When you think of Starbucks, what comes to mind? Beverages, yes? As the team assembled for a Sunday “fun” ride, I anxiously anticipated that a team car loaded with an enthusiatic barrista and a tailgate-mounted espresso machine would roll in any moment. No such luck. There was a Larabar (another sponsor) distribution ritual prior to roll-out, but my hopes for a pre-ride double cappuccino were dashed.
The Starbucks Men’s team looking a little worse for wear after 51 hilly wet miles.
About 15 showed up for the ride, including a few guests along to check out the team. The men’s Starbucks team is new this year, after 4 years as a women’s-only team. The seven pioneering members know one another from racing last year, and the rest joined the team in September.
Team members range in age from 28 to 59, and most are athletes who haven’t been racing very long, but are competitively-minded and eager to develop their bicycle racing skills. Team members benefit from team coaching provided by pro-racer Todd Herriott of Herriott Sports Performance.
The Starbucks team mascot shows off the new team kit atop Steve’s bike: Unfortunately he/she/it wasn’t brewing pre-ride espresso drinks.
According to team manager Steve Zeliadt, the team’s primary objectives are to provide a supportive environment that will enable their members to develop their racing skills, and for the team as a whole to develop into an increasingly competitive squad. At this point, most are Category 4 & 5 riders (on a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is pro and 5 is beginner). Steve is also excited about a new co-sponsor, the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. The relationship between Starbucks, the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, and the team will result in Race4aReason.org that will connect the energy of bike racers, triathletes, runners, and other competitors with a forum for sharing their inspiring stories, as well as ideas and opportunities for these athletes to give back to the community.
The Ride: ~50 hilly miles starting at Lake Burien Memorial School Park, southward to near Tacoma flats and back. My speedo reported ~3900′, and the cue sheet said ~4,500′ of climbing. On the return trip there was a 2-3 block stretch of very steep (15+%) terrain that had riders zigging and zagging. The cue sheet listed the ride as about 48 miles, but ended up going a bit longer due to route-finding difficulties. I was actually thankful that the lead riders periodically went off-course because it gave me a way to catch up without too much embarrassment.
Although the pavement was dry when we began, conditions deteriorated over the course of the ride, and we soaked and shivering by the time we finished. Alas, the now mythical (in my mind) team barrista didn’t have hot drinks waiting for us. Maybe the barrista was with the women’s team on Sunday?
I was impressed with the team’s apparent cohesiveness throughout the ride (I was at the tail end of the paceline most of the time, so I’m inferring from what I could see through my rain-beaded and fogged-up glasses), which is hopefully an indicator of their ability to successfully work together under race conditions.
Best of luck to the Starbucks Mens team! I hope to check in with them periodically when the road season gets underway. And if the team barrista shows up, I’ll definitely join them for another group ride.
