Team Marketing Coordinator Milay Galvez and Team Liaison David Anker recently hand-delivered some Fuji Sandblasters, Aces, and a Captiva to the families of GEOX-TMC team leaders Denis Menchov and Carlos Sastre. To say the bikes went over well would be an understatement!

Denis Menchov’s 6 and 8-year-old sons pose with their brand new Fuji Ace‘s with Denis beaming in the background at their excitement.

Denis adjusts the saddle of the sparkling white Fuji Ace.

“It was a sight to be seen,” explained Milay. “The boys immediately jumped on the bikes like naturals, started pedaling full-speed, and soon enough, were competing against each other.”

Denis adjusts his son’s Fuji Ace 20.

The boys pose with their first-ever road bikes!

The group headed to a nearby plaza, where Denis, David, and Milay had coffee as they watched the boys race around the plaza.

Charging toward his Dad with an expression of intensity and focus – must be in the genes!

The boys were all smiles.

Next up was a visit to the Sastre household for a Fuji fleet delivery.

Carlos hopped on his Fuji Captiva right away.

The whole family loved their bikes, but Carlos, surprisingly enough, was the one that really loved his Fuji cruiser! It was love at first sight for the 2008 Tour de France winner and his stylin’, matte black Fuji Captiva.

“He was like a kid in a candy shop,” said Milay.  “I think it was fun for Carlos to zip around on a simple bike like the Captiva, which takes you back to the plain old joy of cycling. Having a single speed, coaster brake bike must have been like a breath of fresh air for Carlos, whose much more used to a $10,000 techy race machine than a relaxed cruiser.”

Carlos, his son, and his daughter take a loop around a roundabout.

The kids show off their new wheels to a friend in the neighborhood.

A very gregarious person, Carlos is well-known in the community. Almost everyone that passed by stopped to say hi. And of course, all admired his new bike.

Carlos proudly shows off his Captiva to a neighbor, joking that he will race it in the Vuelta!

Carlos was having trouble keeping up with his children in the criterium around the roundabout. His 7-year-old has already begun racing. He’s not yet earned a victory, as his old bike didn’t have gears. But with his new Fuji Sandblaster, a podium and trophy are surely in his future, as he looked completely at home and downright fast on his new Fuji.

In the wet and chilly 88th edition of the Classic of Ordizia, GEOX-TMC’s Juan Jose Cobo finished 12th, just 41 seconds back of winner Julien Simon of Saur-Sojasun. Teammate David Gutierrez finished in the top 20 at 17th. It was a particularly strong race for Cobo, who despite suffering a flat, managed to power his way back to the peloton, finish 2nd in Mountain 5, and win Mountain 6. Cobo finished 3rd in Ordizia’s final Mountains Classification. Check out Team Marketing Coordinator Milay Galvez’s awesome, behind-the-scenes photos from the race below!

Mauricio Ardila and Arkaitz Duran suite up on the team bus for the 166-km Classic of Ordizia. The Basque country circuit race is the oldest of the classics in Spain.

Juan Jose Cobo has a laugh before heading out into the wet, dreary day.

Duran checks the front wheel of his Fuji Altamira.

Ardila is back in Europe after a month at home following the Giro – wearing a smile as always. Paco, the team’s senior soigneur, gives Ardila a hug, showing how much he missed the Colombian.

Cobo told Milay that he is feeling much better at this point in this season and is particularly looking forward to the Vuelta a Burgos (which begins August 3rd), where he expects his performance will be strong and therefore, assure himself a spot on GEOX-TMC’s Vuelta a Espana roster. Riding the Vuelta is his #1 priority and hope, reported Milay of the humble and quiet rider.

David De La Fuente takes one more look at his Altamira before heading to the start line.

De La Fuente was so happy to be back in the saddle after many weeks out of competition due to a broken shoulder blade he sustained in a crash earlier this season.

The peloton is always full of friends and old teammates. Alberto Benitez, who rode for Fuji’s 2010 sponsored team Footon-Servetto, stopped by to chat with Sport Director Matxin and former teammate Rafael Valls before heading off to the start line.

Daniele Ratto, having his second coffee of the day, flashes a devious grin. Unfortunately, Ratto wasn’t smiling by the day’s end. He was the team’s hope for a win in the sprint finish but abandoned the race early – soaked, freezing, and exhausted.

Rafael Valls signs an autograph for a local fan.

David Gutierrez chats with friends before the race who came to wish the Spanish rider good luck.

2nd in Stage 2, 2nd in Stage 3, and 5th in Stage 5: It was a miraculous race for GEOX-TMC’s Daniele Colli, who on Sunday, found himself on the final podium, wearing the red jersey as winner of the Brixia Tour’s Points Classification – something Colli couldn’t have dreamed of just months ago while recovering from knee surgery.

“We’ve rediscovered an important rider in Daniele Colli,” explained Sport Director Daniele Nardello after the race. “Daniele came within inches of success on more than one occasion, but more importantly, he showed to himself and to others that he’s recovered from a serious physical problem and is back to 100% competitiveness.”

Teammate and Stage 2 winner Fabio Felline finished 12th in the final General Classification, and Gianpaolo Cheula came in 14th – one of his strongest finishes of the year!

“We’re happy, especially with the way the riders interpreted the race,” said Nardello. “Fabio Felline is in great shape at the moment. He always rode in attack-mode, and he earned a nice victory that was important for him and the team.”

He did the unthinkable in yesterday’s Stage 2. And with another 2nd-place finish in the Brixia Tour’s Stage 3, it’s clear we have to re-work all expectations we had for the Italian rider who returned to cycling just a month ago.

“I’m so happy,” said Colli, who came across the line 2nd in the final sprint of the lengthy, 211.5-km 3rd Stage. “I didn’t even know if I would ever be able to get back on a bike again. To be here now pedaling with the pack and battling for victory is an immense joy.”

With his 2nd consecutive podium finish, Colli now leads the Points Classification.

“The placements I’ve obtained in these days boost my morale and give me confidence,” said Colli. “They’re proof that after the surgery, I’ve managed to recuperate and return to a high level.”

He added, “I’ve already won the most important victory – against the tumour. What I went through has helped me to grow and mature as an athlete but especially as a man. Now, I hope I can continue in this direction and make up for lost time. I owe it to myself and to the team that waited for me all these months, that helped me and had faith in me.”

Teammates Fabio Felline and Gianpaolo Cheula finished with the peloton. Fabio, therefore, retained his spot at 2nd in the GC – 1:44 back of race leader Fortunato Baliani – and Cheula stands at 16th.

GEOX-TMC's Fabio Felline and Danielle Colli cross the finish line 1-2 in Brescia. © Riccardo Scanferla

In the semi-stage of the Brixia Tour’s Stage 2, Fabio Felline out-sprinted all 30 members of the surging peloton for his first victory of the season!

And with only 5 days of racing under his belt, teammate Daniele Colli pulled off the unthinkable: a 2nd-place finish less than a month after making his return to cycling.

Thus, a GEOX-TMC 1-2 domination in the 135.5-km stage from Pisogne to Brescia – just a day after Felline sprinted onto the podium in Brixia’s opening stage

“I’m thrilled with this victory,” said Felline, whose previous career win came at the 2010 Circuit de Lorraine in his first year as a professional. “Since the beginning of the season, I’ve been trying to get an important result, and I finally managed to do so. Right now, I feel like I’m in great shape; already yesterday, I managed to come close to success.”

“Thanks to all the team, particularly Daniele Colli and Gianpaolo Cheula,” added Felline.  “They were exceptional. Together, we rode tactically and intelligently, and we managed to pull off this fantastic success.”

A closer look at the GEOX-TMC duo's triumphant finish. © Riccardo Scanferla

Colli was a part of a 5-man break that escaped early in the stage.

“After the start, I tried going on the attack right away,” explained Colli. “On the climb to San Zeno, we didn’t have much of a lead. I tried hammering so that the group wouldn’t catch up. Then, on the downhill, I tried to recuperate some energy, and I waited for the other group behind me because I knew that Felline and Cheula were in there.”

“With 20 kilometers to go, Fabio and I talked it over; we’re both good at quick scats, but he was definitely fresher than me, so I put myself at his disposition to try and win the stage,” said the self-sacrificing, humble Italian.

“After the operation to my knee for the tumor, I wasn’t sure if I could return to racing. But with a lot of effort and strong will, I did it. Right now, this 2nd place is a victory for me,” said Colli, whose emotional comeback to the sport and now early podium finish are sure to impress and touch the cycling world.

Felline’s victory marks GEOX-TMC’s 3rd win of the season: Matteo Pelucchi won the Clasica de Almeria in February, and Fabio Durate won the Giro del Trentino in April.

Felline moved up to 2nd in the GC, 1:44 back of race leader Fortunato Baliani. And with two consecutive solid performances, Cheula moved up to 15th in the overall GC.