OF PAIN - ROAD Magazine

F focus: team
a leading provider of sports-related medical services in Southern California. The
Center’s Co-Founder and Executive Director, Brent Kay, MD has treated Floyd
Landis since Landis seriously injured his hip in 2003 when he crashed on his bike
and sustained a femoral neck fracture of his right hip.
“We’re very excited to be sponsoring the team in 2009, in part, because we want
to help support Floyd’s comeback from hip resurfacing surgery,” explained Dr. Kay.
“After his crash in 2003, Floyd developed osteoarthritis, a degenerative condition,
in his injured hip. He underwent corrective surgery in 2006 and I supervised his
rehabilitation. He’s now completely recovered and I view his return to professional
racing as one of the Center’s many successes, and an example to other athletes
hoping to overcome the effects of osteoarthritis.”
More broadly, the Center hopes its sponsorship will help raise the public’s
awareness of osteoarthritis and its treatment. “We felt that working with such an
established, successful team would also allow us to draw attention to the OUCH
Program, a series of seminars the Center is giving this year to educate the public
about treatments for osteoarthritis,” said Dr. Kay. “Osteoarthritis affects 27 million
Americans and can become a disabling condition that prevents its sufferers from
pursuing an active lifestyle. We want people to know it’s a disease that can be
effectively managed and controlled with appropriate medical care.”
As we look forward to the 2009 cycling season cycling fans will be eager to see if
Landis will be able to return to his former greatness and if the OUCH Pro Cycling
Team Presented by Maxxis will be able to support him in his first big challenge of
the season, the Amgen Tour of California. A question and answer session with Jeff
Sobul the teams Communications Director gives us some insight on the new team.
What happened to the former sponsor of your team Health Net?
Did they bow out once OUCH came along or where you in an active
search to replace them? The last contract we had with Health Net was for
two years, plus an option year, which was 2008. We knew pretty much in 2007
that 2008 would be the last year, as Health Net was shifting its marketing focus
and the sponsorship didn’t make as much sense for them from that perspective.
We were fortunate enough to work out the deal with OUCH.
the
Kings
of pain
ouch
Words_Chris Spaeth
[velobios.com]
Images_Jonathan Devich
[epicimages.us]
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The OUCH Pro Cycling Team Presented by
Maxxis, formerly Health Net presented by Maxxis,
dominated the domestic pro circuit in 2008 by
winning the NRC Overall Team Championship for
an unprecedented fifth consecutive year. Team
member Rory Sutherland took the NRC overall
individual points standing for the second straight
year. Sutherland was Health Net’s one-man wrecking
machine winning the overall classification at the
Nature Valley Grand Prix, Mt. Hood Cycling Classic,
and the Joe Martin Stage Race. Sutherland was
without a doubt the most consistent rider of the
year placing 590 points ahead of second place
rider Ted King on the NRC individual rider standings
and 760 points ahead of third place rider Ben
Jacques-Maynes from the Bissell Pro Cycling Team.
Although the team changes title sponsors in 2009
and gains six new riders, the core strength of the
team remains the same by retaining Tim Johnson,
Roman Kilun, Karl Menzies, John Murphy, and Rory
Sutherland. The new riders that will round out the
rest of the 2009 squad are as follows; 2008 Elite
National Time Trial Champion and neo pro Jonathan
Chodroff formally with the Empire Cycling Team,
2008 San Dimas Stage Race Champion Cameron
Evans, 2008 Tour de Gastown Champion Andrew
Pinfold both coming from the Canadian outfit
Symmetrics, 2008 Vuelta a Chihuahua Internacional
King of the Mountains Champion, Patrick McCarty
formally with Garmin-Chipotle presented by H30,
2008 Elite Men’s US Open Overall Omnium
Champion and member of the 2008 US Olympic
track team, Bobby Lea formally with the Rite Aid Pro
Cycling Team, 2008 Nature Valley Grand Prix King
of the Mountains Champion, Bradley White formally
with Successful Living, and embattled 2006 Tour
de France Champion, Floyd Landis. 2009 marks
Landis’ return to pro cycling after serving a two year
suspension resulting from a doping violation during
the 2006 Tour de France from which he was later
disqualified.
The team’s new sponsorship presents a unique and
timely opportunity for OUCH Sports Medical Center,
Tell me a little bit about the abilities of the new riders you’ve
signed for 2009 and what roles you see them filling within
the team. Obviously Floyd Landis will be one of your main GC
contenders but what about the other riders
like neo pro Jonathan Chodroff? Younger guys
like Chodroff and Bradley White are in similar stages as,
say, Roman Kilun and John Murphy were a couple years
team ouch
ago. Young guys with plenty of talent, but the need to learn
[L to R].
a bit more and really build proper race fitness that only
a full season working to protect leads for guys like Rory
John Murphy
Sutherland can bring. Guys like Andrew Pinfold and Pat
Karl Menzies
McCarty are proven veterans who know how to win, but
Jonathan Chodroff
also are dedicated enough to the team to work as superBradley White
domestiques when the situation requires. Cam Evans is
Cameron Evans
probably a bit farther along than Chodroff and White, but
still young and learning. He’s an immense talent who has
Floyd Landis
already had a lot of success.
Tim Johnson
Bobby Lea
Pat McCarty
Andrew Pinfold
Rory Sutherland
Roman Kilun
Are you at all reserved about how Floyd Landis
will be received by the public and how it may
reflect on the team? I know in my discussion
with you that we both agree that most cycling
fans will be thrilled to see him race again, but
in the back of your mind do you think your
team will draw any negative criticism for hiring
a rider convicted of a doping violation? Floyd’s
here to ride his bike and prove he can win even after hip
resurfacing surgery. I don’t think we’re too worried
about any fan backlash.
In regard to your team’s decision to
hire Floyd Landis was he at all part of a
package deal, or was he going to be part of
the 2009 roster either way? He was part of a
package deal, but nothing we can really elaborate on.
Since Landis hasn’t really raced in two
years and obviously suffered from what
would have been a career ending injury
for many athletes, do you think he can
mount a real challenge to win a race like
the Amgen Tour of California again this
year? Floyd is an incredibly tough guy, physically and
mentally. If anyone can come back to the highest level
from this injury and surgery, it’s him. We’ll answer
the second part of that question on February 22nd.
The team has won the NRC Team standing
for the five years and the individual points
classification the last two years. Has
winning the NRC always been part of the
team’s main objectives or has it just worked
out that way? The team’s primary goal every year
is to win races. Other than perhaps one instance,
we don’t go to NRC races to chase points. We go to
get on the top step of the podium. But as history has
proven, if you win races, the NRC points follow.
What are the team’s main objectives for
2009? Generally speaking, the same as always:
win races. Specifically, obviously the Amgen Tour
of California is big for the team, given that the title
sponsor, as well as a number of other sponsors, are
California-based, and it’s the biggest stage race on
the continent, with the best field you can get in the
US A strong showing at the Tour of Missouri will be
important. But beyond that, just do everything the
team can to win NRC races. [R]
the ouch rig
FRAME: Kuota [Kredo shown]
WHEELS: Mavic
TIRES: Maxxis
SHIFTERS: SRAM red
BRAKES: SRAM Red
HANDLEBAR: Ritchey
HEADSET: Ritchey
SADDLE: fi’zi:k
SEATPOST: Ritchey
STEM: Ritchey
BOTTOM BRACKET: SRAM
CASSETTE: SRAM Red
CHAIN: SRAM
CRANKS: SRAM Red
DERAILLEURS F/R: SRAM Red
PEDALS: Speedplay
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