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Olympic news for September 7
The Rockhampton rocketsBy Perry Stone, cyclingnews.com corespondent Some of you may remember Perry Stone, the ultra endurance rider from Canada who this year broke his own record for circumnavigating Australia (14,200 km in 41 days and 5 minutes). While planning and training for his next attempt, Perry found himself in Rockhampton where the Australian track team are fine tuning themselves on the Kenrick Tucker Velodrome. Three of them, Lyndelle Higginson, Michelle Ferris and recent shoulder surgery recipient Brad McGee trained while Perry watched. Only six days ago, McGee was under the knife, being cut and pinned and Perry expected him to be a little under the weather. Clearly, that was not the case... McGee entered the grounds of the "Tuckerdome" in traditional Olympic fashion. Unlike the image the public has of Olympic athletes surrounded by helpers, McGee rode in on his Gitane road bike, with his left arm towing his trusty track bike. The camera was ready for that determined grimace of pain, and doubt, but the shutter remained closed as McGee and the others circulated the track for the next 90 minutes. They all looked fresh and keen, often they were paced by legendary Aussie, Kenrick Tucker on his motorcycle. Ferris' power sliced the air and when Higginson upped her cadence, you could feel her focus as her legs moved in a blur. McGee was simply beyond belief. Never once did even the slightest sign of pain register, a tribute to his body, character and the Olympic spirit. Afterwards, he was friendly, relaxed and enjoying himself and the support that many have given him after the crash. "Don't worry, I'm back. I'm fine and I'm back," he affirmed. When asked about his amazingly short recovery from the operation, he simply smiled and and shrugged his shoulder. He then returned to the velodrome, climbing, building cadence and then exploding up out of the saddle. The bike responded like a jet breaking free from turbulence. No stranger to pressure, McGee has chosen to overlook the negative and focus on the opportunity. Like a true pro he is making it look easy. He's pure Oz, he's pure contender.
Van Moorsel's goalsThe victory list for Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel is long: world titles, two Tours de France, many national titles and a huge number of race victories: this year alone she has already won 42 races. But still no Olympic medal. "If I don't win a medal, I have to accept that, but I won't be less happy. That's what I've learned in all these years," she said in an interview with Dutch newsagency, ANP. Van Moorsel looked back to the Barcelona Olympics in 1992. Appointments were made in the Dutch team but rival Monique Knol 'forgot' the agreement and sprinted to third place. "If I get the idea that the same thing is happening in Sydney with Mirjam Melchers and Chantal Beltman, I will ride according to my own plan. That's the legacy of Barcelona. But I have a good feeling after the World Cup Race in Rotterdam, so I don't expect any problems with my teammates now," she added. As to her chances in Sydney, "I have the biggest chance in the individual pursuit on the track. If I can win a gold medal on the track, I can help my teammates on the road. Melchers has had strong international performances, so why should be the pressure only on my shoulders? On the track I feel very fine. If I can keep the condition till Sydney, I trust I'll have a good result. I have to fight on my own, and that's best for me. Everything comes down to my shape on the day." In Australia Van Moorsel will decide whether to start in the points race, but "I prefer another rider for that race. I am already riding so much, I don't want to put more pressure on myself. I'm more scared in a points race with all the riders on the track at the same time." Coach Peter Pieters wants Van Moorsel in the points race because she won the Dutch title with a huge advantage to the rest. "But if I'm really nervous, I won't start." She is unhappy that one of her own Farm Frites teammates (Anouska van der Zee or Debby Mansveld) won't start in the points. "First I'll be alone in my room in Sydney, because my husband and team manager Michael is not allowed to sleep with me. So I can't talk to anyone. That isn't fun when you are so nervous. But I'm glad the Dutch federation decided to send a reserve (Elsbeth Vink) for the road team," she said. Leontien realizes there is a lot of pressure on her from starting in different types of events, however Kathy Watt proved to her that it's possible. "I always thought about her results in Barcelona. She won silver in the 3 km and gold on the road. Therefore I started to believe I could do that too." After the Olympics (with or without a medal), Leontien will ride for at least one more year. Her target: the world hour record currently held by her French rival Jeannie Longo. After this record she will probably stop racing. Her husband Michael brought her back at the top. "He taught me to walk in the middle of the road and I'm very grateful to him. Because of that, I could really enjoy my world champion time trial in 1998 in Valkenburg. For the first time. That was a great feeling and I don't know if an Olympic medal can equal that." The experiences in the past also taught her that success isn't the only thing. "Of course I'd like to get an Olympic medal. I will be thankful for any colour, because I know I did everything that I could. But if I finish fourth three times in Sydney, life will go on after a few bad minutes," finishes Van Moorsel who could certainly pick up more than three fourth places.
Olympic trainingWith the start of the track racing just over a week away, many teams are looking for places to train on Sydney's roads. While the city is not exactly renowned for its calm traffic and courteous, bike friendly drivers (as Jens Lehmann can attest...), there are places to train on the roads in relative peace and quiet. The two Latvians who were riding along the M4 where there was no breakdown lane must have wondered was was about to hit them. A look at our clubs page and the links therein will give athletes and coaches considerable information as to the clubs in the area, and most are more than happy to help out. For example, the Parramatta Club has regular early morning training rides: Saturdays - 6:30 am:
Universe Cycles, cnr Grose St and Church Streets Parramatta, 60 km Michael Meryment is the club secretary and the main contact for the club, and can be reached at: (61) 0414 295 130. He is currently planning rides at more civilised hours i.e. the middle of the day with full time riders or uni students on holiday. Other places to train include the Eastern Suburbs, especially Centennial Park, Anzac Parade out to La Perouse and along Foreshore Drive, Botany. In addition, there are plenty of hills around that area. For middle of the day rides, then Jeff Jones at cyclingnews is happy to help: 9572 8828, 9318 2644 or 0410 618 264. (Gotta get out some time) South is generally great once past Sutherland. The "designated Olympic training area" is meant to be the Royal National Park, but care should be taken as the roads are quite narrow. Very scenic though. The Northern part of Sydney is also good, and the Northern Sydney Cycling Club is a good point to start. There are many rides frequented by club members (and others) including up to Palm Beach, as well as around Kuringai Chase National Park, Bobbin Head, West Head, and Akuna Bay. In addition, along the Old Pacific Highway is a great option, as all you have to do is dodge motorbikes. Gosford and back is a good 5-6 hour ride depending on the start point, and takes in several longish climbs. More routes will be detailed in the coming days, and local club secretaries are welcome to email us with ideas. |
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