I had previously posted this in the forum but decided to put it on the blog as well. The Livestrong Ride’s FAQ section says that jersey levels will be released later this January but later in the FAQ this answer appears for a question. For those that dont know about jersey levels, they are the fundraising level awards for the Ride For The Roses and Livestrong Rides. They are white, green, polka dot, and yellow, based upon the differing jersey types of the Tour De France.

36. It’s seven days before my event, and I’ve already raised $10,500, but I’m planning to raise more than $15,000. What jersey will I receive?

At the LIVESTRONG Village in your event city, you will receive the jersey color associated with the level you’ve achieved seven days prior to your event. In this situation, you would earn a polka dot jersey.If your donations total reflects a balance of $15,000 or more at least six weeks prior to the Ride for the Roses weekend, you will also be invited to attend that special celebration.

If this is valid then we know that $10000 is probably the Polka Dot level which would lead me to guess that $15000 is yellow, around $7500 for green, and $2500 or $5000 for white.

We should know soon enough.

This past weekend was Ron Francis night here at the Carolina Hurricanes game. We retired the number 10 so that that number will forever belong to Ron Francis in our franchise. It was a great game to be at and the ceremony was a pretty moving thing to see and hear.

For the game the Hurricanes gave out a limited edition Ron Francis Lithograph and a mini replica of the banner hung that night. I was able to get two of each of these from my friends to auction off for the LAF. The first is up at http://tinyurl.com/d727u. Unfortunately Ebay has strict rules for fundraising auctions which kept me from putting charity auction in the title but it can still be put into the description for people to see.

This is yet another simple fundraising idea. Find the common things, such as the free giveaways at a sporting event, and put them up for a charity auction. Some collectors may want one and have been unable to attend the game. It takes hardly no time to get an extra item and put it up for auction.

This is a method to raise money as well as motivate for training that may not work for all. It does for me though because im way too competetive for my own good. The essence is simple, make a bet over a race with your friends and donate the winnings to charity. The downside is that if you lose then you’re out the money that you’ve bet, if you win its all gravy. Because if you win then not only have you raised money for charity you’ve pushed yourself that much harder and further than you would have otherwise.

The bet my friends and I made last night is two-fold. The first part of the bet is that I will beat my friends girlfriend in a sprint triathalon in April. She has done the triathalon for at least the past two years, I’ve never done one. The other side of the bet is that if i lose in the straight up contest I will still finish within two minutes of her time.

Yes, there’s plenty of opportunity to lose and logic says i probably should. The flip-side is this is a bet on myself and I can use that as fuel to train harder and better because if i lose then its a personal loss because i view the bet as being on my ability to get up to speed. I dont see it as a bet against my friends girlfriend cause i know she’s more than capable of winning but more of a bet on myself that im also as capable.

My friend Ron and I have decided that we’re both 100% committed to riding the 100 mile Livestrong ride in Austin Texas on October the 8th. This also means that my fundraising efforts for the LAF can begin in earnest. As you may have noticed the donation links have now appeared around the site.

I hope that those that visit the site will follow these links to donate to the LAF and thereby reach out and help all those that are affected by Cancer and even those that may never be afflicted by Cancer through the LAF’s commitment to finding a cure.

I think its not a leap to assume that everyone has known or knows someone whom Cancer has affected. For me it was my Grandfather, my mother, and two of my aunts and it was in their honor that i rode this past year. I look forward to riding in Austin again this year. The 100 mile Ride For The Roses this past October was both the hardest and most rewarding effort I have undertaken. Im looking forward to getting back there and completing another 100 miles. Hopefully I can raise enough for the LAF this year to be invited back to the Ride For The Roses. That would be very cool but even better it would mean that i reached my goal of raising $15,000 this year for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. It would be a gratifying feeling to have given back a little in return for the satisfaction i have gained by being involved.

There is a good chance that I will also try to ride the Philadelphia Livestrong Ride as well, and it will also be the 100 mile length. I look forward to getting the ball rolling for this year. I hope everyone will keep stopping by to track the efforts this year.

Came across this press release and thought id share…

Discovery Communications announced today the 2006 roster that will lead cycling’s greatest team into the post-Lance Armstrong era. The Discovery Channel Team has won seven Tour de France titles over the course of its history — an accomplishment no other team can claim. Sports director Johan Bruyneel and organization leadership are aiming for top contention in all three of the 2006 Grand Tour races — the Tour of Italy, Tour de France and Tour of Spain.

“The continued partnership between the Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team and Discovery Communications allows us to bring our important values of excellence, perseverance and exploration to our global audience,” said Judith A. McHale, president and CEO, Discovery Communications, Inc. “We also look forward to more participation by Lance Armstrong and his teammates in innovative content initiatives across our networks.”

“I am retired from racing, but my love for the sport and my commitment to the organization that has afforded me so much success motivates me to take the next step in my career evolution,” said Lance Armstrong. “There is rarely a day I don’t talk to [Sports Director] Johan Bruyneel about the team, the sport, and what it takes to win.”

The 2006 team made their debut with all 27 cyclists from 15 countries and unveiled their 2006 uniform, bicycle and tour schedule. The 2006 season will begin in February at the Vuelta Andalucia in Spain, followed by the inaugural Tour of California — a rare showcase on American soil. Other highlights on the schedule include the brutal and legendary Tour of Flanders and Paris — Roubaix as well as all three Grand Tours-the Tour de France, the Tour of Spain and the Tour of Italy.

The 2005 cycling season was another monumental one for Team Discovery, as the team logged 21 international race victories, an overall Tour of Italy win by Paolo Savoldelli, a Tour de Georgia win from Tom Danielson, and an unprecedented, crowning accomplishment for Lance Armstrong’s career-a seventh Tour de France title.

The 2006 Discovery Channel Team begins their racing campaign with several riders who hold promise to lead them to victory in both Grand Tour stage races as well as single day Spring Classics. Key returning riders include George Hincapie, American Classics team leader and key Tour de France performer who won a mountain stage of the 2005 Tour de France; U.S. hopeful Tom Danielson, winner of the Tour de Georgia and eighth-place overall at the Tour of Spain; Viatcheslav Ekimov of Russia, a 14-time Tour de France finisher and Athens Olympic medalist; Italian Paolo Savoldelli, the 2005 Tour of Italy winner; and Yaroslav Popovych of the Ukraine who had an outstanding 2005 season highlighted by his Best Young Rider designation at the 2005 Tour de France.

Press Release Found Here