News for November 24, 1997

Contracts and Transfers

Some Questions for Australian Cycling Officials

1. Who said what?

   In a recent interview in Belgium, Australian track rider Matthew Gilmore spoke about his treatment by the cycling officials in Australia. He has stated that one of the reasons that he has applied for Belgian nationality is that he has been told that he had little hope of ever being selected to represent Australia after falling out with Australian cycling bureaucrats.

   By taking Belgian nationality he was able to overcome this prejudice against him and he could gain selection for the World Championships. Gilmore was born in Belgium and thus qualifies for citizenship.

   Before us Aussies get to cute about it, remember that Patrick Jonker does not ride for Australia but the Netherlands to enhance his own chances.

   What falling out did Matthew have with cycling authorities here?

   Who had the power to threaten him with non-selection independent of his performances?

2. Who is responsible for what?

   In the wake of the sacking of Australian National Road Coach, Heiko Salzwedel, last Thursday, several questions remain unanswered.

   In the Official Press Release of Cycling Australia it was stated: "In electing not to re-appoint Heiko Salzwedel to the Men's Road position, Cycling Australia President, Mr Ray Godkin, cited a very apparent lack of support and confidence from the national coaching fraternity, which includes state ITC coaches and other AIS coaches. "We have also had grave concerns as to the program direction and financial management of the Men's Road Program over the past few years", Mr Godkin added."

   In case you are not aware, Heiko was a honorary National Coach, his substantive position being that of Head Road Coach with the Australian Institute of Sport. There are two positions within the Cycling Australia payroll which carry the titles Coaching Director and High Performance Manager.

   What are the roles of these positions?

   If they are not to provide managerial direction to Coaching and High Performance operations within Australian Cycling, then what are they for?

   If Cycling Australia had "grave concerns over the past few years" with the direction of the road program and its financial management, why didn't these top level positions indicate this concern?

   It is usual in a dynamic organisation that if something is amiss for the management to take responsibility. What responsibility for the Road Program problems has been taken by the executive positions of Coaching Director and High Performance Manager?

   How does sacking the coach, an honorary position, relieve the management from responsibility?

3. Conflict of Interest?

   Australian riders would also like to know about the Giant/Avanti affair which emerged a few years ago but has been effectively hidden from the public view. Both Giant and Avanti are cycling manufacturers with a large stake in the Australian market. Giant as we all know has been the biggest contributor to the National Road program.

   Did an official of the ACF send a letter using an Official ACF Letterhead to Avanti endorsing their bikes as the 'best' or similar?

   Was this letter signed by the official using his position with the Australian Cycling Federation as an authority?

   The facts are that Avanti used the endorsement in their catalogue at the end of the year.

   Did Avanti supply a bike or bikes to a close relative of the official to be used in triathlons in the same year or any year?

   Did Giant complain about this and threaten to withdraw their sponsorship?

   Was an amount paid in settlement to resolve this issue?

   If there was an amount paid, who paid it and how much was paid?

   Was there a conflict of interest in this by the official?

   Is the official still employed by Cycling Australia in any capacity?

4. Given the road coach has been sacked for what Cycling Australia has said is a lack of confidence, are any of these officials still employed by Cycling Australia?

5. More questions later.

Australia's leading women's rider needs support

Date	6th December 1997
Time	6.30pm
Venue   Adelaide, Velodrome

Several Victorians (Anna's home state) are trekking across the border to witness the event and give Anna support. I encourage anyone else from around Australia who has an interest in cycling to help support the event. Especially if you happen to be in Adelaide on that night, or if you are rich enough to fly (or have heaps of points!) or can drive to "exciting" Adelaide. Anna has told me that she would greatly appreciate any support you can offer.

As the Hour Record Attempt will be the first event of the night, I would particularly encourage anyone who has already planned to go to the night to get there as early as possible to help cheer her on. You may think that seeing someone going around and around a track is a bore, but just imagine how hard it would be to actually do it!!

A large crowd cheering Australia's premier wonem's rider on to take the Australian Hour record (which she is guarenteed as no record currently exists), the Commonwealth Record, and hopefully to take the World record off the best female cyclist ever, Jeane Longo would be worth being part of.

None of these aims is out of the realm of possibility and your support could just make the difference.

So be there or be .... whatever it is.

Stephen Pate wins the Windermere Classic

International Trophy - Adelaide Superdrome, November 22, 1997

Event 1 -  Junior u/17 Div 2 Heartstarter 2000m:

1. Judd Walker		3min 4.9sec
2. Katrina Smith
3. Bridget Saint

Event 2. Womens Heartstarter 3000m:

1. Symeko Johinke	4min 32.1sec
2. Kerin Bates
3. Chelsey Zucker

Event 3 Open Men Heartstarter 3000m:

1. Jobi Dajka		3mins 35.86 secs
2. Ben Lindsay
3. Gene Bates

Event 4 International Trophy Round 1 - 5000m Scratch Race:

1. Brett Aitken		9mins 16.28 secs
2. Stuart O'Grady
3. Baden Cooke
4. Jay Sweet

Event 5 Juniorr u/17 Div 1 Heartstarter 2500m:

1. Michael Smith	3mins 13.04 secs	
2. Nick Graham
3. Glen Matulich

Event 6 Open Keirin Round 1 2000m:

1. Shane Kelly		last 200m time 12.08s
2. Gary Neiwand
3. Kane Selin

Event 7 Womens Scratch Race 3500m:

1. Chelsey Zucker	4mins 42.5secs
2. Rochelle Gilmour
3. Katy Parker

Event 8 International Trophy Round 2 - Elimination (Devil)

1. Stuart O'Grady
2. Baden Cooke
3. Michael Rodgers
4. Brett Aitken

Event 9 Junior u/17 Div 2 Scratch Race 2500m

1. Judd Walker
2. Bridget Saint
3. Kirby Nugent

Event 10 Open Men Scratch Race 3750m:

1. Ben Lindsay		4mins 30.29secs
2. Jobi Dajka
3. Russel VanHout

First past the post Gene Bates - disqualified - passing on duckboard during sprint.

Event 11 Open Keirin Round 2 2000m: 

1. Shane Kelly		last 2200m 11.09
2. Kane Selin
3. Ben Kerston

Event 12 Junior u/17 Div1 Scratch Race 3500m:

1. Michael Smith
2. Nick Graham
3. Michael Dowling

Event 13 International Trophy Round 3 Points Race 7500m (3 sprints)

1. Baden Cooke 		11 points
2. Stuart O'Grady 	 8 points
3. Brett Aitken 	 7 points
4. Jay Sweet 		 3 points

Event 14 Womens Keirin 2000m:

1. Katy Parker 		last 200m 13.17
2. Kerin Bates
3. Chelsey Zucker

Event 15 Womens Scratch Race 3000m: 

1. Joanne Robinson	3mins 56.83 secs
2. Rennae Chadwick
3. Rennae Heinrich

Event 16 Opent Derby Heats  1 and 2 to Final, losers eliminated

Heat1

1. Shane Kelly  11.03secs
2. Kane Selin
eliminated Ben Kerston

Heat 2

1. John Katakasi   11.32secs
2. G. White

eliminated S. Hosking and M. Benjamin

Event 17 Open 5km Scratch Race 5000m:

1. Brent Dawson		5mins 53.5secs
2. Michael Rodgers
3. G Brown

Event 18 Open Derny Race 7500m:

1. Stuart O'Grady	5mins 53.5 (hard to believe)***
2. Tim Lyons
3. Tim O'Shannessy

(Only 4 starters)

Event 19 Final Open Derby 11.177secs

1. John Katakasi
2. Kane Selin
3. Shane Kelly

*** My source tells me there was disappointment in the crowd with this race. Lap times were in the 18 secs order with O'Grady 1/2 lap down at 15 laps to go. Note Brad McGee rode 18 sec laps during his hour record. Only during the last 5 laps was any sort of pace achieved (14 secs) for the 250m track. The race looked to be fixed and should have advertised as an exhibition race in the program.