Afflicted with an incurable disease, Fulvio will suffer no mare.
The Australian Federation, split into two factions (with the Van Diemans Land mob in continual conflict with the MainLanders), but has been an UCI affiliate since 1928. It has around 9000 card carriers, including the cyclo-sportives.
Auzzie legends, Sidney Patterson, World Pro Pursuit Champ in 1952 and 1953, and Phil Anderson both started their careers as Trackies.
Anderson wore the Yellow Jersey in the Tour in 1981 and 1982 and won, amongst other events, the Amstel Gold in '83, the Francoforte in '84 and '85 and Zurich in 1984.
At the present time Australia is a power to be reckoned with on the tracks of the World.
The leading light is the Klick specialist, Shane Kelly, who took the Maillot Arc en Ciel in Bogota with a record 1'00"613, Darrin Hill (Sprinter's Gold) and the Team Pursuit who Medalled in '93 at Hamar and '95 at Bogota round out the Australian contingent.
The 33 year old Dutch sprinter confirms his retirement.
He has to his credit 94 victories:
9 Tour stages
1 Day in Yellow
9 Vuelta stages
4 Giro stages
3 days in Pink
Meat-free? Can you ride without compromising your performance?
Janet Pidcock has the answers
Over the last 15 years, there's been a steady trend in favour of
giving up (or cutting down on) meat. Nearly one in 20 adults don't
eat meat or fish, and more avoid red meat. A recent survey found
that 9% of athletes excluded meat from their diets. Some people
avoid meat for ethics, others choose this diet because they believe
it's healthier.
However, there are still some die-hard attitudes concerning
meat-eating. It's macho. It gives you muscle... or so the myth
goes. This is a throwback to ideas originating in the last century,
when doctors asserted (without any hard evidence) that a high meat
intake promoted vigour and physical efficiency.
This belief was compounded by British nutritionists
misunderstanding a form of malnutrition first described in Africa.
One of the commonest forms of serious malnutrition, the first
theory was that it was due to inadequate protein.
TIP!
Vegans may need to take B12 suplements
A result of this was that nutritionists around the world became
very focused on protein in the diet, and concerned about a
world-wide `protein gap'.
Subsequent evidence has shown that if people are eating a variety
of foods, and they're getting enough food overall, they will get
enough protein. But it seems that there was something in the
association between meat and muscle which captured the imagination
and is hard to shake off. Popular beliefs lag behind scientific
understanding: for example, the official Recommended Daily
Allowance for protein has been cut by more than half in the last 50
years.
*******************
Veggie Pedal Power
Vegetarian cyclists can trace a long history. Last century, the
London Vegetarian Society formed an athletic and cycling club,
seeking to prove through excellence the superiority of a vegetarian
diet. It seems they had some success in their aim, as illustrated by
a quote from a book named Crusaders for Fitness:
"In 1896, the aptly named James Parsley led the Vegetarian
Cycling Club to victory over two regular clubs. A week later, he
won the most prestigious hillclimbing race in England, breaking
the record".
So what's the present day verdict on a meatless diet for athletes?
Robert Millar and Sally Hibberd are just two veggie cycling success
stories. In terms of general health, a number of studies have
indicated that vegetarians have a lower risk of heart disease, high
blood pressure, gall stones and certain cancers.
TIP!
Drink fresh fruit juice, or eat fresh fruit/veg with meals to absorb
iron.
There aren't that many studies looking specifically at the effect of
a vegetarian diet on sports performance. In the context of
athletics, diets tend to be analysed in terms of their separate
nutrients, ie carbohydrate, fat, vitamins and minerals. It would be
difficult to make meaningful conclusions about whether a vegetarian
diet per se helps your fitness, because there are so many different
types of vegetarianism.
So, does vegetarianism have anything to offer you as a cyclist? It
all depends. The main strength of a meat-free diet for any endurance
athlete is that if it's well planned, it's more likely to be high in
carbohydrate, since a major source of fat is excluded. Eating plenty
of carbohydrates will keep your muscles primed with glycogen, an
energy store that boosts your stamina.
But this doesn't mean that all vegetarian diets are automatically
good, just because they exclude meat. You could live on chips,
chocolate and beer and still be a veggie, but it's not going to
benefit your health or your ability to push pedals. A non-vegetarian
who eats poultry and fish, lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and
plenty of carbo-rich wholefoods is probably well-matched with a
healthy veggie in the fitness stakes.
*******************
Pitfalls to avoid
Pitfalls to avoid You can get everything you need from a vegetarian
diet, but there are a few things to be aware of so that you're
eating optimally. One important guideline is to go for variety. If
you eat from a broad range of different foods, you're less likely to
go short of any one particular nutrient. Also, if you're new to
vegetarianism, don't let concern about protein lead you to pile up
your plate with cheese to replace the missing meat, there are plenty
of vegetarian sources of protein that aren't so high in fat. This
doesn't mean that you shouldn't eat cheese at all, just don't make
it the main focus of every meal.
* Protein
There's an abundance of vegetarian protein sources, and not all
of them are obvious. For example, rice, beans and pulses
(including lentils, baked beans, chickpeas), nuts and seeds all
have plenty of protein, as do wheat and wheat products such as
bread, pasta, pastry, biscuits... even pizza bases! Cheese,
yoghurt and eggs are also protein packed, but go sparingly or
choose low-fat versions.
You may have heard about `protein combining', where some food
groups need to be combined with others to optimise the protein
intake. You don't really need to worry about this. If you're
eating enough food generally, and including a variety of
different sources of protein over the week, your protein needs
will take care of themselves. * Iron
Anaemia is a relatively common nutritional problem. It's a fact
that the best dietary source of iron is red meat, that particular
type of iron is eagerly taken up by the body. There are plenty of
vegetable sources of iron, but they play a bit harder to get as
other factors in the diet can interfere with how much the body
will actually take in. For example, tea and coffee and wheat bran
can diminish the amount of iron you absorb.
However, all is not lost, as there are also factors which enhance
uptake of vegetable derived iron, in particular, the presence of
vitamin C. Good vegetarian sources of iron are: green leafy
vegetables, dried fruit (such as apricots or raisins), beans and
pulses, cereals and cereal products. That includes wholewheat
bread and pasta. To take advantage of vitamin C's helping hand
with iron, try to include some fresh fruit and/or vegetables (raw
or lightly cooked) regularly with your meals. And try not to
drink tea or coffee with your food.
TIP!
Eat plenty of grains, beans and pulses for low fat protein food.
* Vegans
Vegans avoid all animal-derived produce, which means no meat,
fish, eggs or dairy products. If you're eating this sort of diet,
there are two things you need to be alert to: firstly, where your
vitamin B12 is coming from, and secondly, whether you're getting
enough calories.
Although vitamin B12 is only needed in miniscule amounts, it's
mainly found in animal derived foods. It's thought to be found in
some edible seaweeds and possibly in fermented foods such as
tempeh (a fermented soya product). There is, however, controversy
over how much is present in such foods, and whether it can
actually be used by the body. Your best bet would be to regularly
use a food product supplemented with B12 (eg certain soya milks,
and some cereals, check the labels), or take a supplement.
The question of whether you're getting enough calories is worth
asking, because a vegan diet can be very `bulky', with many of
the more concentrated sources of calories excluded. This could be
a problem if you're a very active cyclist, burning your way
through thousands of extra calories to fuel your riding. You
should take care to eat nuts and seeds regularly (these are the
most calorie rich foods available to a vegan), and also make sure
that you eat plenty of cereals and pulses rather than filling up
solely on vegetables and fruit, which tend to have a low calorie
count. * Demi-veg advantage
Even if you're not vegetarian, regularly including vegetarian
meals in your diet may help you to boost your carbo intake, which
will pay off with improved stamina. Experimenting with different
vegetarian cuisines could get you out of a rut with carboloading.
Many cultures have traditional vegetarian dishes, from Mexican
tacos and beans to spicy Indian dishes and Oriental protein foods
such as tofu and tempeh (made from soya). If you are a strict
vegetarian, don't go overboard on the cheese, and try to eat
wholefoods (wholemeal bread, wholemeal pasta, brown rice) to
maximise your vitamin and mineral intakes.