The primary impetus is that a new partner is stepping in with our elite program.

That must be one of the big changes you've been teasing us with.
For 2008 we'll be known as the ABD/??? Pro Development Team. We added the PDT moniker because over the years we've sent just as many guys to the big leagues as anyone, and more than a lot of squads that use it.

There were a lot of former ABDers at Downers Grove this year, from Kirk O'Bee (Health Net) winning the stars and stripes to Reid Mumford (Kelly Benefit Strategies) driving the leadout that won it for Martin Gilbert.
It's awesome to see those guys out there. And most of them still stay in touch with the club, which is how it should be.

Do you have a tally of how many current pros you've produced?
Eight: Sarah Tillotson (Colavita), Kelly Benjamin (Cheerwine), Brenda Lyons (Lipton), O'Bee, Frank Pipp (Health Net), Mumford, Bryce Mead (Jelly Belly) and Ben Raby (Kodak/Sierra Nevada).

How did you get involved with the team?
I've known Mike Farrell since he was the USCF regional coach in 1993. As a Junior I raced with the Pepsi team under Steve Thordarson (now Smart Cycling), and in '97 I moved to ABD, which at the time was the elite Junior squad. ("Elite" in that they ruled the Midwest. Guys like O'Bee, Dalton Koprek, Wes Young, Jeff Conrad, Eric Walters.)

Then when I was away at college, my Mom went into Prairie Path Cycles to pick up my training plan from Mike Farrell, my coach at the time. Farrell, the PPC owner and ABD president, was swamped with customers, and my mom, being the impatient yet friendly person she is, started helping them. She knew nothing about bikes, but her personality was huge. She would say, "Well, my son uses this," and people would buy stuff. After that happened a couple of times, Mike hired her and she soon became the PPC manager.

It was in the Fall of 2002, after a comeback season for me, that I told Farrell how much I wanted teammates. `Don't upgrade until you know how to win. I stayed a Cat 3 longer than some guys wished I had to learn that lesson.’ I took on management of the team that first year in 2003. Pipp and Frankie Dierking (Abercrombie & Fitch) both came on board, and we also picked up John Puffer (Texas Roadhouse) and Kurt Rees.

What category were you at the time?
I was a Cat 1 by about 2000. Some of the best advice Farrell ever gave me -- and that I tell other guys -- is, Don't upgrade until you know how to win. I stayed a Cat 3 longer than some guys wished I had to learn that lesson.

Tell us a story from that era.
I went to Belgium in 2001 for my second season racing there. (The first was in 1999.) Both times I went as an independent and just jumped into the kermesse circuit.

In '01 I hooked up with Kristian House (Navigators), who'd lined up this dive apartment on the Belgium-France border. We had no heat, no hot water, and the electricity often went out.

I dropped Noel Dejonckheere a few e-mails to let him know I would be around if he needed any riders for races, and the day after I landed he's like, "I need a sixth man for U-23 Tour of Flanders in two days." Uhhh, OK.

He picked me up, and I spent the night at the U.S. team house, got a jersey for the day and proceeded to get a flat in the first 40k of Flanders. Chasing back on through a euro caravan was one of the hardest efforts of my life. (Danny Pate (Slipstream) actually got 2nd that day behind some Boonen guy.)

Noel sends me back to my place, I race the kermesses for a few weeks, then I get another call: "I have a 200k race with cobbles I need you to do." It was the Omloop der Kempen in Holland. This course had two 10k cobbled sections. But this time I was one of only two finishers on the national team. The other guy was actually trying to set me up for the sprint before we got Dutch-dude-sandwiched at a roundabout with 500 meters to go.

I go back to my apartment, but with instructions to train with two five-hour days and a seven-hour day that week. `We got Dutch-dude-sandwiched at a roundabout with 500 meters to go.’ A few days later, Noel calls me up and says: "You're on the team. I want you to move into the house. You'll do a couple of 200k races in France, a Tour in Luxembourg and U-23 Paris-Roubaix." So, I move into the National team house. Comparatively it's paradise: hot water, satellite TV, internet, mechanics, soigneurs.

And the next morning I go to the 200k race in France, where I get shelled in 60k.

D'oh!
Noel says it's because I don't train enough, so he forces me to ride home with the rest of the guys 100k to the house. Mid-ride I'm shivering and seeing double. By the time I get home I'm a wreck. Noel says he can't afford for anyone else to get sick and takes me back to the apartment less than 24 hours later.

Turns out it was salmonella. I lost 18 pounds in three days.

That's one way to trim weight.
Exactly!

And that was it for you and the national team?
Yep. My season was over. I tried to ride because the invitation to race my dream, Paris Roubaix, was there, but a one-hour ride would make me sleep for a day and a half. It took me almost two years to get back to full strength.

If it weren't for a silly bacteria ... you could be signing for Astana right now.
Well, hopefully for a clean program!

What were you roles with ABD in 2007?
I continued to direct events and be the administrator behind the scene. I was definitely still the elite manager, and I'd really hoped to be one of the "go-to" riders. I was very excited to ride with Josh Carter and Jeff Schroetlin, who'd been my nemeses for so long. Unfortunately, it ended up being my second-worst season ever as a rider.

Because of the hernia?
Well, first the hernia, and second the hernia. But then a few things came up that were just bigger priorities than racing bikes. Don't get me wrong: I had an awesome year in real life, off the bike, and I have no regrets.

And now you've passed the events torch and will be doing something new in 2008?
I'm definitely stepping back from event direction, which I think is a huge step forward for ABD. I'm a micro-manager, which isn't what an event director should be. I established a decent template, but now all those ABDers who've been helping over the years can get in there and put their big ideas into play.

Is there anything else you do for a living?
No. My bank statement says I should do something else, but this is a pretty fun gig.

As far as I know you're the only Midwest club with a full-time administrator like that. That's got to be huge.
The secret for any club that wants one is to`My bank statement says I should do something else, but this is a pretty fun gig.’ suck somebody in who's fresh out of college, loves riding bikes and has no problem making less than $20,000 a year.

Tell me about what ABD does for club riders.
The biggest thing ABD does is help to create the "support network" that is the club. Everyone from our 10 year old Juniors to the Elite team relies on this network for just about anything from race advice to finding a job. In addition to that, we hold some social gatherings, a handful of coaching clinics, and organize deals for the club through the elite team sponsors.

That intangible support network is probably the biggest benefit one can get from a team. Is there much interaction between the club and the elite team? The interaction between the club and elite team is somewhat limited due to geography, but fortunately everyone really comes together during Superweek and the August crits close to home. ABD is making big strides forward in 2008, both in terms of what we offer the club members and how much more accesible the Elite team is.

How do you fill out your elite roster? Do riders approach you, or are you scouting and recruiting?
It's a mix of both. I receive probably two dozen e-mails a year, and then there's guys that grab my attention.

What are you looking for in an elite rider?
The primary thing is character. We want guys who are just as excited every time a teammate wins as they are about themselves. They need to really appreciate what their teammates and every ABD club member has to offer. "No man is an island."

The cross season ends in December, and then your first indoor time trial is Jan. 6. So much for that long off-season when I was going to read books, take naps and learn how to dance.
I know. It's a packed season!

One of your indoor time trials was my very first sanctioned events. I did it on my touring bike, tube shifters and everything. It was a great intro, especially since I was so desperate to try this racing thing out.
That's great. That's partly what the indoor time trials are about: introducing the sport to the newbies. The thing they also learn about the sport is how social it is.

I'm amazed by how many people come out. I'm also amazed by how many volunteers your able to get to all your events. That can make a big difference with safety at the road events. Is there a trick to getting people to volunteer? Hypnotism?
Having 200+ club members definitely helps, but we also have a core of about 40 people who are always involved. The big thing we do is that three hours equals a free entry fee. This year we also started tallying hours so that those people who go above and beyond those three hours can put "points" towards boxes of Powerbars or even jerseys.

You go back and forth between L.A. and Chicago a lot. Any advice on avoiding airlines' surcharge on bike boxes?
I always aim for the cutest agent I can find. Smile, flirt a little, and tell them how broke we bike racers are. My girlfriend can attest I'm not the best flirt, but once in a while it works.

Finally, you and Roger: Any relation?
I wish! I really got into film analysis in college and did a senior thesis on "American Beauty." If only I had an in. How cool would "Ebert & Ebert" be?