QBP’s Frostbike kicked things off back in February. It was a great show and good to see so many friends. We’ve been unveiling our POP plans with our new slatwall planogram and a few other POP goodies. We plan to have a kit available through our distributors sometime this summer. We’ll have more updates here, so check back regularly!

After Frostbike, it was off to California for the Team Tibco training camp in Santa Barbara and a bunch of distributor and shop visits. We visited the KHS offices and met with Allen Needle and Galen Burk of Giant USA. We also made a few visits to some great So Cal shops including: Irvine Bicycles, Bike Religion, Incycle, Banning’s Bikes, Stan’s Monrovia Bicycle, and Laguna Beach Cyclery. Check out our video of Team Tibco’s beachside trainer session.

We’re making a point of gathering candid and casual Flip Video footage of some of the shops and people and places we’re visiting along the way this Spring, so stay tuned for new video as we get it edited and uploaded. See you soon!

Team TIBCO brings its strongest roster ever into the first NRC stage race of the season this weekend, the Redlands Classic, beginning Thursday, March 26.

It’s a wide open race. It’s not a pure GC rider’s race. Redlands isn’t for pure climbers or time trial specialists. Just about any one of Tibco’s riders could be in contention for the overall. Someone like Lauren (Tamayo) or Kat (Carroll) could get in the right move on Beaumont (Friday) and get in contention.

The team will still look to several riders in particular in pursuit of the overall title, including Carroll, who finished 3rd in the 2008 edition, and rising Canadian star Julie Beveridge, who posted a 9th overall last year.

The team also can look to Kiwi Joanne Kiesanowski, who finished 8th in the 2008 world championship road race, as well as veteran Aussie Emma Rickards, who returns to racing in the U.S. after four years with top-level teams in Europe and a 2nd place finish in the 2008 Geelong World Cup. Powerhouse Amber Rais gives the team yet another weapon for the overall and stage wins. For the downtown Redlands criterium, Tamayo is the top candidate for a sprint finish after posting strong results at the Tour of Qatar and the Amgen Tour of California Women’s Criterium.

Team TIBCO Roster for the Redlands Classic, March 26-29:

Julie Beveridge, CAN
Rushlee Buchanan, NZL
Katharine Carroll, USA
Joanne Kiesanowski, NZL
Meredith Miller, USA
Amber Rais, USA
Emma Rickards, AUS
Lauren Tamayo, USA