News and Race Reports for September 24 1995

Tragedy on the Track

   Bogota, Colombia, 23 Sept 95 -- French track rider Patrice Sulpice was
paralyzed from the waist down yesterday (Friday) after falling at the
Bogota velodrome during practice for the world championships.
   Sulpice fractured his eighth vertebra in the crash after hitting another
French rider from behind during practice for the championships, the evening
newscast Noticiero de las 7 reported. Sulpice was taken to Bogota's
Neurological Hospital. Dr. Fabian Herrera said Sulpice will never walk
again.

Boardman vs. Rominger?

  Chris Boardman will make his racing comeback at the Manchester Velodrome
next month on 13-14 October 95. That could mean a pursuit rematch with Tony
Rominger, but Boardman has yet to confirm his events at the Superdrome 2
international meeting. Their original matchup in Februray '95 drew a
sell-out crowd. Boardman has not ridden competitively since breaking his
wrist and ankle when he crashed in the Tour. Rominger will definitely be
competing on that Friday evening after flying in from the world
championships in Colombia.


A Secret Weapon?

   Using wind-tunnel tests and space-age materials, USA Cycling has
developed a state-of-the-art, super-secret bicycle. It's called Superbike
II, and Chris Carmichael and others say the cycling world has never seen
anything like it before. Made of carbon fiber, it was developed in the
General Motors wind tunnel. "It's faster than anything out there,"
Carmichael said.