Dr. Allen Lim Leaves Garmin in Favor of Team RadioShack

In true new-tech fashion, Lance Armstrong provided “tweet confirmation” today that Allen Lim, Ph.D., will be joining Team RadioShack for the 2010 road racing season.  Lim, who earned his doctorate in Integrative Physiology from the University of Colorado Boulder, had been an integral part of the Garmin-Slipstream Sports racing team, as reported by VeloNation.

There has been prompt recognition in the media that Lim is another piece of the puzzle that Armstrong and Johan Bruyneel are putting together to engineer another competitive bid for Armstrong to win a record eighth Tour de France.  But perhaps even more meaningful long-term and more broadly is the training value, creativity, and broad, positive influence Lim will bring to the entire roster (and organization overall) at Team RadioShack.  From the seasoned veterans to the rookies on the squad, everyone stands to benefit from having Allen Lim involved with the program.

As was reported earlier this year from an interview with nyvelocity.com, Lim is well-known in cycling circles for applying the best technology and innovation to an already physically talented squad of racers to make them even better.  His approach to developing training programs for the riders reflects his style:  collaborative, creative, and cutting edge.

For example, rather than dictating training instructions, Lim asks for the rider’s input and in fact, gives the individual athlete the responsibility of proposing his best training program.  Lim then works with the cyclist and draft program to revise, customize, and fine-tune the details to match the rider’s abilities, capacities, and goals.  Coupled with the best information technology available, Lim’s approach is sure to have winning results for The Shack.

Lim’s proven track record with Garmin Slipstream promises good things for a team that already boasts world-class cyclists and management.  Not only is Lim a innovative thinker when it comes to training and the like; he’s also a racing cyclist himself from his earlier days, and quite accustom to hard work, leading by example, and taking the little extra steps when needed to contribute to the team’s overall well-being and success.  Another piece of the puzzle falls into place, and Team RadioShack’s 2010 campaign is shaping up nicely.

By Jeff Ludlum, staff writer