Rick's Ride: 3,500 Kilometers. 23 Days.
The 2008 Tour de France.
PRESS COVERAGE
LeParisien.fr has interviewed Czelusta and posted this article, which is translated below, courtesy of Simone Barrilleaux.
Le Tour de force de Jesse le Californien
VESTIAIRES du stade du Bergot, Brest, samedi à l'aube.
Two silhouettes stir in the light of the neon lamps. Two cyclists emerge and pierce the shadowy dawn. Jesse, 32 years old, followed by his friend Thomas, 31, embarks upon his first stage of the Grande Boucle. The wind is blowing hard. It's drizzling. The day before, the two Californians who arrived by train from Paris and by airplane from America, had set up their lightweight tent and their bikes between three pine trees.
The only campers at an empty RV parking lot, they were given a warm welcome by the lot workers. This is not surprising, considering not only the smiles of these strapping lads, but also the challenge that they are attempting! Jesse is the "number one" challenger, Thomas his equipment/logistical support for the first three stages.
"Homage to the man who handed down this passion to me"
These young triathletes, who just graduated from Stanford University, fared well before their arrival in Nantes yesterday. Above all Jesse, Thomas having only done the second stage...Jesse Czelusta describes the Tour de France as a "childhood dream". "It's the Holy Grail of cycling, I've always been a fan!" he explains. Carrying a small bilingual dictionary in his hand, he attempts a few words in French. But it's only one of the reasons why he's here for the 2008 Tour. Above all, this race, this adventure, is dedicated to the memory of his friend Rick Shelton, who passed away in April at the age of 58. "Rick was like an uncle to me. He lived in the house next door. He was the one who introduced me to the bike, who handed down this passion to me." It was the death of his friend, who used to love to say, "Live now, for yourself, and for others", that fired the starting gun. Jesse bikes in memory of Rick and to raise money for two charities (www.ricksride.org). He carries with him a bundle of fond memories ... Such as that of a bike race in his hometown, where he found himself in competition with another young American ... Lance Armstrong!
"He threw his fist in the air: 24 kilometers in 34 minutes. Already such talent at only 17 years old!" To attempt the Tour, Jesse brought his "old" white bicycle... Lance Armstrong model. He's been training with it for eight years, and has tweaked it to suit his own tastes, case in point, the funny looking, chopped down, pivoting seat. The bike alone weighs 10 kilos. Since he is flying solo for most of the Tour, Jesse has attached baskets to the back. Total weight, baguette and camembert included ... around 20 kilos! "I refined my strategy, but I always come back to the essence of the beginnings of cycling. When the boys hauled their own load ... "
For now, and until Cholet, Thomas rides behind him, his anchorman, and "the man that does everything". They start out at dawn, "before the caravan leaves", trying to finish the stage early in order "to help out at the end". And they ride each night, this time on a train, sometimes on a bus, to meet the tour at the next departure city and to embark upon the next stage!
