Ronde van Midden-Zeeland, May 23 to go aheadAugust Verdonck kindly sent me this news.The financial support for this race, which finishes in the town Goes, was in serious doubt because a primary sponsor was yet to be found. Now, the race organisation has finally found a new sponsor. It is our provincial public utility service. This company is called 'Delta Nutsbedrijven' (Delta Public Utility Services). 'Delta' because of my province is the delta of the rivers Maas en Schelde. Therefore, the Ronde van Midden-Zeeland has been renamed into 'Internationale Delta profronde'. The sponsorship will run for 3 years with a budget for 1998 totalling 200,000 Dutch guilders (around $A140,000). The race will resume its 1996 1.2 Category. In 1996, Jelle Nijdam (TVM) won the race. In 1995, Jeroen Blijlevens was the winner. Some quotes taken from the article in the provincial newspaper PZC - Provinciale Zeeuwse Courant (Provincial Zealand Newspaper): Mr. Piet Stoker, manager of Delta Nutsbedrijven: "If you want it or not, the law pushes us into the direction of commerce. Soon, they force us into concurrence on the market of electricity. The same will happen to gas and water. In such a case, the company should use the possibilities which exist. One of them is sport sponsoring." Jeroen Blijlevens, winner in 1995: "It's good for Dutch cycling that there will be run a pro-race in Zealand again. Besides Veenendaal-Veenendaal and the Amstel Gold Race there are only three races in The Netherlands. That's why this race is so important to win it. Publicity in your own country is the best ever." Piet Louwerse, chairman of the organisation: "We have to adjust the course in some places, because the whole Zealand has been filled with detector pads and rotundas." The journalist himself: "Cycling broker Gerrie van Gerwen has been hired to get some strong teams start in Goes. Some Belgian teams already have announced themselves on their own. It will be more difficult to get some good Italian teams start. 23 May, the Giro d'Italia is in full swing. How is Jay going?Jay is settling in OK now (in France). He was given the cold shoulder initially, not being fluent in French. However Big Mat have been on a training camp and Jay reckons he is flying. He is even beating the climbers over the mountains (doesn't say much for there climbers) and is flicking allcomers in the sprints. Now everyone wants to be his mate. They are all trying hard to get his French up to scratch. They are amazed at how quickly he is learning (they probably don't know he did a crash course in French from October to January). It's a pitty Big Mat is a Div 2 team. Still it will suit Jay this year. If all goes well he will get the team into Div 1 for next year.Victorian cyclist killed32-years old Ross Bush from Geelong West, who rode several SunTours, was killed while he was riding his bike along Blackgate Road on the way to Torquay (Victoria) on Saturday morning. He was hit by a car from behind and died later in Geelong Hospital. The road is straight and the vision is excellent. There is to be a coronial enquiry. I cannot say anything more for obvious reasons. |