Today I went and picked up an official Texas 4000 '08 team jersey. It finally feels like I am part of the team. Yeah, I know that I got the e-mail and I have been helping out with various functions, but I never had anything tangible, nothing that I could take my picture in and send it to my parents. Plus, there is a certain aura around a jersey. They have always been a thing of status. To show your allegiance to a player you would buy their jersey. Now I have a jersey. If they assigned numbers in cycling, it would be my number, my name. Not a "Manning" or a "Jordan," rather this jersey would say "Weismantel."

Now I feel like I can properly introduce myself. My name is Joe Weismantel. In the summer of 2009, I am going to join 60 of the greatest people in the world on a 4500 mile trip to Alaska in the name of cancer awareness and prevention. I will ride for my Aunt Loren who lost her battle with throat cancer, I will ride for my grandma Norma who overcame cervical cancer, and I will ride for my grandma Terry who overcame a cancerous tumor the size of a hamburger bun. I will ride for my dad's best friend Dave who is now cancer free. Finally, I will ride for you. Even though I have not met you yet, I love you, and I want you to make it.