I first meet Chris Gutowsky in 2001, when he personally picked me up from a remote airport in the north of France and drove me to the hotel because of a logistical problem I had meeting our group. That set the tone for my VeloSport trip which was to follow the Tour de France, riding some of the route and watching at a few key spots.

I have been on four guided cycling trips in the past fifteen years, so as an NYVelocity editor – famously unshy about claiming expertise in all things cycling – I can tell you that VeloSport is extremely well run and the tour guides are excellent and knowledgeable. I have been on cycling trips where our ‘expert guides’ did not speak the host countries’ language and could barley fix a flat. I reacquainted myself with Chris at Interbike and sat him down for an interview:

@##=#<1,L>@##=# NYVC: What is your background, in cycling and in business?

I’ve been riding a bike for 35 years, including 14 years of racing all over North America. Besides crashing and learning how to survive on the road, I won a few races here and there including an elite national track championship. I also managed a small amateur team and did lots of low-level club coaching with younger riders along the way. Somehow got involved in event production and marketing, mostly cycling but also running, triathlons and in-line skating. I started that right after quitting racing, when I went to work for Medalist Sports as the Operations Director for the 1st Tour de Trump. This then became the Tour DuPont, which was America’s premiere stage cycling event from 1989-96. As Op Director, I took care of all logistics for the staff (500+) and teams, including some of the top European pro teams. This including hotels, meal planning, vehicles, translators for the foreign national teams and much more.

@##=#<2,L>@##=#The combination of the background in club coaching and the pro event logistics has really helped set the tone for what we try and do on our trips. We base a lot of our key services on the structure pro teams and top events provide for their athletes. Just like the top racing cyclist should have no concern besides riding the bike and being ready to race, a cyclist enthusiast on vacation needs to have no worries besides riding the bike and relaxing. Many of our clients don’t race or have huge aspirations, but all cyclists can benefit from the skills and knowledge that come from the pro side. We try and stress that as well. For instance, a pro racer is relaxed and comfortable on his bike and has the skills to stay out of trouble in lots of situations. All the rest of us should strive to do the same, just to stay safe and have fun out there on the roads.

NYVC: What do you offer that your competition does not?

I have only been on a trip with one other tour-travel company, so what I know about the competition is only what I hear from our customers. I hope they’re telling the truth, because we get lots of compliments on how smoothly things go on our programs. Many of our people have traveled with a number of different companies, so I think they can see the differences. I can’t really go into detail, but we do lots of little things for people that no one else really thinks of. We’re into continuous improvement and have taken lots of great suggestions from our guests as well. There are numerous small travel companies now, but not many of them seem to be learning from their mistakes. We always do. Plus I think we have more staff than most, all who have a serious background in the sport. Our rides always have three different groups/speeds. So we accommodate the different fitness levels much better than most and it’s much safer with small groups out on the road.

@##=#<3,R>@##=# NYVC: What is you best story about a trip?

Some of the best stories do involve guests, but I’m saving all those for my next book. On the VIP side, nothing spectacular, but we work with some fun guys. One time in Guadeloupe, Frankie Andreu gets a call from his wife Betsy while we were doing some easy pace-line, going into a headwind on the way out to the end of this point that juts out into the ocean. They like to discuss things and Frankie gets going on the phone. After a minute of making a point with Betsy, his legs get going as well. By the time he wrapped up the call (riding with one hand), there’s maybe two us of behind him and we’re just hanging on by the skin of our teeth. He finally hangs up, slows down and after we catch our breath the other guy says something like: ‘Guess he was a pro for a reason, huh?

NYVC: How has the entrance of big companies like Trek affected the business?

When Trek opens a travel division is it like Wallmart opening across from mom and pop? Or, do they appeal to a totally different market?

Trek (as in Travel) is obviously a four-letter word. But they probably do more good for us than harm, just because they seem to be pretty good at what they do and they bring more attention to the whole marketplace of cycling-related travel. Their business model is different than ours in a couple of significant ways and as part of that they have to target a broader client base.

NYVC: What advice would you give someone who wanted to start a cycling travel company?

People shouldn’t get into it thinking it’s a dream solution to mixing work and play. Just loving bikes and riding isn’t a sufficient base for doing a good job. The people in the industry who don’t understand this have screwed up a lot of vacations for nice people; that really bugs me.

@##=#<4,L>@##=# NYVC: I know you have a lot of NY area customers, how do they tend to act compared to your other guests?

It’s hard to generalize and be accurate, but I guess one characteristic that holds up is the higher level of sophistication. There are more NYC cyclists who have been around the block, traveled more and have higher expectations. So long as they’re realistic, we really welcome that as this type of traveler is likely to appreciate and value the services we provide.

NYVC: What is the part of your business you least expected?

I never would have thought we’d end up so France-focused. We are looking at diversifying our destinations a bit, but for the moment we’re all France or the French Caribbean. I went to the trouble of learning French and getting into the culture there, which really has helped us do a better job. So it’s hard to look at going elsewhere and planning vacations with a superficial understanding of what’s going on or working through 3rd parties. Another part of it is also the great cycling and cycling culture in France. Italy is probably the only place that compares in spirit and the road infrastructure there is not really at the same level throughout.

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