Here's a clip from an online interview with Chrissie Wellington and her sponsorship. This will give you a glimpse of what goes on, if you can read between the lines.

http://www.chrissiewellington.org/me...her-canondale/

But there�s a connection between Lance and his Treks; Zabriskie aboard his (then) Cervelo and perhaps his (now) Felt; Normann aboard his (then) Kuota and perhaps his (now) Scott; that not all companies and their athletes enjoy.

Has that rare connection been there for anyone aboard a Cannondale Slice? I don�t think so. Will Ms. Wellington do for Cannondale and its Slice what Merckx did for Colnago? Who knows? Maybe her answers below will tell us whether there�s chemistry a-brewing.

SLOWTWITCH
In keeping with today�s theme, that is, the advent of a new bike sponsor, I have five or six questions, and most revolve around you and Cannondale. I have had occasion to fit some of the Team TBB gals aboard their tri bikes, but they�re usually a bit shy about that fact getting out. Brett, they�ve told me, is in general uncomfortable with other folks fitting his gals aboard their bikes. Who fitted you aboard your Cervelo previously? Brett? Or one of the guys at Bike Boutique? And who is responsible for your fit aboard your Cannondale Slice?

CHRISSIE
First I�d like to talk about Cervelo. I really enjoyed my time on the Soloist and the P2, they were great bikes, and it is a great company. My move to Cannondale had to do in part with the bike, which I love, and I test rode a lot of bikes over the past two months. I entertained several offers. Cannondale represents both a bike and a relationship. I can ride a bike aboard which I�m comfortable, and powerful, and that handles really well. I also sense that I�m able to run fast off this bike. And, I can be with a company that is responsive, and requests and respects my input. That�s why I made this decision.

About fit: The Soloist I set up myself. I got the P2 five weeks before Hawaii. I was set up on it by Ben Distel [a F.I.S.T.-trained fitter from The Bike Boutique] but I�d never been on a tri bike before, so I was tweaking that bike right up to Kona. Afterward, but prior to this year, I was doing my own set up, but with Brett as an advisor. It was a partnership, a shared responsibility.

SLOWTWITCH
Okay, now, let�s talk about your position aboard your Slice.

CHRISSIE
I got the Slice, it�s a 54cm, same as the Cervelo, Simon [Lessing, Chrissie's new coach] and I set it up, almost the same measurements as the P2, at Colorado Multisport in Boulder. So it wasn�t a totally new bike fit, mostly moving the P2 coordinates over. Having said that, I�m slightly lower in the front on the Slice, but I�m still comfortable and powerful. It�s super comfortable. The position was worked out with Simon, and [Colorado Multisports F.I.S.T.-trained fitter] Ryan Ignatz.