STEVEN COZZA T-Shirt sales to benefit Godson battling Leukemia

As Steven takes a break from cycling to focus on his personal health, he also has a loved one battling a serious illness.  Steven's Godson, Brody, is fighting Leukemia and needs help with treatment.  We will be donating ALL PROFITS from the Steven Cozza's Never Give Up T-shirt directly to Brody's trust fund via Steven's Race for Kids.

You can purchase the NEVER GIVE UP t-shirt here:

NEW CYCLING TEES ARE HERE!

We are very excited to share our new line of Tees. People have asked us for more women's options, CX, another logo tee, different colors, a United We Pedal tee and we listened. Hope you enjoy, the can be purchased at www.hbstache.com . As always, each item we sell has a charity partner these include: Steven Cozza's Race for Kids, Saul Raisin's Raisin Hope, Mercy Corps, and LIVESTRONG.

*Some of these designed will also be available in hoodies very soon.

Pro Cycling 2011- What were watching part duex

We know it's still early on in the season, but we figured we would give our take on the racing so far and a few predictions.


Off the front-

HTC High Road: They just win races!  Tony Martin and Matthew Goss have both racked up some nice wins so far in 2011. Tejay van Garderen is showing again that he is a VERY talented rider.  He is continuing to grow and develop and we can see a Grand Tour podium in his future.

Rabobank:  Some might have questioned letting a multiple Grand Tour winner go, but Rabobank didn't blink.  They have Robert Gesink as their GC contender and even Eddie Merckx tips him as a possible Tour winner. The early season form of Theo Bos and Lars Boom make it appear that they made some very good investments.

Spain: Gotta give it to 'em they know how to keep their "star" racers racing.  Conta gets the all clear from his home country and has already made the podium in one of his first races. What happens with the CAS time will tell, but he can now always claim he was cleared in his home country.

Jens Voigt and those in favor of race radio:  Jens mentioned an incident from a U23 race last year as an example of why Race Radio is needed in his "Open Letter" ( featured on CycleSport's website) .  Then this week as if on cue, an ambulance headed the wrong way toward the field in a race. Here is the excerpt from Jens Voigt's "Open Letter":


"Last year in an U23 race in France a spectator ignored all regulations and entered the parcours in the opposite direction of the race. What normally happens is this: the race director puts that news on ‘radio course’, the official communication channel between the race organizer, the UCI and the sports directors. Immediately, all sports directors spread the message amongst their riders over the radio to prevent a potential fatal accident. Now, in that French race there were no radios, which is the case in all U23 races. Try to put yourself into the position of any sports director, that knows there is a car riding towards the bunch. He’s not allowed to drive to his riders and warn them. All he can do is sit and wait. And maybe think about what he can tell the parents of one of his riders if he got hit by the car. Because this is what happened: the car hit a young Dutch rider, who was in a coma for three weeks. Everybody present in that race agreed that the accident could have been prevented if the riders had been wearing radios" 


If nothing else, the riders should get a broadcast from the race officials so they can be made aware of dangers ahead.  They should also allow team cars a 2 way radio to race officials, so they can communicate any issues they see like a rider that has crashed and is off the road in a ditch, off a cliff, etc.

Andy Schleck: As we have stated before, he really needs Conta to race the Tour to become a champion. If he snags his 1st Tour win without Pistolero in the race, it just won't be the same.  So far, it looks like he will get to line up with Contador in July.

Radioshack: Lance retired,  right after the Tour Down Under, but Shack has been getting it done without their biggest name. The Robbie's have been mixing it up in sprint finishes and proving they still have some left in the tank.  Markel Irizar won Ruta del Sol and Jesse Sergent won West Flanders, so the future looks bright for the Shack.

Cadel Evans:  Looks like he is trying the Lance approach from 99-05, trying to minimize his racing days prior to the Tour.  We actually like this move quite a bit, as it shows Cadel is not riding for 2nd place.  He is going all in for the TDF and is showing that he is not happy with a podium finish.  Defending champ Alberto Contador will do the opposite and try to race (and win) all 3 Grand Tours this season. Time will tell if Cadel is making a smart move, but we like it!

Steven Cozza: He has a fresh start with Team NetApp and is off to a solid start on the bike.  He won the Sprint and the Combined competition at Mallorca Challenge. We can't wait to see Steven on the cobbles at Roubaix! The other reason we have Steven on this list, is his work off the bike with his Race for Kids fan club.  He has a new coloring book with profits directed to help children's charities and the 2011 version of his  "Never Give up" tee that we make.  If you haven't read much about Steven or his mission check out http://www.stevencozza.com/ .




Off the back-

The Cobra's cycling career is dead, but we hope he gets help and lives a healthier life off the bike!

Ricardo "The Cobra" Ricco: The WTF moment so far of 2011! We just wished we had called one this "far out" in our blog "Dopers do suck, but they have great excuses" . Honestly, the thing that comes to mind when I think of Ricco is, when did this start?  I keep wondering if they should shift anti-doping so they are testing Juniors and U23 heavier than they do Pros. Much like AA baseball players that are trying "make it", many young cyclists are willing to take the risk of doping to get their shot.

Cav: had a rough start to the year; he found himself on the ground several times.  The shoot out Down Under with Greipel didn't actually happen.  Cav showed up a bit heavy, and his teammate Matt Goss was the bigger star during that race. The Manx missle has added Roubaix to his race calendar, and we have to say we are bit concerned about Cav on the cobbles. We fear his new grill might be in jeopardy if he ends up wheels up on the Carrefour de l'Arbre section.

LEOPARD TREK: Um...yeah, it's early, but no real headline wins for the most anticipated/hyped team in a decade. They look stylin', and are mixing it up in races, but they don't have any results to speak of.   I wonder if the O on their kits stands for 0 as in results. We have to give it to them ...SHARP kit and nice scarves!  They will win either Flanders or Roubaix and all will be right.

Taylor Phinney: It's been a rough beginning for Taylor with knee issues and a few crashes.  Still a long season ahead, but so far his young gun friends are off to a better start. No doubt he can and will pull off a result this year, he just needs some better luck.

Garmin Cervelo:  Their own riders Tweet jokes about taking Team SKY's musettes at feed zones.  They need to go to a white base instead of black or add orange back in.  They make a race finish very hard to watch.   We can't imagine how it feels to be looking to see if your rider is on your wheel only to find a SKY rider.  On their own, the kit looks great; add them in with SKY and LEOPARD and it's a mess.

PREDICTIONS:


Paris Nice: We will go with Sagan or Tejay van Garderen for the win, but don't count out Jurgen Van Den Broek

The Ronde: Top 3 in any order Fabian, Devolder, and Gilbert

Paris Roubaix: Top 3 in any order Fabian, Hushovd and Boonen


Check out STEVEN COZZA's "NEVER GIVE UP!" tee and the rest of our tees at http://www.hbstache.com/

Steven Cozza Q & A

A new year, a new team and a new opportunity for Steven Cozza.  After many years with Garmin, Steven has moved to Team NetApp for the 2011 racing season.  We recently got the chance to ask Steven a few questions about racing, life, and giving back.  Check out our interview below:

Giving Back:

1. What was the first charity or cause that called you to get involved?

It wasn't one thing that called me to get involved.  My parents raised me in believing how important it is to not just think of ourselves but others as well especially those in need of help.

2. Where did the idea for Race for Kids come from?
After traveling and racing all over the world being cheered on by so many kids on the side of the road, I decided I wanted to give back to them. I believe that every kid deserves a fair chance in this world, so I want to do all I can to help as many kids as possible live a better life.

3. What has been the best/most touching moment so far with Race for Kids?
Meeting my 3 year old friend, Aaron Phelps, who is currently living with SMA. Attached is a photo of Aaron. Also, my dad has some photos of me and him together.

Cycling:

1. Most kids dream of being a Pro athlete, but when did you realize you had a gift on the bike?
I never realized I had a gift on the bike and I still don't know if I do, but that doesn't matter to me. Its what I want to do. I have set goals for myself and all my life I have worked my butt of to achieve my goals.  First it was getting through school and now its pursuing my dreams in cycling. Next? That's top secret.  Your will is your greatest tool for reaching your goals in life.

2. You have some different feelings about race radio from many of your peers; can you share you views on the topic?I personally don't mind if we race with or without a radio. To me, its not the end of the world.  I think it has turned more into a power struggle between the UCI and the riders. It's too bad it has to be a child/parent kind of relationship because most the racers I've spoken with in the peloton actually say they are more happy racing without radios. For me, I can focus more, get in the zone and have less distractions without a radio. The radios have never helped keep me safe, nor have they helped me tactically. Why don't we ask Eddy Merckx and racers of the past how it was racing without radios?  I'm sure they will have no complaints what so ever.

3. If you could win just one these races which would you choose The Ronde', Roubaix, or a Grand Tour Stage?Any of them would put a smile on my face.

4. Most fans know you as a Classics guy, but you have strong TT back ground.  It's been a while since you got to go all out in TT; are you looking froward to this part of your new role?
Ya I was really great in the TTs up until 2009.  I look forward to pushing the limits again this year.

5.  Any funny stories of being on a European based team that you can share with us?Yes plenty of funny stories. I am rooming with my Spanish teammate Jesus Del Nero at the Mallorca Challenge. Every day is bike racing as well as Spanish and English lessons. It is so funny trying to communicate with him. It is like we are both 2 year olds trying to get our points across with hand gestures and Spanglish.

6. Who are you BFFs in the Pro Peloton?
I don't have any BFFs haha. I thought that was a Paris Hilton thing.

7. We gotta ask, are we gonna see the stache this year?
Maybe.

8. Who were the riders that influenced you as you studied Pro Cycling?
No one.

9. We know all Pro's are tough, but besides the obvious (Jens Voigt) who are hardest of hard men in the current peloton?
Dan Martin the little Irish Man is.

10. Any races you haven't gotten to ride in that are on your cycling bucket list?
The TDF of course.

Life/other:

1.  How does one meet and go out with a Podium girl?You should start off with looking like a mechanic. When Jen (my fiancee) and I met, she figured I was a mechanic because of the mustache. And then you got to shock her by getting on the podium. I passed her a note on the stage at sign-in the day after I accepted the Best Young Rider jersey at the Tour of Missouri. We kept in touch after I flew back to Europe and the rest is history.

2.  Tell us about your upcoming charity ride.

Its called the Giro Bello Classic and 100% of the money goes to two very important charities that I have chosen. One is for Myeloma and Blood Cancer research and the other is to eradicate the Polio disease in poor parts of the world.  Limited to 500 entrants and filling up fast. Check out.
www.girobello.com

3.  We know you are an outdoors enthusiast - If there was a Survivor season for Pro cyclists, what special skills would help you win?
Me being an Eagle scout would help me along with my insane will to survive any situation or challenge and to never give up.

4.  You have been to Everest base camp, how did that come about?  Any plans on climbing Everest when you retire?
I have always loved hiking. Everest is the mother of all mountains, so just going to base camp at 18,500 feet was incredible. I hope to go back one day with Jen and hike the Annapurna circuit.

5.  Obviously not a pressing issue, but after you retire from cycling, what are your career/life plans?
Top secret.

6. Outside of politics and religion we feel this is one of the more polarizing questions we can ask: The band Cold Play good or evil? 
Ha Cold Play. Terrible. Can't stand their music one bit.

7. If you could go to dinner/have a drink with 5 living people who would they be?
Ali, the other four would be homeless people that I'd treat to dinner.

You can purchase the 2011 Steven Cozza "Never Give Up!"  tee at  http://www.hbstache.com/cozza11 $2 from each tee sold goes to Race For Kids

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