With all eyes focused on France this month for one of the greatest annual events in all of sports, new social-networking platform Cyclist Village (www.cyclistvillage.com) will take cycling fans behind the scenes to get a unique view into the three-week road show known as the Tour de France when they accompany Team Columbia, the American squad owned and operated by High Road Sports, Inc., formerly known as Team High Road and now sponsored by the Columbia Sportswear Company. Coverage of the endurance spectacle will begin airing on the Cyclist Village site Saturday, July 5 when the 21-stage, 2,212-mile/3,560-km bicycle race gets underway in Brest and finishes July 27 in Paris on the Champs-Elysees. The Cyclist Village branded segments will also available for viewing on the Team Columbia site (www.highroadsports.com ) and on the Columbia Sportswear Company’s site (www.columbia.com).Cyclist Village co-founder Jim Fryer, said, "We are thrilled to be partnering with Team Columbia to give viewers - both die-hard cycling enthusiasts and those who only tune into the sport in July - a comprehensive look backstage at arguably the toughest and most prestigious event in all of sports. Our crew will take you into the Team Columbia camp to tell the intriguing stories behind the riders, directors, mechanics, soigneurs and staff. We'll document how the athletes and organization prepare, race, recover and travel throughout the entire race."
"Our daily video clips will chronicle from start to finish the captivating journey of Team Columbia on cycling's grandest stage. The team is allowing Cyclist Village the opportunity to follow their every move to provide fans with a clear view into the inner workings of one of professional cycling's top teams. Team Columbia has it all as they are a truly international squad comprised of seasoned Tour de France veterans like captain George Hincapie (the American is making his 13th start and was a member of eight winning Tour de France teams), general classification favorite Kim Kirchen (from Luxembourg who placed 7th GC at the 2007 Tour de France), fiery sprint sensation Mark Cavendish (the young man from Great Britain will be battling for stage wins and the points competition jersey), climbing phenom Kanstantsin Sivtsov (winner of the 2008 Tour de Georgia from Belarus) and riders making their Tour de France debut like 21-year-old sprinter Gerald Ciolek (Germany). It should be a fascinating series that will let viewers see what it really takes to compete in this grueling sports monument that tests the physical and mental fortitude of the athletes," stated Marty Church, co-founder of Cyclist Village.
Launched last month, Cyclist Village is a social-networking platform that connects all things cycling on a global scale. It is an alluring multidimensional site that attracts an array of cyclists, including road, track, mountain, fixed gear and BMX riders. Cyclist Village is a comprehensive tool that houses individual and group socializing, email, an event calendar, forums, classified listings, blogs, contests, files, photos and a video vault. The video vault consists of user-generated content and the best video clips gleaned from the web along with premium original packages professionally produced under the Cyclist Village TV banner. The menu offers highlights from major races, rider interviews, product reviews, and behind the scenes segments hosted by Tour de France veteran Frankie Andreu and former World Champion Mari Holden. The site also showcases exclusive content from Garmin-Chipotle team captain Christian Vande Velde and other notable professional cyclists such as Katharine Carroll of Aaron’s Pro Cycling Team.
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