UK Round Of World CupThe UK round of the World Cup, on 17 August, is once again on the move, to Rochester in Kent, following a failure of promoter Sport for Television to seal a deal with the council of the Yorkshire city of Leeds, its start and finish point since 1992 and, I (Roger) would argue, its best course so far after having been in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1989 and Brighton in 1990 and 1991.Rochester, some 30 miles south-east of London, has the advantage of easier communications with continental Europe being less than an hour from the Channel tunnel, but does not look likely to provide anything like as testing a course as the Leeds circuit. Rochester hosted a stage of the Tour Feminin in 1993, in part a trial run for the visit of the Tour de France to the UK in 1994. Comments from Men of Kent or Kentish Men (they'll explain the distinction -- I can't remember which of these designations lives north and which south of the Medway river) on the possible route would be of interest. And am I really supposed to pedal down the murderous A2 to get out of London to watch the race!? Nelissen At 50%Wilfried Nelissen, who suffered open fractures of his tibia and fibula in last April's Gent--Wevelgem is back in training, with his new team-mates in the small Belgian team Palmans. Nelissen reckons he is currently at 50% of his potential. |