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An Update from Jay Sweet - pre Paris-NiceI am expecting to publish regular updates from him to complement Henk's Diary.Jay writes: I'm sitting in the hotel Park Royal. I'm waiting for the prolouge to start. It's a 10 km time trial. I got my new time trial bike today and a suitcase full of clothes...not bad! I have a new long-sleeved skinsuit for the prologue and it looks pretty cool. This morning we went training (the team) in Paris and we had about 100 other riders follow us. It was pretty incredible. I don't think they were following us though, Jalabert and ONCE were with us as well. My form is probably the best it's ever been. All I have to do now in the sprints is make sure I'm in the right position at the right time. There is a lot of luck involved in the bunch sprints here, you can have awesome legs and get boxed a little with 300m to go and it's all over. I had an I.B.M. interview yesterday, it was interesting. They interviewed me and I even made a joke in French and everyone laughed. My French has stagnated a bit because everyday out training I'm with the boys (Henk, Stuey, Marcel and Jens) and we just speak English. It's still good though. I'm looking forward to Paris-Roubaix. It's going to be really hard though. Look out for Henk and Stuey there they will be top 10. I reckon Stuey will be top 10 in Milan san Remo as well. He's got awesome form and knows how to ride the classics. I've decided I want to win a classic before I retire. Het Volk was pretty cool, going up the cotes (small steep climbs) with hundreds of people trying to push you and screaming as loud as they can, massive cobbles and 1 lane roads. That's where it's at. That and the tour! I will be sending a video home soon. It's just a video that I.B.M. had made so they can show the big knobs what our team does and what goes on at races. I reckon it'll be interesting for you to see. You can see what my team does at the races. It also has the sprint finish on it where I finished 3rd to Cippo. There is also a web site for our team and it's pretty cool but it won't be going until 15 March so when it's going I'll send you the address. When I get my team postcards I'll send them. I'll also try and send team posters and I'll try and get all the team to sign them. Well I'd better go. I'll try and keep you all informed on a day to day basis what's going on in Paris-Nice. Talk to you soon Ludo Dierckxsens talks before Paris-Nice"Last year this competition for me was a small classic. A race for all the media, television. And thus of very great importance for me and my sponsor. Now the situation has totally changed. On Sunday, I will start in my first Paris-Nice. Today I am here for training. That I am not here to win is no disaster."Last Wednesday, Ludo Dierckxsens - with his teammates Farazijn, Aerts and Willems - were preparing for the Fayt-le-Franc, the race they have chosen as their last race before the Race to the Sun. The rider from Kempen as the best of them in the race, but still came 4th. Although he was a good young rider he could not get any interest from the sponsors. In 1994 he was still riding as a professional, but was in a team that almost only rode the kermis races. But Dierckxsens knew that he could be a solid rider for a top team. And at the end of last year, Lotto gave him his chance. "I still haven't changed my idea." said Dierckxsens after a good months racing against the elite. "I am always of the view that I have a place to plat in a team that participates in all the great races. In the end of the Ruta del Sol I was 22nd or 23rd. Not world shattering, but it is good to know that I rode well over the small mountains. And I also helped Andrei Tchmil to win the GP Luis Puig. I was helping him up to the last 500 metres of the race. Also last weekend I have worked hard for the team. And today I have continued with excellent form. Come Sunday, I hope that I can do the same for myself in Paris-Nice. And also for the classics. I am clearly aiming for them." The first Paris-Nice. Will you be riding for Tchmil? "The team leader will get my help and also from Marc Wauters. We will also help Jo Planckaert. Now I am a helper, last year I was the top man." There are people who say that this is not an improvement. The greater public perhaps would say this but those in the know would not. It is probable that this season I will not be able to win as much as I can. Vandenbroucke knows what I can do. And in the first instance I am there to help the top riders. And when one of the top riders is like "stoneware" it is not the easiest thing to work for. You mean Tchmil? Yes, he is an introvert. Definitely not an open book. No-one speaks very much with him. But as a sportsman he is a wizard, and in the context of our team, that is obviously the most important. Saeco is sickMario Cipollini will not start in the Paris-Nice as he has decided to ride the Tirreno-Adriatico instead. But his Saeco team is also suffering with 7 riders feeling crook with the flu.Roger Legaey takes control of AIGCPRoger Legaey has been elected as Chairman of the AIGCP. He succeeds the Italian Alvara Crespi. Belgians Walter Godefroot and Jean-Luc Vandenbroucke will hold the Vice Chairmanships. Theo de Rooy (Netherlands) and Francis Lafargue (France) are secretaries and financial affairs will be conducted by Italians Roberto Amadia and Emmanuele Bombine38th Ronde van NederlandAugust 25, Naaldwijk-Hoorn, 180 km August 26, Harlingen-Leeuwarden, 200 km August 27, Leeuwarden-Groningen, 85 km August 27, Groningen-Groningen, 26 km (ITT) August 28, Zwolle-Venray, 180 km August 29, Venray-Landgraaf, 233 kmThe total distance will be 903 kms. For the final stage, a major part of the parcours will be the circuit of the World Championship at Valkenburg. (a big part of this stage is the New British Team - Brite VoiceA new British team with Division II classification has been created. The team will be called BRITE VOICE and will be managed by Keith Lambert, Sean Yates and Dave Le Grys.The riders listed are John Tanner, Jon Clay, Rob Hayles, Chris Walker, Matt Ellingworth, Chris Newton, Bryan Steele, Russell Downing, Craig Percival, Gary Edwards and Neil Campbell Adelaide Superdrome, Adelaide Cup on Wheels, March 7, 1998Event 1 Junior U/17 Div2 Heartstarter 2500m 1. Shane Headlam (Blue Lake CC, Mt Gambier) 2. Krystal Bryant (Adelaide CC) 3. Andrew Douk Event 2 Womens Heartstarter 3000m Time 3:47 1. Rosalee Hubbard (Kilkenny CC) 2. Chelsey Zucker (Central Districts CC) 3. Joanne Robinson (Adelaide CC) Event 3 Junior U/17 Div1 Hearstarter 3000m Time 3:46.81 1. Nick Graham (Adelaide CC) 2. Michael Dowling (Kilkenny CC) 3. Troy Dajka (Central Districts CC) Event 4 Open Keirin 2000m 1. Kane Selin (SASI) 2. Jobie Dajka (SASI) 3. Tim O'Shannsesey (AIS) Event 5 Open Heartstarter 3750m Time 4:15.26 1. Nigel Grigg (AIS) 2. Luke Roberts (AIS) 3. Brett Aitken (Adelaide CC) Event 6 Senior/Junior Heartstarter 3000m Time 3:34.97 1. Darcy Bates (Adelaide CC) 2. Matt Anderson (Whyalla CC) 3.Gavin Nugent (Central Districts CC) Event 7 Womens Adelaide Cup on Wheels 1000m Time 1:08 1. Rosalee Hubbard 45m 2. Katrina Bean 90m 3. Fletcha Pearce 120m (limit) Event 8 Adelaide Cup on Wheels 3 Heats 5 to final ? Event 9 Junior U/17 Div 2 Scratch Race 3000m Time 4:25.34 1. Krystal Bryant 2. Renee Braithwate 3. Cassy Smith Event 10 Junior Div 1 Scratch Race 3750m Time 4:52.4 1. Nick Graham 2. Troy Dajka 3. Glen Matulich Event 11 Adelaide Cup on Wheels Final 2000m Time 2:08.48 1. Tim O'Shannassey (scr) 2. Brett Lancaster (50) 3. Steve Sabine (145) Event 12 Womens Scratch Race 3750m 1. Chelsey Zucker 2. Rosalee Hubbard 3. Kerin Bates Event 13 Open Sprint Match Race 1. Kane Selin 2. Gary White 3. Jobie Dajka Event 14 Open Derny 6250m 1. Luke Roberts 2. Baden Cooke 3. Brett Lancaster Event 15 Senior Junior Scratch Race 3750m Time 4:59 1. Scott Moller (Noarluunga South Coast CC) 2. Russell Van Hout 3. Matt Anderson Event 16 Open Match Sprint Round 2 Selin def White Event 17 Open Elimination -Devil 1. Brett Aitken 2. Michael Rogers 3. Luke RobertsNotes:
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