Regional Cycling News for Australia, December 22, 2006Edited by Hedwig Kröner Dajka gets license back
Australian 2002 World Keirin Champion Jobie Dajka has been reinstated his racing license by the national federation, Cycling Australia, allowing him to resume competition. On June 16, 2005, the Cycling Australia Disciplinary Tribunal imposed a three-year ban on Dajka after determining he had assaulted Head Track Coach, Martin Barras. At that time, the Tribunal determined he could apply to have the penalty suspended and reapply for his Cycling Australia licence after one year pending several conditions, which he has done. In a press release, Cycling Australia announced on Friday that Dajka had "reasonably met those conditions", which included an anger management course and 80 hours of community service. However, even if the remaining 18 months of his penalty have been suspended, Dajka will "automatically serve the remaining period of disqualification if he infringes any of the By-Laws or Code of Conduct of Cycling Australia plus any penalty imposed for a subsequent offence." Moreover, the track cyclist will not be eligible for the Australian national team until October 31, 2007, and will be required to remain in psychotherapy treatment for least six months from December 22, 2006. Dajka had been convicted of assault, theft, and driving while disqualified earlier this week, after being charged with 13 separate offences. He vowed to come to terms with coach Barras so that he can compete in the Olympics in Beijing. "I'd rather have a bit of contact with him and get things over and done with now so we can plan on working together later on and avoid any trouble later on," he said, according to The Daily Telegraph. "Because at the end of the day, I will be there in 2008 at the Olympics and he'll be there too, he'll be the coach, so we have got to work together." southaustralia.com-AIS announces 16 for 2007The southaustralia.com-AIS Cycling Team will continue operations in 2007 with a 16-rider roster of Australian cycling talent. The UCI Continental team in the Oceania Region integrates the U23 road development program as well as track endurance riders with major sponsorship support from the Australian Institute of Sport and the South Australian Tourism Commission. "South Australia.com-AIS provides support, coaching, life skills and race experience within a structured environment so the riders are well equipped when they eventually make the transition to the ProTour ranks," said Brian Stephens, Team Director. "In 2006, Matt Goss and Matt Lloyd had the opportunity to develop to a point where both have now signed contracts with ProTour teams, Goss with CSC and Lloyd with Predictor-Lotto." Professor Peter Fricker, Director of the Australian Institute of Sport, commented, "The partnership between Cycling Australia, the Australian Sports Commission - including the AIS - and the team's commercial sponsors has proved to be a great success for all involved and has given our scholarship holders the opportunity to develop both personally and professionally on the world stage." Cycling Australia today also announced Teschner Technologies Group as the sponsor of southaustralia.com-AIS, providing the team with Australian-designed Teschner bikes throughout 2007. "We have had a lot of success with our race-winning designs - our bikes have taken Aussie men and women to over 200 major championship victories on the Australian, Commonwealth, World and Olympic stage," said designer and director Peter Teschner. McGee Sports Australia has also confirmed it will continue its association with the team. "A primary focus of McGee Sports Australia is active involvement and positive input into the development of Australian cycling and young cycling talent which is why we are committed to the southaustralia.com-AIS team," said Brad McGee, a director of the company and one of Australia's most successful cyclists with Olympic and World Champion track gold medals and an impressive CV on the road. "I know what it takes to make the transition to a professional cycling career and southaustralia.com-AIS provides the structure and support young riders need to make that step." The team will compete in two groups with one, primarily involving the U23 road riders, based in Italy from March to October and competing in Europe, while the second group of mainly track endurance riders will be based in Australia and contest events in Asia, Australia and Europe. The first race on the team's 2007 calendar will be the Tour Down Under from January 16-21. The complete race calendar for the team will be confirmed in 2007. The following riders have been signed to southaustralia.com-AIS for 2007: Gene Bates (Sa) Elite southaustralia.com-AIS also announced the continued support of Mapei, Cyclingnews.com, Pacific Brands, Santini, Shimano, Vittoria, Malaysia Airlines and Leber. More on the team can be found at: www.southaustralia-ais.com. Crake back home for Christmas
Australian cycling medallist and stairclimbing champion Paul Crake, 29, from Canberra, was flown back to Australia on Wednesday this week. He will continue his recovery from spinal surgery in the Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney. "It's good to be back in Australia and I am really looking forward to spending Christmas with my family after what has been a pretty traumatic couple of months for all of us," said Crake. "I also want to wish a sincere Merry Christmas to all everyone who has supported me since the accident and the many people, both friends and strangers, who have been thinking of me and have sent me messages of support and encouragement." Crake was one of five cyclists blown off the road by a powerful wind gust during the Powernet Tour of Southland on Saturday November 11, suffering severe damage to his spine. New Zealand surgeons operated to insert a surgical rod and screws into his thoracic spine and grafted bone from his hip into the spinal area to stabilise and realign his spine. Crake was a member of the Australian team at the 2004 Road World Championships in Italy, was third in the road race at last year's Australian Open Road Championships and this year placed second on the fourth stage of the Jacob's Creek Tour Down Under into Willunga. This season he raced as a professional in Italy with the Naturino-Sapore di Mare team. The Australian switched from stair-climbing to cycling in 2002. As a stairclimber he notched up five straight victories in the annual sprint up the 86 flights of stairs (1576 stairs) to the top of New York's Empire State Building between 1999 and 2003 and still holds the record for the fastest ascent of 9mins33secs. 24-hr Crake Madison appeal raised $13,000New Zealand Commonwealth Games representative Matt Randall and Alan Dunn rode a total of 3464 laps at the ILT indoor velodrome, a distance of 866km, in a bid to raise funds for Paul Crake this Friday. In 24 hours, Randall and Dunn had targeted 2800 laps, but exceeded this goal "with ease", according to Dunn. The pair also raised $13,000 instead of the estimated $5,000, "a quite staggering sum considering it is almost Christmas." Dunn and Randall even managed a little sprint towards the end of the event. "The last 10 minutes of the ride Matt and I rode together completing 21 second laps," Dunn told Cyclingnews. "This was very surprising considering that we had been hard out for just on 24 hours. The crowd and support riders were our saving grace, keeping us occupied during the event." KHS to sponsor Working Week Series in 2007Race organisers Bright Orange Events have announced the KHS Working Week Series for 2007, with KHS Bicycles assuming the naming rights mantle for the first time. The series, running since 2004, is comprised of 5 '8-Hour Endurance Mountain Bike Races' spread throughout the year, each event attracting an average of over 400 competitors. Competitors range from 9 to almost 90 in age, and come from all over the East Coast of Australia to major mountain bike venues including Lithgow, Southern Highlands, Newcastle, Sydney and Canberra. Riders can expect to see some innovations as a result of this partnership, including one additional race in 2007 and the chance to win, at each and every round of the series, one KHS Dual Suspension Frame and one "$1000 KHS Bicycles Cheque". Entries open for the KHS Working Week Series in early January, and the first event is in Lithgow on February 4, 2007. Volunteers wanted for research studyThe Exercise & Sports Performance Unit of Victoria University in Melbourne is looking for healthy males and females (18-40 years) to participate in a study investigating the effects of mild electrical stimulation (painless) on performance and recovery following exercise-induced muscle damage. All cycling standards are welcome. The tests will be conducted at Victoria University, Melbourne, through January and February 2007. The following tests will be conducted: - Tests to determine leg strength, power, maximal aerobic power (VO2max)
and high intensity-short duration cycling For more information please contact Simon.sostaric@vu.edu.au (Phone 03 9919 4160) or Craig.goodman@vu.edu.au (Phone 03 9919 5416).
(All rights reserved/Copyright Knapp Communications Pty Limited 2006) |
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