Oregon's UCI Team Visits Cancer Patients In California

The Oregon-based Land Rover/Orbea Professional Cycling Team has more important goals than simply winning bicycle races.

The team, which benefits the Lance Armstrong Foundation by raising funds and awareness about cancer, spent a day this week visiting a children's cancer ward while in California for the Redlands Bicycle Classic.

Team manager David Godfrey, racer Evan Elken and the rest of the team met with pediatric cancer patients at Loma Linda University Children's Hospital Tuesday.

"The guys were overwhelmed yesterday at their hospital visit," said team manager Norrene Godfrey. "They didn’t expect media and photographers to show up – a little shocking for the new guys on the team."

Elken said the hospital visit and other such events throughout the season are the inspiration for the team.

"This is how the team was started ... with this in mind," he told reporters.

The Press-Enterprise newspaper covered the event and has posted a video. You can see it HERE.