Joe Christian (Lead Host)
My passions of great food, great wine and great cycling come together in Mello Velo Bike & Culinary Tours. Hosting is something that I find very satisfying. Helping facilitate a good time for others is not only fun and fulfilling but also healthy!

• Cat 2 amateur road cyclist with Minnesota’s premier Grand Performance bike team.
• Registered Nurse since 1995 - working in the Emergency Room when not riding a bike.
• American Council on Exercise certified personal trainer with professional experience at Lifetime Fitness Center.
• 10 years experience in professional kitchens in Florida, Minnesota, and on Madeline Island, WI.
• Head Caterer for Harmony Park Amphitheater. Joe has cooked for Willie Nelson and The Allman Brothers among many others.

"While in France during the 2004 Tour, I bumped into a large group of Americans on an expensive bike tour ($5,000 for 7 days!) and then spent several hours showing them the roads I had been riding. They were just blown away by my routes and the entire ride they kept repeating how they wished they could just stay with me; instead, they boarded their coach bus that afternoon for a 4-hour bus ride to the Alps! It was crazy but I cycled more miles in two days then they had cycled in five days.”

Blake Longacre (co-host)
Blake is my apprentice and pseudo little brother. He is a professional actor who recently moved back to home to MN from NYC and is a Cat 1 amateur road racer. During the 2001 season, Blake obtained a coveted Italian racing license and competed in the Piedmont area.

• Extensive cycle touring in France, Portugal, and Italy.
• Two-time podium finisher racing for Mello Velo in France.
• A wonderfully spontaneous singer and always-entertaining host that makes each new day a pleasure/adventure.

“I am the music man on tour and create a personal CD for each guest so they can relive the sights, sounds and smells of the Provencial countryside with the music that they seemed to enjoy best while on tour. Plus, my superman impression is one you must see.”

Cindy Bishop Christian (Office Manager)
Cindy is my life-manager/wife and is the brains behind Mello Velo. We met on the Twin Cities to Chicago AIDS Ride many years ago and now have two great kids (Anna and Sean). Before children, Cindy raced three Ironman Triathlons (Canada and Hawaii) and was the women’s overall winner at the 1995 Desert Sun Half-Ironman in Grand Junction, CO. Cindy helped mold the Provence tour with a strong ascent of the Mt. Ventoux in 2005. Plus, she got us hooked on Peace Coffee which is locally roasted, bike delivered and then stashed in our luggage to France where we proudly served the Espresso roast each morning.

“It was been an exciting process to watch the idea of hosting fellow cyclists (and non-cyclists too) evolve into a real service. Joe and Blake have worked hard to refine the tours since our ‘dry run’ in 2005. The area around Lacoste is such a special part of Provence that to get a sense of the beauty and whole approach to life there you need to read the book A Year in Provence or check out the movie A Good Year (probably a better book than movie but the book doesn’t have pictures – the countryside and cafes are just breathtaking and this is where you will be riding)!”

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