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Regional Cycling News for November 28, 2003

Edited by Jeff Jones

Finalists for BMC Software Australian Cyclist of the Year

Cycling Australia has announced the finalists in the 2003 BMC Software Australian Cyclist of the Year Awards, which will be staged at Sydney's Dunc Gray Velodrome on Saturday December 6 in conjunction with the Sydney Cup on Wheels.

There were a number of standout performances by Australian riders this year, including the pursuit team which smashed the world record to retain the World Champion's crown, the performances of the Australians at the Tour de France where Australians were leading three of the race classifications at one stage, Michael Rogers becoming the first Australian to win a medal in the elite men's time trial at the Road World Championships, Nathan Rennie (DH) and Katrina Miller (4X) claiming overall MTB World Cup Series glory, the Australian women achieving number one nation status on the world rankings, and the Australian cyclists with disabilities claiming a swag of gold at the EPC European Championships.

"In 2003 our riders have again posted outstanding performances across all disciplines which is, happily, something we've come to expect in recent years," said Australian head coach Shayne Bannan. "To even make it into the final three in each Awards category cyclists now have to notch up extraordinary results on the world stage and that's a fantastic situation for the judges to have to deal with."

"We're coming in with one gold and six silvers in Olympic events at the Track Cycling World Championships and a tangible chance of a medal in the road time trial," explained Bannan. "But what is even more impressive for me is that all the riders have ended the year with one thing on their mind. They are all saying to themselves 'I can improve and I'm going to do even better' which is inspiring for all involved."

Of the category award winners, one cyclist will be named the 2003 BMC Software Australian Cyclist of the Year and will receive the coveted Sir Hubert Opperman Medal - 'Oppy'.

The finalists

Cyclingnews.com Male Track Cyclist of the Year

Jobie Dajka (SA)
Shane Kelly (Vic)
Luke Roberts (SA)

Cyclingnews.com Female Track Cyclist of the Year

Rochelle Gilmore (NSW)
Katie Mactier (Vic)
Anna Meares (Qld)

Ride Cycling Review Male Road Cyclist of the Year

Baden Cooke (Vic)
Bradley McGee (NSW)
Michael Rogers (ACT)

Ride Cycling Review Female Road Cyclist of the Year

Sara Carrigan (Qld)
Olivia Gollan (NSW)
Oenone Wood (ACT)

Male MTB Cyclist of the Year

Mick Hannah (Qld)
Chris Kovarik (Vic))
Nathan Rennie (NSW)

Female MTB Cyclist of the Year

Mary Grigson (ACT)
Katrina Miller (NSW)
Tai Lee Muxlow (NSW)

Disability Cyclist of the Year

Lindy Hou (NSW) with pilots Toireasa Ryan (NSW) and Janelle Lindsay (NSW)
Christopher Scott (Qld)
Janet Shaw (WA) and pilot Leeanne Manderson (WA)

SBS Cycling Coach of the Year

Ian McKenzie
Scott Sharples
James Victor

Awards will also be announced in the following categories

Male and Female Masters Cyclist of the Year
Male and Female BMX Cyclist of the Year
Bankstown Sports Club Junior Men's and Women’s Cyclist of the Year in Road, BMX, Track and MTB
Cycling Australia Event Recognition Award
Ausport Volunteer Awards
BMC Software Media Awards (Print, Photo, Electronic, Regional)

Tickets are available from Bankstown Sports Club - Tel 9709 3899. Corporate tables of ten are also available by contacting Cycling Australia - Tel: 9644 3002

British masters rider suspended

The British Cycling Federation has announced that Stefan Collins of Milngavie, Glasgow tested positive to Norandrosterone, a metabolite of Nandrolone at the World Masters Track Championships in September 2003. Collins has been suspended from competition for a period of six months, starting November 20, 2003 and finishing on May 19, 2004. He is also disqualified from the event at which the testing was carried out, the Team Sprint Championship.

In a statement, the BCF commented that "The Federation’s Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel agreed that the substance had been taken unintentionally and that the most likely source was a contaminated food supplement. However, under the principle of "strict liability", Mr Collins was guilty of a breach of the Regulations even though cases of this type have become increasingly common in recent months with Nandrolone being detected as an ingredient in supplements which fail to declare this on the packaging. Mr Collins had chosen to ignore the many warnings which had been issued by UK Sport and others over the use of food supplements and now faces the consequences. During his suspension he will assist within the Federation’s Anti-Doping Education Programme to reinforce the dangers faced by any competitor who decides to use products which fail to guarantee that they are free of any banned substances."

Cycling Ireland Cyclo-Cross League round 6 preview

By Tommy Campbell, Irish Independent, Evening Herald, Sunday Independent

After five rounds of the Cycling Ireland Cyclo-Cross League, Roger Aiken from the Banbridge Cycling Club is assured of overall victory. Tomorrow (Saturday) the penultimate event in the league takes place in Bangor, Co. Down. Obviously, he would like to keep his momentum up in relation to a victory, but I have a feeling he will use the Bangor event as a warm up for next week's Irish Championship in the grounds of Powerscourt.

Aiken, who races all year round, said at a recent meet in Kilcullen, Co. Kildare, "It is an ideal way of keeping fit for the road season. It is more or less an hour of racing and the turn outs have been improving."

The 22 year old has won three of the four events with Peter McSorely, a junior from Apollo Cycling, getting the better of Roger in Kilcullen. It should be noted that each event is handicapped, so as to give everybody a sporting chance, but in hindsight the handicapper at the Co. Kildare venue may have been just that bit lenient towards the juniors and the veterans on a well laid out course, supervised by Liam Walker and his team. Irrespective of the handicapper in Kilcullen, McSorely was not found wanting as he raced to a very comfortable victory with Aiken back in sixth place.

In each event in the CI Cyclo-Cross League, Aiken has been off scratch (zero handicap), and for virtually an hour of racing he goes hammer and tongs in eradicating the rest of the field's advantage, which has been laid down by the handicapper. In his three wins, Roger has come through on the last lap to go in front, which from a spectator's point of view is most interesting and highly entertaining. Also it has been very noticeable there is a greater awareness about the cyclo-cross series this season.

Unfortunately, the King of 'Cross', Robin Seymour has been away on international duty at mountain biking where he achieved his goal of going to Athens and the Olympics next year. Confirmation has been received that Robin intends going North from his base in Kilmacanogue to get in some vital practice ahead of next week's Championships.

Racing as per the norm gets under way at mid-day in the Castle Park at Bangor, with the beginners and underage the focus and then at one o'clock it is the main event on the program.

Bicycle Swap Meet in Melbourne

Melbourne bike shop Bike Bar (formerly based in Sydney) is running a swap meet at its shop in Fitzroy this Sunday. Buy, sell or swap your road, MTB, track, touring, DH, or vintage bike, parts or accessories at Melbourne's first ever swap meet. Entry is free, sellers set up at 8am and buyers between 9am and 1pm. Bike Bar's address is 47 Chapel Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne.