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MTB News & racing round-up for December 3, 2005

Edited by Steve Medcroft

Welcome to our regular round-up of what's happening in the dirt. Feel free to send feedback, news and gossip to mtb@cyclingnews.com

Where there's a Pole, there's a goal...

Reviewing the Polish mountain-bike team with Andrzej Piatek

Andrzej Piatek,
Photo ©: Tomek Piechal

Andrzej Piatek, manager of Lotto Cycling Team, Poland's national mountain bike team, has brought a season of success to Polish cycling. In 2005, his athletes earned Polish national, European and world championship medals. Tomek Piechal sat with Piatek for a talk about the season and his plans for the future of Polish mountain biking.

Cyclingnews: Do you consider 2005 a successful year?

Andrzej Piatek: After four years of very exhausting training leading up to the [Athens] Olympic Games, we decided to rest a little bit in 2005. But we still wanted to get some more experience so it was a year of experiments for us. We focused mostly on the championships and won four medals during European championships and one during world championships. So yes, I would consider it a successful year.

CN: Would you say that the two medals Maja Wloszczowska earned this year confirm her position among mountain biking's world elite?

AP:I think Maja had the best season in her whole life. She came second in both the World and European Championships. She also placed well in her other races and as a result of her hard work, she also represented Poland during the world road championships in Madrid as well. Yes, I think she confirmed that she is the one of the best cross-country racers in the world.

CN: Aleksandra Dawidowicz, a junior cyclist on the Lotto Team, had a successful year as well - a gold medal in Polish national championships time trial and the silver medal during European MTB championships.

AP:Ola is very versatile. She is good in cross-country but also races on the road. And in 2005, she confirmed that she could also fight on the track. Maybe during the Olympic Games in Beijing she'll take part in both MTB and road race but time will tell what we need to focus her on in the next two years.

Click here to read the rest of the story.

Aussie national series #3 next weekend

The third round in the Australian National Championship Cross-Country Series will be held December 10 & 11 at Lysterfield Park in Southwest Melbourne. The race is one of two that will determine the team memers of the Australian national team for the Commonwealth Games. Expected to compete are Athens Olympians Sid Taberlay (Hobart), Lisa Mathison (Bris) & Josh Fleming (Sydney).

Cameron Zink picks up deity Components as sponsor

Cameron Zink, the multi-talented MTB freerider, has picked up a components sonsorship to accompany his deal with Haro to support a 2006 program that includes film projects (such as the next New World Disorder video), World Cup races, The Red Bull District Ride, Monster Park, and more.

"The first time I heard of Cam was years ago before he broke into the pro scene," said Eric Davies, owner of deity, an Oregon based manufacturer of heavy-duty cranksets, stems, bars and other components and acessories." I received an image of this kid destroying his local park and I knew that he was going to end up shifting the direction of the riding scene. Not a long time after Cam was pulling backflip variations and moves that transcended what was common at the time. With the direction and goals we have at deityCam is a perfect fit for our future plans as his insight, passion, and skill will not only influence the product line...but will also bring to the company a person that we respect equally on and off the bike."

adidas and Saalbach Hinterglemm extend partnership

After only two years, the adidas Slopestyle has become one of the largest and most significant freeride events in the world. For the second time in a row the small town of Saalbach Hinterglemm turned into a Freeride Mecca this June when the adidas Slopestyle Contest pulled the fourty best freeriders in the world to Austria, 100 journalists, photographers, and film crews as well as the who’s who of the international freeride community. Now Saalbach Hinterglemm has committed to be the Slopestyle venue for three more years."

The 2006 Slopestyle will take place the third weekend in June. Rookie Qualifier will be held the Thursday before the official event. "Talented freeride newcomers can win five start places for the adidas Slopestyle qualification," says event director Mike Hamel. “We know that there is some amazing talent out there. 14 year olds write us that they have built a foam pad in their backyard to practice back flips. We want to give all these young talents a fair chance."

In order to manage the continuously increasing stampede of visitors, Hinterglemm will build a seven level parking garage with a large event surface area submontane Reiterkogel cable car station next year.

For more information, see www.adidas-slopestyle.com.

Barcelona-based Gumersport 2006 MTB roster

By Steve Medcroft

The 2006 roster for the Barcelona based elite MTB team was announced this week. "We created a MTB team with two riders in 2005," says Eduard Aguilera, the team's press contact. "We achieved great results; Carlos Coloma has won the Spanish Cup and is the current National Champion. He also achieved a 10th position at Worlds. He is only 24. Marga Fullana was the other rider. She achieved three 6th positions in a row in World Cups and a bronze medal in the European Championships."

For 2006, the team has added Iván Álvarez. "He was 7th this year at the World Cup in Brazil, won the Spanish Cup in 2004 and was 16th at the Olympics," said Aguilera. "Alvarez is still 23."

Aduilera says the team in negotiating with one additional rider to complete the 2006 roster and will release details soon.

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