News for March 16, 1998

Editorial Prerogative

At rare times I sometimes make short editorial style comments or ask a few questions that relate to issues that road cyclists seem to talk about when they are out riding and in other places. In recent weeks we have had a mini-debate about EPO and altitude training and on Saturday I mentioned the plight of Brett Aitken in Malaysia which does raise questions. Questions are not personal attacks.

You wouldn't believe some of the Emails I receive from a tiny number of people following any of my brief statements. They range from rude to threatening (in the illegal sense of threatening physical violence). In every case I reply and remind the person that this is a free country that I live in. It is entirely up to them not to click on the bookmark each day when they are wanting to see the complete results from Paris-Nice or whatever.

If they don't like what I say then they should just bug off. I believe that my pages provide more cycling news and coverage than anywhere else on the WWW and probably in any printed and other media sources. I think the pages give value - especially when you consider they are free to users.

Recently, a representative from a major new event coming up in Australia Emailed me then rang me (to make sure I received the Email) - to request I publish no further news on the event until the Politician of the State can get his glory. Apart from being on the other side of politics I told the guy that I would write what I liked. He said that he would cut me into the normal "press privileges" if I behaved. I told him that this was the Internet and I wasn't part of the press run by huge media barons who had rejected cycling as a sport worth covering and operated to make money from their advertising. I said that the cycling fraternity had been neglected in terms of information by the cycling officials and the conventional media (in general). So there was no way I was going to start acting like the normal media. If there was information that was known then I would report it. Satisfying a politician's agenda wasn't something that concerned me.

My pages are able to exist because I have the support of some great sponsors and because I give my own time to them. They also exist because I have some great mates who also take time to gather and send data. All of us see this as a collective venture designed to redress the lack of information that has hitherto existed.

When I went to my own server I was approached by a few commercial interests wanting to "commercialise" my site and pay me significant sums of money to buy the rights. The catch was that I would lose control. I rejected the offers. I did so because I want to be able to say and do what I like, within legal limits, with my own pages.

If this annoys people then you know what to do next time you are aiming the mouse towards the bookmark. Don't waste your time telling me you are going to waste me or that I am un-Australian (because I don't always agree with everything that I am supposed too), or that I should just report the results or say anything else that is negative and personal. If I am wrong then tell me and I will correct it. I often get vigilant readers writing to tell me things are not exactly right. I really appreciate that help. But to tell me you hate my opinions is a waste of time unless you want to proffer an alternative argued position with supporting details. I always welcome input.

If ultimately I lose my sponsors because of what I say then so be it. The site will close and that will be that. Fortunately, they are a great group and I am really appreciative of their help. Also I should add, the overwhelming majority of Emails I receive (99 per cent) are very kind and make it worth my time to pump out the data I can access.

Take care
bill

20th Ronde van Groningen, Netherlands

The 20th Ronde van Groningen is a club competition race in Region 1 of the Netherlands. Groningen is a major city up in the North East. The race started and finished in Groningen. 

 1. Jos Wofkamp	(Ned) 	CC'75		     2.22.15 (44.499)
 2. Herman Fledderus	WSV Emmen		0.42
 3. Herman Sinnigen	WV OMEGA
 4. Edwin Veen		WV OMEGA
 5. Arjan Vinke		WV de Ysselstreek
 6. Henk Tissingh	WV Olympia
 7. Martijn Vos		NWV Groningen
 8. Frank Zwaneveld	WSV Emmen		0.42
 9. Sierd Steigenga	WV Olympia		1.51
10. Jan Willem Blaauw	WV Omega		3.56
11. Joost Kiewik	Oldenzaalse WCL		3.57
12. Bennie Helmers	WSV Emmen
13. Barry Porsius	WV Swolland
14. Jacob Slenema	WTC Roden
15. Marcel Nagengast	WSV de Peddelaars
16. Jelle Coen Bijlsma	WSV de Peddelaars
17. Wout Lammertink	Kamper WC
18. Jan Steenstra	WV Drachten		3.57
19. Harko Kievit	WTC Roden		9.50
20. Baden Burke	(Aus)	WSV de Peddelaars	9.50

Western Australia Veterans

The West Coast Vets have held a graded scratch competition on March 14 with the following outcomes. 

A Grade:

 1. P. Shepherd
 2. R. Argoon
 3. K. Wymyss

B Grade:

 1. A. Dovey
 2. D. McDonald
 3. A. Bennett

C Grade:

 1. R. Knowles
 2. C. Patington
 3. R. Sutton

D Grade:

 1. D. Williams
 2. P. Foster
 3. R. Abbott

Next weekend the vets fight for the State Veterans Championships organised by the M.C.C.

Vegetarians hit the road

Linda McCartney, of Paul McCartney fame (sorry to the women readers who find this offensive. It is more a statement of contribution that gender) has announced that her vegetarian food company will underwrite a 6 person racing team (all persons being of the male gender). The team will begin its international schedule in May when they will race in the 9-day Tour of Britain which has returned to the racing calender after having troubles in recent years.

The current British criterium champion Simon Cope is to be the team leader. Reports indicate that the road shirts will have bear the logo "Linda McCartney on tour". The team director Julian Clark has been reported as saying: "By competing without meat we are blazing a new trail for sport. Meat-free diets are playing an increasing part in athletes' training."

California, Rocky Hill Road Race, March 14, 1998

USA Cycling sends me all their press releases and reports that the nation’s best cyclists competed Saturday, March 14 at the Rocky Hill Road Race on the second stop of the national calendar and the third event on the California Spring Series. Mercury’s winning ways continued with John Peters, Santa Rosa, Calif.; Gord Fraser, Ottawa, Ont., Canada, and Julian Dean, Hamilton, New Zealand, taking first, second and fourth respectively. Swedish national team member Marie Holjer (Jane’s Cosmetics) surprised the powerhouse Saturn and Saeco-Timex squads with a solo win in the women’s event.

Despite small attacks throughout the race, an intact men’s field seemed headed for a field sprint as they roared through the start-finish area with one lap to go. Kirk Willett (Mercury), Pullman, Wash., and Zach Conrad (Ikon-Lexus), Longmont, Colo., sent alarm through the peloton when they launched on the final climb. This forced the Navigators team to chase while the speedy Mercury sprinters sat in for a free ride. With 1km to go, Willett and Conrad succumbed to the field. At this point the red and yellow jerseys of the Mercury boys swarmed the front, at first setting up Dean, but after a shuffling of the order, Peters led Fraser over the line with Shaklee’s Derek Bouchard-Hall, Menlo Park, Calif., in third.

"At first we were setting up Julian Dean, but everybody flip-flopped and I ended up in front of Gord," Peters said after the race, and added laughing, "Gord told me to go, so I waited, then went."

The women also seemed destined for a bunch finish but Holjer set a leg- cracking pace on the final climb which only Saturn’s Elizabeth Emery, New York, N.Y., and Saeco-Timex’s Pam Schuster, Northridge, Calif., could follow.

"I didn’t really attack," Holjer related, "I think they (Schuster and Emery) wanted to wait for their sprinters. I ended up alone, so I just went."

Emery and Schuster couldn’t keep tabs on Holjer who soloed to the win, while Emery eventually out-sprinted Schuster 20 seconds behind. Joan Wilson (All Star/Ralph’s/Klein), Palo Alto, Calif., finished in no-woman’s land just ahead of the field. Shaklee’s Nicole Freedman, Palo Alto, Calif., took the dash for fifth. 

Men, 138 kms:

 1. John Peters (US) Mercury
 2. Gord Fraser (Can) Mercury
 3. Derek Bouchard-Hall (US) Shaklee
 4. Julian Dean (NZ) Mercury

Women, 78 kms:

 1. Marie Holjer (Swe) Jane’s Cosmetics
 2. Elizabeth Emery (US) Saturn
 3. Pam Schuster (US) Saeco-Timex
 4. Joan Wilson (US) Ralph’s-Klein

A request from a French reader

I received a request from a French cycling journalist who wants to get access to all the results (track and road) for races which the French classify as Elite 2. These are the races corresponding to the elite without contract status elsewhere and basically represent the old amateur category.

In exchange he is prepared to send the results of similar events held in France. He can be contacted at the following email address - nicolas.tavares@wanadoo.fr

If anyone can help Nicolas please do.