Boily paces sprinter Martin Gilbert up the steep Sierra Road climb outside San Jose.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
Head Mechanic Rick Barrow and a collection of Shimano carbon wheels. As Stage four began with a steep climb, Barrow had outfitted several wheels with 27-tooth cassettes.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
SpiderTech founder Ray Arbesman, left, chats with Team SpiderTech DS Steve Bauer before the start in San Jose. Arbesman turned Spidertech into a business after he required physical rehabilitation himself.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
The Tour of California is Lucas Euser’s first significant race since being struck by a car on May 14 2009 in Girona, Spain. Euser hopes to return to European competition in 2011.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
Lucas Euser gets the tape treatment on the knee which was severely damaged almost exactly a year ago when he was struck by a car while training in Girona, Spain.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
Dr. Kevin Jardine uses more than tape to keep his riders together. Here Frank Parisien gets instruction on a thigh and hamstring stretch with a foam roller.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
Eric Boily (no relation to teammate David) gives the Oakleys a shine before the start. He would later shine in the first of three finishing circuits in Modesto.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
David Boily uses SpiderTech kinesiology tape on his back.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
Racing the Amgen Tour of Calfornia is a big accolade for Team SpiderTech, the first Canadian team to be invited. Friends from Canada like Marc DuFour, right, have been stopping in to wish the riders luck.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
Martin Gilbert looking ready for a shower after the stage(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
Martin Gilbert looking ready before the stage(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
Frank Parisien prepares for sunny 195km day in the saddle. Parisien sits 17th on GC, Team SpiderTech’s highest-placed rider.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
Team SpiderTech p/b Planet Energy leads the peloton on the first of three finishing circuits in Modesto, hoping to set up sprinter Martin Gilbert. With only three riders to lead him out, the effort was gobbled up by the powerhouse trains from HTC-Columbia and Liquigas-Diomo.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
SpiderTech presented by Planet Energy have broken new ground at the 2010 Amgen Tour of California by becoming the first Canadian squad to be invited to the event. The team hasn't been over-awed by the occasion, with Andrew Randell and Eric Boily taking their place the breakaway on stages two and three, respectively.
Stage four didn't work out the same way for the largely Canadian crew (US rider Lucas Euser is the one non-Canadian on the California roster), but the team showed itself on the front of the peloton as it stampeded through the finish circuits in Modesto on Wednesday. Cyclingnews photographer Wil Matthews accompanied the team throughout the day and produced these revealing images of life within the SpiderTech team.
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