Our Own Personal Soignuer
Despite popular belief, it can get pretty cold here in California in the fall and spring. We have plenty of 90 and 100 degree days in the summer, but the fall, winter and spring months bring early darkness and cold temps. Due to daylight savings, it gets dark around 4:30 pm and the lights, layers, and cold weather gear come out. Two years ago, we added Soigneur Embrocation to our equipment to help manage the temperature swings.

“Embro” is a warming cream that athletes put on their legs or muscles to help loosen them up. Its very popular among cyclocross racers. Put on thick enough, it helps shield skin from cold wind and water. Applied 15 minutes or so before a ride, and it warms and loosen the legs and gets them ready for action. It can help keep the shock of crisp morning air to a minimum, too.

It’s creator is a cyclist from Michigan, Dan Socie. As a designer, he knows good product design and branding. As an athlete, he knows how Soigneur needs to work. And as a Michigander, he knows the cold. In fact, Soigneur is a major sponsor of one of the biggest fall cold weather race in the U.S., the Iceman Cometh Challenge in Traverse City, MI.

Dan describes the meaning behind the name best:

In the sport of professional cycling, a soigneur (“swan-yer”) is a very important part of a successful team. Not only do they pack bags, prepare food, schedule flights, drive vans, hand up food, and calm nerves, they also rub legs. The Soigneur is the last person to touch a rider before the race, and the first person to hand them a drink after the race.

Unless you’re a professional, you are your own soigneur. We’re here to help. At Soigneur we create products that enhance your athletic experience, motivate you to start your workout, enjoy the ride, and recover from a workout.

So, how hot is is? It’s warm, for sure, and it takes a few times to get a good feel for how much each individual needs. A little goes a long way, so the first few times its best to apply sparingly.

Its also a good idea to thoroughly wash your hands after application, to avoid rubbing eyes. It also is most definitely not a chamois cream. Avoid using it as such at all costs.

We’ve found it to not only be a critical tool for training and racing (awesome for early spring 12 and 24 hour endurance events), but also for aching backs, stiff necks and sore shoulders. It’s also really nice for recovery. It’s deep heating effect helps to increase circulation. Even after riding, Soigneur has a nice “after heat” that helps relax muscles and avoid soreness. Some of us even use it on days when we don’t ride.

We’re proud to be one of the few teams that Soigneur works with, and certainly the only team on the West Coast.

We are celebrating amazing riding weather in Michigan with a Hat/Embro combo offer. Ends January 31

GCC from Mike Schurr on Vimeo.

First in a series about the teams Soigneur Sponsors. First up the UK based Biketreks Racing.

A new cycling team, Biketreks Racing Team, was formally launched on Tuesday evening at the Salt Ayre racing circuit between Morecambe and Lancaster.  This was an occasion for the riders to be photographed in the new cycling outfits composed white tops, and black shorts adorning three coloured vertical stripes (Orange, Blue and Black) as well as logos of the main sponsors. Well-respected local landscape and cycling photographer Ian McVety was behind the camera.

The team has been operating and racing for a few months now and good results from the 5 riders, Gary Spencely, Chris Anderson, John Dodgin, Kieren Banlin and Nic Bertrand have been forthcoming, with the team currently placed 7th in the regional rankings ahead of more established teams and clubs with larger line-ups.

Biketreks Racing Team’s first year is being used to gain experience racing as a team and for the supported riders to progress through categories. This experience will be leveraged in subsequent years to integrate young riders into the team thereby giving them an opportunity to further develop as racing cyclists. This will provide a stepping stone into the more structured and daunting racing scene with guidance and support from the established riders.

The Biketreks Racing Team are very grateful to all sponsors associated with such a grassroots initiative. The team is supported by Ambleside-based Mountain and Road bike specialist retailers Biketreks, Specialized (Bikes, Helmets, Shoes, Gloves), Clif Bar (Sports nutrition), The Sufferfest indoor training videos and Soigneur Embrocation. Individual riders are also being followed and supported by experienced coaches (Jeremy Hastings of the WILDWOOD WISDOM Cooperative based on Islay and Terry Bell of Mercury Cycle Coaching) and Sport injury / physio / massage specialists The Body Rehab in Staveley. The team is also endorsed by Bikepure, a non-profit organisation that promotes drug-free competitive cyclesport worldwide.

Andy Stephenson of Biketreks Ltd, Ambleside states “I am really excited to assist the team, we have a competitive, highly motivated group of riders. Nic Bertrand’s vision of a vehicle to help younger riders into the sport clinched the deal. With the experience of riders of the calibre of Gary Spencely and Chris Anderson to draw on, we are looking forward to a great season.”

Look forward to following the progress of this new team on the team website athttp://www.biketreksracing.com

kindhumansports.com/ (Midwest, East Coast)
ciclirati.com/ (Midwest)
gamjamsracing.com/ (East Coast)
novemberbicycles.com/ (East Coast)
bikeman.com/ (National)
farmteamracing.com (Michigan)
wolverinesportsclub.com/ (Michigan)

BikeTreks Racing – Lancaster England
elitedewaardrenner.nl/ – Netherlands

Troupe Racing Co (Southern California)
Leadout Racing (Michigan)
Real Women Tri (Michigan)

In 3 years Barry-Roubaix has grown from a small Michigan race with a few hundred riders to this years event which drew 1,00o riders. Amazing considering it’s March in Michigan. Saturday was 18 degrees at the start which makes for some cold riding. Days like that make it easy to sell the benefits of racing with embrocation and warm legs and why Soigneur Embrocation will always sponsor and be a part of this event.

Soigneur Sponsored Teams : Results

Farm Team Racing
Shawn Davison
Nate Versluis

Leadout Racing
Chris Kreple
Lupe Martinez
Geoff Kuyper(Crashed out)
Dan Korienek (Crashed out)

Team Toms P/b Kindhuman Sports
Wade Burch 1st Place MEN 30-34 (35 mile race)
Brad Potter
Mike Coffman
Greg Hughes

Real Women Tri
Kathy Everts 1st overall Woman!
Cheryl Havens
Laura Korienek

Team Cicirati
Cody Sovis
Emily Savickis

Team Stomach Full of Anger
Stuart Neils-Kraft
Michael Babcock

So if you are in Europe and looking for embrocation check out Eric’s site. http://www.essv.nl/

We sponsored a lot of races in 2010 as well. Barry-Roubaix, Yankee Springs time trial, Fisk Knob Time Trial, Tour de Gaslight, Kisscross Cyclocross series and Mad Anthony Cross race. We also had a big presence at the Grand Rapids marathon expo and finished the season at The Iceman Cometh. Iceman was a tremendous weekend. The expo was crazy and we sold a lot of product and met a lot of great people.

It’s really exciting to here all the positive feedback we’ve been getting. We love our embrocation so when customers send us email saying they do as well it feels really good.

2011 is going to be a great year and we have lots planned with new races and look for an announcement about our sponsorship of some new cycling teams.

I’m training for my 11th marathon and it’s been a while since my last one and I’ve forgotten how much work goes into training. Fortunately our friends at Gazelle Sports understand this too and they have organized a fully supported 20 mile group run on the Grand Rapids Marathon course. Everyone who is running the Grand Rapids Marathon on October 17 has a 20 miler scheduled so you might as well run with with a couple hundred friends.

Soigneur will be at John Ball Zoo before the start of the run with free embrocation samples to test while you are running. We’ll also bring out coffee to warm your insides before you get going. Come see us.

Register for the this Saturday’s 20 mile training run.