Herriott Sports Performance

Mike Sayers

In 1992, after a promising early career in ski racing and amateur bike racing, Mike Sayers traveled to France for a month to try his hand at amateur racing in that cycling crazed country. In 1994, Mike got an excellent offer to ride for the best amateur team in Switzerland: GS Mazza. Mazza was the developmental home to many Swiss professionals including the Zberg brothers and Tour of Swiss KOM winner and current BMC teammate, Alex Moos. The following year, Mike was dominating the local racing scene in Northern California, and he was also getting significant results at the national level.

In 1996, Mike was asked to ride for the Einstein's Cycling Team. While there, he was part of a formidable team that included 2007 Tour de France 3rd place Levi Leipheimer and current domestic pro Burke Swindelhurst. The next season, Mike was offered a continued contract with the team and its new sponsor, the Mercury automobile company. For the next five years, he rode for Mercury and was a pivotal part in their development from a division 3 to a division 1 team.

Over those five years Mercury, including Mike, made several trips to Europe to compete in some of their biggest races. In 2001 Mercury became one of 18 teams that make up cycling's first division, and the team spent most of that season ranked in the top 10. That very season, Mike was given the opportunity to be one of just a few Americans at that time to race the famed Belgian one day classics--races that included Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders. In 2002, he returned to race full time in the states, and after the demise of Mercury he became the founding member of the powerful Health Net/Maxxis program.

While at Health Net, Mike led the team to two straight NRC team titles. In 2007, he moved to the newly formed BMC program, and that program has grown into one of three Division 2 programs based in the United States.

Mike represents Herriott Sports Performance in Northern California and is available for cycling coaching and skills instruction.

Dale Cannavan, PhD, CSCS

Dale is a certified strength and conditioning specialist with over 20 years experience in exercise performance conditioning. A native of N. Ireland, Dr. Cannavan relocated to the USA in January 2008.

He has a Ph.D. in Biomechanics and is a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association, the American College of Sports Medicine and the European College of Sports Sciences. His research area focuses on the plasticity of the neuromuscular system to different training modalities. He has co-authored numerous peer-reviewed articles on the topic of strength and conditioning, and co-authored a book chapter on strength testing for the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences.

Dr. Cannavan received his Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Exercise and Health from the University of Surrey (UK) and he received both his Master of Science (Distinction) and Doctorate from Brunel University (UK).

An international speaker and university lecturer, Dr. Cannavan also served in the British Army for 13 years as a Physical Training Instructor. He believes firmly in putting theory into practice. He owned a personal training business in London and has worked with many organizations including the British Olympic Medical Center, the Real-Tennis UK elite squad, GB weightlifting, the Brunel University Athletics and Netball teams, Morgan Stanley, HSBC and the Blackstone Group.