Name: Adam Myerson
 Hometown: Brockton, MA
 Current City: Boston, MA
@Twitter?  @adammyerson
Years Pro:  10
Favorite Race:  Athens Twilight
Proudest Race Moment:  Final stage, 2003 Tour of Ireland

How did you get into cycling?

I played some team sports like baseball, hockey, and soccer, through junior high school. But I was also interested in individual sports like roller speed skating, and eventually turned away from competitive events altogether as I fell in love with skateboarding in high school. I rode a 10-speed in board shorts and sneakers with the guys from the local bike shop, and they took me to my first race when I was 15. 25 years later, I’m still here.

How have you been impacted by cancer?

I have to confess, I’ve been very, very fortunate to not have been directly impacted by someone close having cancer. Still, it’s never far away, and we all know someone whose lost a loved one or family member, and had to see their struggle, even if we haven’t been directly involved.

Tell us about your 24 Hours of Booty experience.  What’s your favorite part?  

I’ve been able to ride portions of the event alongside the participants for the past two years and its certainly awe inspiring.  I think for me, the best part is that all these people come together not just around their experience with cancer, but also around bicycles. That bikes are the vehicle, literally and metaphorically, for their shared transformative experiences.

What is your role on the team? 

I wear a lot of hats in this organization, and my official title is “Rider, Manager, Captain.” That means some days I’m like any other rider on the team, out there in the race, trying to get results. Within that, I’m also the team captain, which means I dictate the tactics for the day, run the team meetings, and make tactical decisions during the race. Finally, I’m also the team manager, which means I select the rosters for each event, book the plane tickets, enter the riders in the events, coordinate travel, arrange hotel rooms, and handle the majority of those kinds of logistics. It’s definitely a lot of work.

Tell us about your tattoos

Ha.

This is a really broad question and not really possible to answer. Some of my work is deeply symbolic, some of it is plain and literal, and some of it is completely meaningless. For instance, I have an arm full of dinosaur images because I grew up in love with dinosaurs like most little boys, and I had a picture in my head, and artist who was perfect for it. On the other hand, some have slogans like “strivers and suffers” or “can’t stop, won’t stop,” should speak for themselves.

ADVISORY

Ride for the Cure 

Children’s Charity Bike Ride and Festival 

* Sunday – For Children 12 and Under * 

Contact: Nadine Wall – Sweet Rides Team and event organizer – 770-367-8237 or nadine@sweetridesga.org 

DATE: Sunday, May 6, 2012, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

LOCATION: Harmony on the Lakes Clubhouse, 297 Harmony Lake Drive, Holly Springs, Ga.

COST: $10 donation. Event is inspired by participants of 24 Hours of Booty, and will directly benefit LIVESTRONG and the Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Service of Childnre’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Registration on site; registration form available online – www.sweetridesga.org/ride-for-the-cure

BASICS: This ride is open to ALL children 12 and under. The 1 Lap Fun Loop is for younger children on tricycles and training wheels. Parents may walk alongside to assist. The 24 minute Bike Ride is a timed ride on a closed loop (approximately 1/4 mile) and children will be divided by riding ability. Laps will be tallied for 24 minutes. Waiver, helmet and 2:30PM Bike Safety Course is required to participate.The course is suitable for all riding levels and all ages! Pedal bikes only, scooters WILL NOT BE ALLOWED for safety purposes. 100% of the proceeds will be donated.

SPONSORS: This first-year event is supported by Harmony HOA, Road ID, Ping Segars Salon, 24 Hours of Booty & Team Sweet Rides, Girl Scout Troop #2305, Mobile Sound and Club Lighting, Oak Leaf Church in Downtown Canton, Performance Bike Shop Marietta, OutSpokin’ Bicycles Downtown Woodstock, Lowes in Canton Marketplace, Giordana Customs, Childs Play Early Learning Center, Chick-Fil-A Canton, Georgia Bikes!, Cobb County Fire & Johns Creek Police Departments.

ABOUT 24HOB: 24 Hours of Booty of Atlanta is the Official 24-Hour Cycling Event of LIVESTRONG. It also benefits Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Service of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. 24 Hours of Booty is the premier national 24-hour road cycling charity event in the country. Last year in Atlanta, a total of 400 cyclists pedaled around the clock en route to raising more than $220,000 to support the cancer fighting mission. This year Sandy Springs will host a new course for the event, scheduled for October 13-14, 2012. Nadine Wall is part of the Sweet Rides team that participates in 24 Hours of Booty of Atlanta.

WEB: www.sweetridesga.org/ride-for-the-cure

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Name: Travis Livermon
Hometown: Winterville, NC
@Twitter?: @travislivermon
Years Pro: 4yrs Mt Biking and Cyclocross but only 1yr Road Racing

1.  What is your favorite race?
Presbyterian Hospital Crit.  Home state crit!

2.  Proudest Result
9^th place Professional Cyclocross Natl Championship

3. How did you get into cycling?
My older brother started riding when he was in middle school.  I am 5yrs younger than him and wanted to do what he was doing.  It all snowballed from there.

4. How long is your season and where to you race?
Road season is 6 to 7 months and cyclocross is around 4 months.  It generally works out to be a 10 month season.  Racing all over the country and sometimes internationally but the majority is in the US.

5.  What is your role in the team and/or specialty?
Races of attrition and not so punchy strong man situations.

6.  If you’ve participated in 24 Hours of Booty, tell us a little bit about your experience.
I have ridden the Booty Loop on several occasions and have seen the start and some of the festivities.  It was great to see how may people are supportive and care about the cause.

7.  What is your favorite piece of Mountain Khakis clothing?
Fleece lined Original Mountain Pants

We have been hard at work on our 2012 event, but you may have noticed very little mention of our course in Atlanta.  As we wrapped the event last year, it became apparent that we would not reach an agreement with Stone Mountain on a course that would be suitable for the event.

So we got to work on securing a new location. As you well know, a lot goes into making a 24 Hours of Booty venue great—scenic loop, ample parking and of course, room for Bootyville.

We are excited to announce through the support of the City of Sandy Springs, 24 Hours of Booty Atlanta will be hosted at Mount Vernon Presbyterian School. The loop will be 2.5 miles long and pass through the Mount Vernon neighborhood.  The neighbors have already expressed excitement to cheer as the riders pass by!  You can view the course map here.

This is a huge win as it looks to be a long-term home for Booty.

The downside to this change is we could not keep our same date. The new date for the event is October 13-14. If this impacts your plans, please contact us directly and we will tell you how to transfer your registration or receive a refund.

In planning 24 Hours of Booty we have two main goals—provide an incredible experience for our riders and raise critical funds four LIVESTRONG and the Aflac Cancer Center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.  This venue change will allow us to accomplish both for many years in Atlanta.

Thank you for working hard to fight cancer – and thank you for fighting with us.

Last month we mentioned that Team Mountain Khakis is proudly sporting the 24 Hours of Booty logo on their jerseys this year!  Longtime supporters of the event, we are interviewing each team member this season.  Next up on the interview list is Clay Murfet, a first year rider originally from Tasmania (that’s off the coast of Australia, if you’re wondering!)

@Twitter? @claymurfet
Years Pro: 1
Favorite Race: Presbyterian Criterium
Proudest Result: 1st place in the Giro d Grafton, USA crits.
How did you get into cycling?
Watching Tasmanian Christmas carnivals, which include 6 days of track racing over Christmas.

How long is your season?
I start racing in March, ending in September.  Then I get two months off before I start training in November.

What is your role in the team and/or specialty?
Breakaway criterium racer. Lead out for Luke Keough.

How has cancer impacted you?
My grandfather  passed away from cancer.

What do you want to do when you retire as a pro?
No idea at the moment.  Maybe a comedian!

What is the best thing about 24 Hours of Booty?
Getting all sorts of cyclists together and rising for a cause.

What’s something interesting about you that most people don’t know?
I have 3 baby kangaroos as pets!!

What is your favorite piece of clothing from Mountain Khakis?
Cargo pants.  They are awesome, comfortable and look great!

More than 72 people signed up for the ride in just the last 6 days!  Some teams have already qualified to win the Prime, others are on the brink.  To give you time to get even more people signed up and more entries for the 30 custom jerseys, 24 Hours of Booty is extending the Prime deadline to Friday at noon! 

Don’t forget! Every 5 registrations for your team gets you a spot in the drawing for the prize – 30 custom team jerseys, courtesy of Giordana NOW Custom program.  Go ahead – make that final push!  You have 36 more hours to qualify.

Two more days to get your team registered for a chance to win Giordana jerseys!  For every 5 people you recruit before Wednesday, February 15 at 5:00 p.m. you’ll be entered into a drawing to win 30 jerseys from the Giordana NOW Custom program.  Several teams have already qualified – get your team in the mix! 

Last year’s winners, Sweet Rides, used the opportunity to help grow their team.  The jerseys helped them make the jump from 10 riders in 2010 to more than 30 last year! “The team at Giordana did an awesome job of creating a completely unique jersey that really set us apart on the course and helped us start conversations about 24 Hours of Booty any time we wore them,” said team captain Tracy Begley. ”The 30 free jerseys helped us get people to sign on quicker so they could get one of the jerseys!” 

“We love working with teams to create unique jersey designs that relay the story and the purpose behind the team’s participation in 24 Hours of Booty,” said Giordana Andretta, of Giordana Custom Apparel.  “The NOW Custom program enables us to provide high quality cycling jerseys, made in the USA, to teams of all sizes and with all types of budgets.  Our hope is that the jersey helps spread their team message and the mission of 24 Hours of Booty.” 

Encourage your team members to sign up today for a chance at 30 custom jerseys!  The Prime runs through Wednesday, February 15 at 5:00 p.m. 

One month after registration opened, and we already have more than 1,500 people committed to fighting cancer! Thank you to everyone who has signed on so far – there are a lot of people on board, but not enough to double down on our fundraising goal in 2012! 

Giordana has been kind enough to provide a stellar prize for the winner of next week’s Prime.  For every 5 people your team recruits next week, you’ll receive on entry into a drawing for the grand prize – up to 30 custom team jerseys through Giordana’s Custom NOW program!  The prize is valued at $2,000 and includes design and production for 30 jerseys.  Additional jerseys can be purchased by team members. 

To win, register new teammates starting on Wednesday, February 8.  The Prime will end Wednesday, February 15 at 5:00 p.m.  Your team will receive one entry for every five team members registered within the seven day period.  The winner will be announced on Wednesday morning, February 15!  Teams from all four cities are eligible to win (Charlotte teams – you can add people through the Reboot program). 

Good luck recruiting! 

Name: Neil Vladimir Bezdek
Hometown: Aurora, CO
Current City:  My suitcase! Tucson, AZ this winter and then Winston-Salem, NC between trips to bike races for the rest of the year. 

Twitter: @NeilBezdek
Years Pro:  2012 will be my third year with Team Mountain Khakis/SmartStop.

 What is your favorite race memory?   

I get a lump in my throat when I think about winning Athens Twilight.   

The Harlem Skyscraper Classic on Father’s Day means a lot to me too.  I was living in NYC when I began racing, and I had to watch the event from the sidelines in 2008 because they didn’t have a Category 5 (beginner) race. A year later I came back and won the field sprint for sixth in the Pro-12 race.  Harlem is back on the National Criterium Calendar in 2012, and I’d love to return and win in front of a “hometown” crowd.

How did you get into cycling? 

I grew up mountain biking on singletrack trails outside of Denver, and got into road biking while attending college in Santa Barbara, CA.  After graduating I moved to New York City and worked as a full-time bike messenger for about a year. Eventually that adventure ran its course, and I got an office job. Suddenly pent up in a cubicle and desperate for an outlet, I stormed onto the local road racing scene.  Fifteen months later I signed a pro contract and now I’m thrilled to be racing full-time.

What does a typical training week look like for you in terms of mileage, workouts, nutrition?

Right now we’re smack in the middle of base season, which is the highest mileage time of the year. We use the winter to slowly build a long-lasting base of fitness that will carry us through the racing season.

We gauge our training in terms of hours and intensity. Most of us train hard for 5 days a week and ride easy on the other 2 days. This time of year, the typical pro cyclist rides 25-35 hours a week. Add that to our other job responsibilities–stretching, napping, and eating everything in sight–and it’s truly a full-time job!  

Everyone on the team trains with a power meter, which measures and records how hard a rider turns the pedals. We use that to pace our workouts and gauge how we’re making progress. It’s a complex, yearlong science experiment.

How long is your season and where do you race?

Our season starts in March with races in Florida, Arizona, and California. We migrate north as the season unfolds. Our final race is Boston at the end of September.

What is your role in the team and/or specialty?

I’m the uncle on the team. Adam Myerson, veteran and team captain, functions as the dad who drives the van and keep the kids in line, while I’m the go-between. I’m a couple years older than most rider on the team (I’m currently 27), but getting a late start in road racing means I have a similar level of cycling experience. On the race course I’m an all-arounder, happy to pilot a leadout train for one of our sprinters but also capable of going for results myself.

If you’ve participated in 24 Hours of Booty, tell us a little bit about your experience.

Team Mountain Khakis/SmartStop participated in the 24 Hours of Booty ride in Charlotte, NC in July 2011. Leading the opening laps of the event was a true privilege, one that equals anything we do on the race course. But, my oh my, was it hot! I was impressed by the dedication of the participants. So many cyclists, fans, and support teams happily braved the heat and stayed at the event for the full 24 hours.  

What do you want to do when you retire as a pro?

Race as a Master and remind young hot-shots that getting a pro contract doesn’t turn you into Superman overnight.

Tell us a cool story about cycling, racing, or other interesting tid bit.

Working as a full-time bike messenger in Manhattan for a year (2007-2008) was a true adventure. Like many suburbanites, I was fascinated from afar by the edgy, urban subculture that messengers had created. I showed up to New York City as a complete outsider and discovered that there’s little overlap between the courier industry and the subculture. Being a courier is a strenuous, dangerous, maddening job–manual labor with poor wages. But I stuck with it for a year and saw an incredible cross-section of the city. Those were some of the very best and very worst days I’ve ever spent on a bike.

I also maintain a weekly blog on Bicycling Magazine’s website: www.bicycling.com/blogs/ramblingman

This Saturday (2/4) marks the inaugural “24 Minutes of Booty” benefit with TotalCyclist in Charlotte. Take your shot riding a virtual ‘Booty Loop’ to support 24 Hours of Booty and the fight against cancer. Register online today for your chance to win a 24-Minute jersey by Giordana while supporting a great cause. The following is a Q&A with TotalCyclist Founder and “24 Minutes of Booty” co-organizer Chad Andrews:

* How did you get into cycling?

I played a lot of soccer when I was younger and was tired of running. Cycling seemed a better way to see things and a good outlet for physical activity. I got hooked. I still run and mix it in with my cycling workouts.

* How long have you been coaching cyclists?

11 years

* What’s your best tip for winter training?

Regardless of your skills and strengths, the best winter training is to vary your activities. Mix running and cycling as well as other physical activities. The important thing is to try not to have a high level of fitness in winter or else you’ll burn out in the summer.

* What’s your most memorable experience at 24 Hours of Booty?

My most memorable experience is that each year after emceeing the start, people come up to me to share their story. Hearing these stories and people’s passion really strikes a chord with me. One story that has resonated with me is from a lady who approached me at one event and said: “I wouldn‘t be here if my mom wasn’t in a car crash.” Her mom learned in the hospital that she had a type of cancer that would have prevented her from having children. If her mom hadn’t gone to the hospital after the accident, that lady may have never been born. That’s powerful.

* Is TotalCyclist only for experienced or professional cyclists?

Absolutely not. We are for all types of different cyclists and athletes. Our demographic includes ALL athletes: beginner to pro, roadie to rock climbers, adventure racers to…well….the list goes on.

* How did you come up with 24 Minutes of Booty?

24 Hours of Booty rider Marc Gustafson and I came up with the event and name because we have done indoor time trials for charities in the past and wanted to do something to help fight cancer. We thought it would be fun to create a virtual ‘Booty Loop’ and there were too many numerical signs – holding the event on 2/4 for $24 for 24 Hours of Booty – for us to ignore

* You’re also a race commentator. What’s the most memorable race?

Definitely the U.S. Open Cycling Championship in Richmond during a hillacious snowstorm in April of all times. It’s the coldest I have ever been. The race was delayed 1 ½ hours, but the cyclists still competed.

* What’s the biggest blunder you made while commentating?

When I first got started in race announcing, there was a talented pro female cyclist who entered in the medium category men’s races and made it to the front line. Not realizing there was a female in the mix, I said “There he is”, but was quickly corrected.

* If someone is aiming to ride 100 miles in 24 Hours of Booty, what are your suggestions for a training plan?

Definitely follow Peter Kay’s tips on the 24 Hours of Booty website. Pace yourself. Don’t try to do too much too fast during the event – you have 24 hours to accomplish your goal. Be sure to hydrate and eat.

Chad Andrews is the President and Founder of TotalCyclist in Charlotte, NC. Chad is a USA Cycling Level 1 coach, professional race commentator and the emcee of 24 Hours of Booty.

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