In the Winner’s Circle With the Slipstream Cycling Team

For professional cyclists, cycling teams are the epitome of success. While not the same as baseball or basketball teams, they are equally important. Cycling is an independent sport, but like car racing, cyclists want their teammates to do well also. Cycling teams provide sponsorship, salaries, free gear and tournament fees. Cyclists who are not members of cycling teams will have to pay a lot of pocket to fund their own careers, but by earning a spot on a cycling team, they can sit back, relax and pedal toward victory.

One for All

In 2007, the Slipstream Cycling Team was formed in the United States. A UCI Professional Continental Team, the team is managed by Jonathan Vaughters, a professional rider himself. While many teams are owned and operated by businessmen, having a former rider in charge always helps to direct a cycling team toward the right goals: victory, not profit. The Slipstream Cycling Team wears orange and blue argyle, and is sponsored by Slipstream Sports, a sports marketing and development company. It is also sponsored by the Chipotle Mexican Grill and H30.

When the Slipstream Cycling Team first entered the Professional Continental organization, it participated in the Agency for Cycling Ethics program, a program aimed toward the elimination of doping in the sport of professional cycling. Volunteer participants are tested extensively and are given a bio-stable marker profile; in future tests, if these markers move, it is a red flag.

The rider is either sick or has been taking illegal drugs. Cyclists who exhibit changes in their profiles are unable to participate in races until the scores have returned to normal; they are also required to undergo further testing to diagnose the cause of the problem. The Slipstream Cycling Team chose to volunteer for the testing establish a solid, honest image.

The Slipstream Cycling Team was originally formed as a development cycling team in 2004, used to test both professional and amateur cyclists. The TIAA-CREF sponsored the cyclists on the team during the developmental period, and it continues to the team’s 10-17 year old cyclists who do not compete competitively.

The Slipstream Cycling Team competed on the 2007 USA Cycling Professional Tour, the 2007 UCI America Tour and the 2007 UCI Europe Tour. Occasionally, the team was also selected as a wildcard to various UCI ProTour events. In 2008, former Tour de France winners David Zabriskie and David Millar joined the Slipstream Cycling Team, along with Christian Vande Velde and Magnus Backstedt. David Millar is also slated to become part-owner of the team alongside Vaughters.