Congratulations 2010 Bike MS: Valero Awards Winners

Thank you to everyone who attended the Bike MS Awards Party and congratulations to all the award recipients! At this year’s awards party we recognized participants, volunteers, sponsors and community partners for their contribution in creating a world free of MS.

Check out this online magazine for a complete list of award winners!

Thank You!

The Bike MS: Valero 2010 Alamo Ride to the River was a tremendous success! The weather was perfect and everyone seemed to enjoy finishing the ride inside the Alamodome. There are several great photos on our Facebook page. We’d love to see your photos there, as well.

Keep checking back to our website for official dates for the 2011 ride. It will be held some time in October. Thanks again for riding!

Bike MS: Tweet to the River

Planning to tweet about the ride? If so, be sure to include the hashtag “#msvaleroalamo” in all your updates (But, please, only tweet safely — not while riding!). The San Antonio Express-News will be running all tweets in this category on the mysa.com homepage throughout ride weekend (Awesome!). When you use the hashtag, anyone who does a search on Twitter for #msvaleroalamo can read your tweet. So share your great experience with everyone and check out what your fellow cyclists are tweeting!

2010′s Top 10 Teams

Thanks to all the Team Captains who ran into the MS Society office yesterday to make those last-minute donations to ensure their top spot in the Top 10 Fundraising Teams! This was a true fight to the finish.  Great job, team captains, encouraging your teams to do more for those living with MS — you have truly made your mark! 

These Top 10 Teams that will be lining up Saturday morning at the Start Line behind the Velo Valero Bike Team. The winners’ are:

1. AT&T Spinners, $50,845.00
2. Shaw Systems Cycling, $44,445.39
3. Third Street Grackles, $44,114.39
4. HOLT CAT, $33,815.50
5. Team Seb Cennamo, $29,704.00
6. Team Broadway, $24,113.65
7. Miracle In Motion, $23,199.58
8. Neurology Center of San Antonio, $19,219.66
9. Team ETC, $16,092.42
10. MH vs MS, $15,970.00

Weekend Schedule of Events

Howdy, y’all! If you haven’t checked your calendar lately, we have a big, BIG ride weekend coming up in a few days. Heck, it’s so big we have to start it Friday. Here’s a schedule of events, all in one news post for your convenience:

Friday, Oct. 8: Bike MS: Valero Expo at the Alamodome
4 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Parking in lot B – $5

The Expo is the last opportunity to pick up your rider’s packet and turn in fundraising pledges before the ride. Other reasons to attend:

• $10 Pasta Dinner. 4 – 9 p.m.
• Representatives from the Bike Master Plan will provide an update on San Antonio’s Bike Master Plan. 6:30 p.m.
• 2^nd Annual Best Team Jersey Contest. 7 p.m.
• Visit your favorite bike shop booth for gear and last-minute bike inspections.
• Bike Compound. Leave your bike in our secure bike compound Friday night and pick it up Saturday morning before the ride.
• Shuttle service to hotels on shuttle route. 5 – 9 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 9: Day 1 Start Line at the Alamodome

• Free parking in Lot B. Lot opens at 5:30 a.m. Vehicles can be left at the Alamodome until Sunday. Security will patrol the lot.
• Shuttle service from select hotels on the shuttle route begins at 5:30 a.m. and ends at 8 a.m.
• Ride starts at 8 a.m.
• Century Route closes at 2:30 p.m.

Saturday Overnight, Comal County Fair Grounds

Things to check out at the Overnight:

• The Bubble Bistro. The Bubble Bistro is a cool place for people with MS to sit and cheer on cyclists as they cross the finish line each day.
• Free dinner from for all registered riders. 4-9 p.m.
• Team Karaoke Contest. 4 -7 p.m. For more details or to register your team call Lisa Shaw at 210-694-3229.
• Autographed Clay Walker Guitar Drawing for those who raised $1,000 by Oct. 8
• Live Music from the High Octane Band, sponsored by Valero. 7-9 p.m.
• Sampling from Starbucks, Pure Protein and Goya
• Official Bike MS: Valero merchandise will be sold.
• Shuttle Service to select hotels on shuttle route. 2-9 p.m.
• Showers
• Massage Therapists

Sunday, Oct. 10, Day 2 Start Line, Comal County Fair Grounds

• Shuttle service from select hotels on shuttle route begins at 5:30 a.m.
• Coffee sponsored by Starbucks.
• Breakfast, sponsored by Tesoro, will be served from 5:30 – 8 a.m.
• San Antonio Express-News papers available.
• Ride begins at 7:30 a.m.

Finish Line, Alamodome

• Air-Conditioned Finish!
• Received your Finish Line Pin at the Bubble Bistro!
• Massage Therapists
• Showers
• Free Finish Line meal for registered riders
• Music
• Entertainment
• Concessions

Turn-by-Turn Directions Posted

For those riders for whom a map is just not enough information, we’ve posted comprehensive turn-by-turn directions for Day 1, the Century Route and Day 2. It may be handy to print and carry along during the ride, but we really don’t recommend you follow along with all 93 turns while riding!

Raise $1k and You’ll Start Day 2 in Style in 2011

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is our pleasure to announce a new, elite fundraising club: The Bike MS Silver Stars.

You can become a member of the Bike MS Silver Stars by raising $1,000 or more for this year’s ride. These great fundraisers will receive recognition on the website, a Silver Star Luggage Tag and — perhaps most importantly — be recognized on Day 2 of the 2011 ride with a Priority Start!

Visit our website to learn more and to view the names of the 2009 Bike MS Silver Stars.