News for July 26, 2001

Recent results and new features

Txema del Olmo wants to prove his innocence

Euskaltel's Txema del Olmo was the only rider to be excluded from the Tour de France after he returned a positive urine control in the prologue. Although riders are allowed to request that their B samples be analysed to confirm a positive test, Tour regulations stated that a rider would be excluded on the basis of their A sample alone.

Del Olmo told Euskadi radio recently that he hopes that the counter-analysis will be negative, therefore he will be able to clear his name. He is absolutely convinced of his innocence, and believes that it could be a "mistake with the machine."

The counter-analysis will be performed in the next couple of days.

A weekend in Brescia for Saeco

Paolo Savoldelli and Cadel Evans at the Brixia Tour

Paolo Savoldelli and mountain biker Cadel Evans will be the two leaders of the Saeco Macchine per Caffe team for this weekend’s Brixia Tour in Brescia. Savoldelli is making a comeback to racing after the Tour of Switzerland and so will not be going for the overall classification but he will be using the race to hopefully find some good form for the second half of the season.

Cadel Evans, the Aussie mountain biker who has decided to dedicate more time to road racing this year and who has already won the Tour of Austria. According to directeur sportif Guido Bontempi, Evans could be the perfect team leader for what looks like a tough race.

"I know the roads of the race really well because I live near Brescia," Bontempi said. "The first two stages are really selective and so suit Cadel, as well as other Saeco riders Igor Pugaci and Justin Spinelli. they’re going well and should do better than the rest of the team."

As well as Pugaci and Spinelli, Bontempi will have Oscar Cavagnis, Brad Davidson and Dario Pieri and Christian Wegmann.

Iban Mayo signs for two more years with Euskaltel

One of the best performed riders for Euskaltel-Euskadi this season, Iban Mayo, has extended his contract with the Basque squad for another two years. Mayo won the Midi Libre this year, as well as the Classique des Alpes and the toughest stage of the Dauphine Libere, and is considered a big prospect for the future.

The 23 year old received offers from other teams, but decided to stay with the team that he started with as a professional in 2000.

Russell Downing gets stagiaire's contract with FdJ

Former Linda McCartney protege Russell Downing has accepted an offer to ride as a "stagiaire" (trainee) with La Francaise Des Jeux until the end of the season. Former Paris-Roubaix double champion Marc Madiot has snapped up the Rotherham rider after seeing him win several races in France this year.

"I can't wait to get involved," said the man known through cycling as "Fonzie". His main aim remains the Tour de l'Avenir, the Tour de France for young riders, won in the past by his new FDJ teammate Emmanuel Magnien. "I want to make the most of this opportunity and tie up a permanent deal for next year if I can," said Russ.

Courtesy of John Deering

Centennial Park deadline looms

Sydney cyclists who want to make their voices heard on the proposed changes to traffic flow in Centennial Park have only a few days left to send in their comments. Deadline for submissions via Cycle Centennial is July 30, so it's time to put aside a few hours this weekend to email your comments. Full contact details are at the end of this report.

Centennial Park is a 220 hectare haven for many types of sport and recreation. The loop of road that circles just inside its borders — Grand drive — is the main thoroughfare used by motor vehicle drivers, cyclists, wheel chair athletes and roller bladers. The road is currently shared peacefully by this diverse user community, for one very simple reason: all the traffic flows in the same direction. But new traffic flow plans for the park will effectively remove a facility that is central Sydney's only safe training venue for cyclists.

Extensive and costly changes to Grand Drive are being proposed in a plan devised by consultants Sinclair Knight Mertz on behalf of Centennial Park Trust. The plan involves narrowing the existing road to provide car parking space on the Grand Drive, moving the existing cycle lane to the inside of the loop, and changing its direction so cyclists would ride against oncoming traffic, though we will have he option to use the reduced-width car lane.

The plan presents substantial hazards for cyclists:

The local traffic police — the professionals in these matters of traffic flow — oppose the proposals on the grounds that they are unsafe and hugely increase the potential for fatalities.

The consultants' own report reveals some anomalies in the attitude to cyclists. In section 2 of the summary, one of the 'issues' to be addressed is "Concerns about "packs" of training cyclists dominating Centennial Park, resulting in safety and amenity impacts". No peak body involved in cycle racing was consulted on the drafting of the plan: only the Randwick Botany Cycling Club is listed as having had input. Cycling Australia, Cycling NSW and Triathlon NSW were not consulted. Appendix D of the report gives the number of collisions involving cyclists over a three and a half year period as just32, half of them involving vehicles and five involving dogs.

A survey of visitor dislikes about the park cited in the draft plan's Appendix 2 said 13 per cent of visitors disliked cars and speeding traffic, and only 5 per cent disliked 'Rollerbladers/stakers/cyclists' (sic). The plan makes very few suggestions to curb speeding cars, beyond enforcing the current speed limits. Figures elsewhere in Appendix 2 estimate that 500,000 cyclists per year use the park, out of 2.3-2.9 million total visits.

More information

A PDF file of the summary of the draft proposal is available here: www.cp.nsw.gov.au/research/consult.htm. The full report and appendices are available from the same site and also make interesting reading.

The Randwick Botany Cycling Club has also posted relevant information on their web site: ww.randwickbotanycc.com/centennial_parklands_transport.htm

How to comment

Cycle Centennial has undertaken to coordinate and deliver all submissions on the draft proposal personally to the consultant. Cycle Centennial will register all received submissions, and forward copies to the Premier's Department. Bob Carr is the Patron of the Randwick Botany Cycle Club, and his office appoints the Board of the Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust.

Centennial Park Trust is historically receptive to the concerns of park visitors: recent proposals to change the rules relating to use of thepark for walking dogs met with considerable criticism and were changed as a result, so this is by no means a lost cause. With cyclists making such a large number of the park's visitors, it's essential that our voice be heardloud and clear. If Australian sports fans want to continue to bask in the glory of our Stuart O'Gradys and Brad McGees, future champions need somewhere to train away from Sydney's bike-hostile traffic environment.

Please post your submissions to:

The Director
Centennial Parklands Draft Transport Access & Parking Plan
c/- Cycle Centennial
PO Box 154
KENSINGTON NSW 1465

Or alternatively, you may prefer to email your submissions to: cyclecentennial@hotmail.com

Tattersall's Cup overview

The Tattersall's Cup - Australia's premier road cycling series - will conclude in Tasmania this year. The first four races of the five-part series will be staged in regional Victoria, with the final hit-out - the 150km Tour of the Tamar to be conducted in Launceston, on Wednesday, August 29.

The series started in Victoria in 1996, as a three-race event, and has been proudly supported by Tattersall's since its inception. The overwhelming success of the concept necessitated the move to a four-race program in 1997, and then to the current five-day format in 1998.

The series is now one of Australia's most competitive, attracting an average 100 racers each week from across the country and overseas. Each race is conducted as a separate classic with its own prizemoney. However, an accumulative points system operates over the five events to provide an overall Tattersall's Cup champion.

Tattersall's Cup jerseys are designed for the overall leader in the series, the Sprint Champion and the King of the Mountains title.

The series offers $25,500 total prizemoney, with the top 10 overall point-scorers guaranteed automatic selection in the prestigious 50th Herald Sun Tour, to be held from October 18 -28.

Last year, Tattersall's introduced the Sid Patterson Rider of the Future award, in memory of one of Australia's greatest cyclists. This award is presented to a rider (under 23 years of age at the commencement of the first race) who represents and displays some of Sid's tenacity, strength and ability.

The introduction of the Tour of the Tamar, continues Tattersall's long and proud connection with Tasmania, with their founder George Adams having been invited by the Tasmanian Government in 1897 to conduct Australia's first official licensed lottery.

The races

Wednesday, August 1, 2001

Tour of the Goldfields: 127.6 km
Venue: Ballarat
Start: 10am, North Ballarat Sports Club, Creswick Rd, Ballarat
Finish: 1pm, Midlands Golf Club, Heinz Lane, Ballarat
(Via Brown Hill, Dean, Newlyn, Blampied, Eganstown, Daylesford, Hepburn, Franklinford, Campbelltown, Glengower, Clunes, Creswick, Sulky)

Wednesday, August 8, 2001

Tour of the Strathbogie Ranges: 165.5 km
Venue: Nagambie
Start: 10am, Nagambie Rowing Club, Buckley Park, Nagambie
(Via Locksley, Longwood, Euroa, Strathbogie, Euroa, Longwood, Locksley)

Wednesday, August 15, 2001

Colac Otway Classic: 147.6 km
Venue: Colac
Start: 10am, Austral Hotel, Corangamite St, Colac
Finish: 1.35pm, Colac Racecourse
(Via Cororooke, Coragulac, Alvie, Warrion, Beeac, Pennyroyal, Murroon, Barwon Downs, Forrest, Gerangamete, Elliminyt)

Wednesday, August 22

Tour of Wellington Shire: 132.2 km
Venue: Sale
Start: 10am, Star Hotel, Macalister St, Sale
Finish: 1.20pm Saleyards Kiosk, Saleyards Rd, Sale
(Via Boisdale, Briagalong, Valencia Creek, Newry, Heyfield, Tinamba)

Wednesday, August 29

Tour of the Tamar: 150 km
Venue: Launceston
Start: 10am Launceston City Hall, St. Johns St, Launceston
Finish: 1.45pm Rocherlea Primary School
(Via Legana, Exeter, Beaconsfield, Beauty Point, Beaconsfield, Sidmouth, Bell Bay, Georgetown, Piper's River, Mt. Direction, Dilston, Rocherlea)

David Duffield fan page

Readers blessed with Eurosport coverage of the Tour de France might be wondering who David Duffield, the much loved cycling commentator really is. London based Addiscombe Cycling Club have put together what they reckon is the ultimate David Duffield internet fan page. Devised by club members it required many hundreds of hours of Eurosport coverage to be painstakingly monitored in order to glean as much information on the great man as possible.

As well as an interesting 'Duffield Facts' section it also has an entire section devoted to 'Duffieldisms', sayings and catchphrases that Duffield uses along with their supposed translations into plain English for those new to his particular style of commentary. For example:

"After doing the thick end of ...(fifty)..miles" = After riding ...(fifty).. miles

"The man with the hammer has got him" = The rider is so fatigued he can barely continue.

"Its not over till the fat lady sings" = The race could be won by anyone. Often uttered five minutes after "Its all over bar the shouting"

Or if you just wanted to find more about the time he was stranded at the roadside when he should have been commentating after putting petrol into a diesel Europsort car then point your browsers to: www.addiscombecc.freeserve.co.uk/features/Duffield.htm

Recent results and new features on Cyclingnews

Major Races and Events
   September 7-29, 2002: Vuelta a España (GT) - Preview, stage list
   May 11-June 2, 2002: Giro d'Italia (GT) - Preview, stage list, photos
   July 6-28, 2002: Tour de France (GT) - Full preview & official route details
   December 8: Superprestige Rd 5 (Cat. 1) - Erwin Vervecken
   November 29-December 4: Six Days of Noumea (6D) - Sassone/Neuville victorious
   November 26-December 1: Six Days of Zurich (6D) - Day 6 - McGrory/Gilmore/Schnider win
   December 1: Melbourne Cup on Wheels (IM) - Scott Moller, Keirin, Sprint, Support races
   December 2: Cyclo-cross World Cup #2 (CDM) - Sven Nijs again
   November 24-December 3: Juegos Deportivos Centroamericanos (JR) - Final results
   December 8-9: Frankfurter Rad-Cross (Cat. 2) - Alex Mudroch, UK National Trophy Series #4 (Cat. 3) - Roger Hammond, Grote Prijs Industrie Bosduin - Kalmthout (Cat. 1) - Bart Wellens, Int. Radquer Obergösgen (Cat. 2) - Björn Rondelez, Trofeo Mamma e Papa Guerciotti (Cat. 3) - Enrico Franzoi, Premio Egondo (Cat 3) - David Seco, Irish cyclo-cross championships - Robin Seymour

Results: local racing
   Australia - CycleWest Promotions Omnium Series #2, Eastern Suburbs Summer Criterium Series, Carnegie Caulfield Tuesday criterium, Southern Cross Junior Track Open & Madison Cup, Manly Warringah CC, George Town Track Carnival, Carnegie Caulfield CC, Randwick Botany CC, Gold Coast CATS CC, Caesar's Illawarra CC, Caesar's Illawarra (track)
   Denmark - Danish cyclo-cross Post Cup #3   
   Italy - Gran Premio Città di Bassano
   Luxembourg - GP De Kopstal
   New Zealand - Cyco Criterium series
   Spain - Elorrio cyclo-cross
   USA - Georgia Cross Series Championship, Chimborazo Grand Prix cyclo-cross, Boulder Cross Rd 6, New Mexico State Cyclo-x Champs, Sorrento Cyclo-x & California State Champ's, Boulder Cross Rd 5, Verge New England series, Northampton CC Cyclo-cross Championships, Chris Cross International CycloCross

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