​In the early spring of 2012, a Franco/American family "adopted" (or perhaps "abducted") a professional cycling team that had been basically abandoned in the southwest of France. The following months and years would change their lives.
I'm a cat-one cyclist; I was two-cat but our first cat ran away six weeks after my daughter rescued an abandoned kitten. So I guess that makes me a cat-one, again. Back in 2012, I was out on a 35k loop with a mix of long flats and short, steep climbs and amazing scenery. It was early April and the sun was lighting up the golden fields of colza like God had gotten Instagram and flipped out on the filters. I had just made a long, fast descent and as the road angled upward I was out of the saddle and into the small ring. It was then that a waft of a rider with long curly black hair blew by me--so fast it actually startled me. In France, folks are generally friendly out on the bike and I offered the obligatory, "Salut!" The skinny guy kept flying up the hill without a word. That seemed odd. I then noticed his kit. It looked a lot like the Garmin World Tour kit, but not quite. So I shouted, "Hi!" The rider, Lachlan Morton, came to a dead stop. "Hey," mate!" he said. "You speak English? Maybe we can go for a ride one day." And so, with just one word of salutation, my family's life (including our dog and however many cats we had back then) changed forever. Our lives merged with the lives of 15 athletes from places such as Australia, New Zealand, Belarus, Latvia and America. We formed a family--we ate together, laughed together and shared joys and sufferings. And, of course, we rode together. It's a family that is still vibrant and ever growing--all because of a shared love of bikes and the roads (literally and figuratively) they take us down. Below are our visual memories of "The Year of Chipotle" and our Garmin Guys.

Five Quiche In Fifty Minutes

You'd be surprised how much one featherweight bike racer can eat. Now multiply that by 15, and don't forget to add in the occasional guest or two. Above Lachlan Morton's father, David, attempts to divine the secret to Chrystel's coveted quiche. Having learned a thing or two, he and Mike Gavagan have gone on to hold their annual "Quiche-Off" contest at the Morton's home in Boulder, Colorado. This year's no-holds-bared contest of quiche contention can be viewed in the Thereabouts' video by clicking on the button below.

Off to the Races

The Shirts Off Their Backs

By opening our home and our hearts to "Our Garmin Guys," our family benefited in ways we could never describe. They gave us more than just the joy of sharing their lives as the 15 BBB's (Best Big Brothers), they literally gave us the shirts off their backs.

Garmin 2012 Devo Team Jersey

Lachlan Morton Young Guadeloupe

Tom Scully
​Madison Genesis

Ben King Tour De France Jersey

Rob Bush Nat RR U23 USA

Steele Von Hoff
​Tour Britain 

Signed USA Jersey Talansky, Jones

Ben King Sprints
Vuelta a Burgos

Andzs Flaksis Nat Champ U23 Latvia

​Andrei Krasilnikau Nat Champ Belarus

Toms Skujins Rio Olympics Latvjia

Mystery Lithuania Nat Champ RR

Best Team Jersey Guadeloupe

Andrei Krasilnikau Nat Champ Belarus

Mike Gavagan Mechanic's Apron

"Our Garmin Guys"

Jim Anderson

​"The year we spent together was more than memorable, it was amazing. There is no other way to describe it."
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Robin Carpenter

"The 2012 season was my first exposure to European racing. Loved taking the quick train to Foix and climbing TDF climbs all day."

Andrei Krasilnikau

"I can't imagine our year in France without "our family." They were our guides on and off the road. The perfect place for training or rest."

Lachlan Morton

"What a fantastic place. I'd love to come back with the old Chipotle guys and do a camp or a ride weekend."
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Tom Scully

"I'm a long, long way from home. I guess that's why I've made a point of visiting my 'French Family' every season since 2012."

Joshua Berry

We miss Joshua--really, like literally.
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Andzs Flaksis

"Gorgeous roads, great food and, most important, great friends have kept me coming back each year since 2012."
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Adam Leibovitz

"Though I was 7,000 kilometers from home, I felt 'at home.' …local wherewithal, cycling knowledge, breathtaking views."

Anders Newbury

"My girlfriend and I are cycling France this year. Rest assured we'll include a mid-tour stay at Sunflower Cycling."
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Rob Squire

"Can't say I don't like ripping the moto, but to enjoy the French countryside and appreciate the surroundings, going slower with peddles is better."
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Steele Von Hoff

"My home away from home. I love visiting and following my old training routes. An incredibly beautiful and relaxing place." 

Rob Bush

​"The roads are as interesting and beautiful as any I've ridden. John knows them like the back of his hand."
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Mike Gavagan

"What great times we enjoyed with our 'French Family': the food, wine, fun and fellowship was something that made a tough year turn out fantastic."​

Mike Midlarsky

"The amazing landscape surrounding Sunflower Cycling is like nothing you can find anywhere else."
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Alister Ratcliff

"I'll never forget the generosity that we received--from teaching us how to grill duck to baking us apple pie, a slice of home."

Danny Summerhill

"Wow, the memories…welcoming strangers and making them friends for life. You can ride 100 incredible miles and never be far from home."

Honorary Garmin Guys

Toms Skujins

"Year-round riding on quiet roads with great scenery plus great hosts and spectacular quiche." 

Ben King

"Conversation, food, atmosphere and beautiful roads--John and Chrystel's hospitality makes this the most relaxing and energizing stop between races."

Carter Jones

"Staying with John and Chrystel is home away from home--endless farm roads to explore on the bike."

Our Garmin Guests
Lots of folks cross our path, but not just anybody earns the ranking of "Our Garmin Guests." You gotta work for it. And, so far, only these two have met the criteria.  In truth, it's probably not worth the effort but then who are we to say?

​Christine and Jon Erskine

"We really loved our time at Sunflower. Chrystal and John are wonderful, welcoming hosts and they made our experience much more personal than it would have been with a traditional bike tour. I was originally attracted to the easy access to so many of the great Pyrenean climbs, but I had no idea just how incredible the “every day” rides are surrounding Sunflower. The most memorable rides were the ones John recommended to me over a glass of wine and some quiche by the pool talking bike racing and everything else. I've already been back. And my wife and I can’t wait to get back again!"