 Austin’s Trek “TourWatch 2005” at Central Market; watch Lance go for number 7
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Austin, Texas – Paul Terry Walhus
Trek TourWatch 2005, a television viewing and podcasting party for the Tour de France, is now being held in Austin, Texas at Central Market from July 2 though July 24. Central Market is at 4001 N Lamar in Austin, Texas (see map and directions below in this article). See event schedule to right.
I conceived of the TourWatch 2005 as an event to bring Austin folks together and provide a creative outlet for established and new “podcasters”. I invited the Austin Podcasting Network to join with me in holding this event and Gilbert from Circuit City South Austin chipped in with all the big tvs and computers to run the event. Grande Communications pulled off a miracle by laying fiber optic cable to the event in record time and at considerable expense.
The TourWatch 2005 podcasts are now ready to roll. In the last few days I’ve done several podcast interviews with Dawn and Drew (the nations top podcasters), Bazzman and Hutch (Australia’s Dawn and Drew, just kidding, these guys are funny, insightful cycling and TDF commentators), and some great local Austin cyclists and Tour de France enthusiasts that I’ve met at Central Market. Velogal, our correspondent at the Tour.
I’ll also post the Cycling Insight guys recording of our interview because I suspect it will be of better quality than the one I did on the skype session.
Bazzman and Hutch of Cycling Insight
Gabriel, Austin’s biggest TDF Fan
Dawn and Drew talking about the Tour de France
Velogal talks about the Tour de France
Ted Arnold part 1 – TDF Tour Guide
Ted Arnold part 2
Ted Arnold part 3
Lance Armstrong Question and Answer from May 19 2005 – Windows Media Video Podcast
Coming Next: More from Central Market at the Trek Drink booth podcast table. And a report on how well the Austin Podcasting Network is handling the TourWatch 2005 Event I handed off to them.
The actual Tour of Texas cycling excursion will be held in October following the Ride for the Roses. I’m looking for volunteers and help on this event starting now. Please come by my table at Central Market and sign up if you would like to help with this event. I’m looking for a volunteers of all types.
I’m also looking for more Austin folks to interview (video podcast and audio podcast) so come by the Trek table if you have something to say and would like me to podcast it on this site. I’ll also be doing podcast interviews with more of the world’s top 50 podcasters. And I’ll be more than happy to help you get started if you are a budding podcaster by showing you how podcasts are done or by helping you create your own podcast.
The Discovery Network and Travel Channel sent a 2 person crew (Bill Delano and Talia Pulver) to produce a reality show on the Trek TourWatch 2005 Event. Bill and Talia are in Austin from June 28th through July 3rd. Their “reality documentary” will air in September and will include character pieces on Rob Sartin (LAF Pelton Project) and Robs son Spencer , Paul Terry Walhus (TW2005 Founder) and a surprise character.
KEYE TV 42‘s Allison Smith did a special newscast called “Austin Prepares for the Tour” on Sunday, June 26 when we started setting up our equipment for the event. Allison’s segment includes and interview with Paul Terry Walhus, a live interview with Ted Arnold and some nice shots of Spencer Sartin.
The Friday June 24 issue of Austin’s major metropolitan newspaper has an article called Central Market to be Lance Central. The Austin Statesman site is doing a comprehensive Tour coverage section.
Fox 7 Sports Dennis de la Pena interviewed Paul Terry Walhus at Central Market on July 1 as part of their live coverage of the TourWatch 2005 event.
The TourWatchTM 2005 is being produced by the Tour of Texas The event is sponsored by Grande Communications, Circuit City, Trek Sports Drink, 24 Hour Lance Armstrong Sport Club, Central Market, the Spring, and the Tour of Texas (coming in the Fall, a bicycle adventure excursion around Central Texas).
Newsweek is carrying a piece about the event called Sports Tour de Lance in the June 26 issue, on news stands soon. It’s in an article about Tour watching parties all over the US.
The TourWatch 2005 will be showing the Tour de France on two 61″ large screen high definition televisions compliments of Circuit City. The TourWatch 2005 crew of podcasters, radio announcers and telecasters will bring your their own commentary and spin on the Tour which will be broadcast at the event and over the Internet.
Central Market, Grande Communications, AustinCast, the Spring, 24 Hour Lance Armstrong Fitness, the Tour of Texas, Trek Sports Drink and Circuit City are the prime sponsors of the event. The Event is being produced by Paul Terry Walhus. Walhus and Stephen Dulaney are co-chairs of the event.
TourWatch 2005 will feature a daily podcast, radio and tv show spots with many local celebrities from the sports, fitness, radio, tv, blogging, podcasting and entertainment communities.
 Representatives of the local bicycling, swimming, running, triathlon and fitness communities are going to have tables at the event where they will give out information on upcoming events (eg. marathons, bike races, etc) and offer the public the opportunity to join their organizations.
The podcasters will be interviewing local Austinites who are following the race and doing interviews with Tour enthusiasts around the world via phone and skype. The interviews will be carried over the PA System at the event and syndicated over the Internet in the form of podcasts which Tour followers will be able to subscribe to.
If you want to be a podcast star, come by our podcast table at the event, and we’ll set you up behind a microphone and help you create your own podcast. Or we’ll interview you if you are a Lance fan or Tour de France enthusiast.
We’ll be doing video interviews for television and video podcasts in high definition tv. So if you want to be a tv star, come by our booth and record an interview or do your own little show.
Sponsorships are available for this event, call 512-699-4000 for details.
We’re very happy with the way our video of Lance’s sendoff event on June 19th came out. The occasion was the opening of Lance’s own sports club but he didn’t promote it much in his talk, he talked mostly about his upcoming bid for a seventh Tour de France win and what he’ll do apres le tour (“race toward the city limits signs”). He plans to stay fit and active.
We’re excited about TourWatch 2005. We hope you join us at this event in July. We hope you join our organizing committee and volunteer to help set this up. Email touroftexas@touroftexas.com
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