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Fun lovin' animal: The Paul Rowney Diary
The triple Australian XC champion from Penshurst, New South Wales, is a veteran of both the NORBA and World Cup circuit. Despite a bad training crash in early August that left him with a broken hand, Rowney soldiered on at the final NORBA round in Durango, finishing third overall in the short track cross-country series.
At 32 years of age, Rowney is now at the peak of his abilities, which should bode him well for the Athens Olympic Games in 2004. A typically ocker Aussie, Rowney's diaries are sure to be a laugh, so stay tuned as the Sydneysider embarks on his quest for national championship and Olympic glory.
August 4, 2003: One-armed bandit
Hello all and welcome to an unscheduled update. Yesterday whilst out training with our hommies from Boulder we decided to climb up to lake something or other at around 10000ft... The thin air must of impaired my judgment on the way down. Descending at close to 85k an hour, I went into a rather tight 180 degree turn, realising half way through I was in deep shit, got it braked sideways, off the road into the dirt, managed to take on a few small saplings and just like David Copperfield, disappeared into a cloud of dust.
Miraculously I got tangled up in my bike and trees and instead of landing 100ft down the ravine. Yes all those prayers my mum gives out, someone take notes. The outcome was a long descent home with a rapidly swollen hand, after getting back home it was then back to my third hospital visit in six weeks. I am now sitting at my computer typing with one good hand, and a broken left hand in a half cast, and have to go and see a hand doctor this week to get it cast again. So at the moment they are saying 6-8 weeks to heal.
I have the current cast molded to a handlebar, so I should be able to train, but racing Durango in two weeks could be tricky, but if we have to tape my hand on the grip to ride, we'll give it a shot. They say some things happen in 3's, so that was my last big crash for a while.
So till next time, and keep it rubber side down.
Cheers, pr.