Cycling News Extra for August 12, 2004

Edited by John Stevenson

Revisit the Sydney Olympic course

Ride for Life this weekend

By Karen Forman

The peloton rides through Centennial Park early in the 2000 Olympic road race
Photo: © Tom Balks

Athens won't be the only Olympic city hosting a major road racing event this weekend. While the road cycling events at the 2004 Olympics kick off in Greece on Saturday August 14, the site of the Sydney 2000 road race - Centennial Park - will be the venue for a series of races for Olympians, aspiring Olympics and Olympic dreamers, offering a rare opportunity for cyclists of all standards to ride on an Olympic circuit and with some Olympians, while raising money for a cause close to many cyclists' hearts - cancer.

Kicking off near the park's popular Cafe Corner with the masters men's and women's 40km events at 8am, The Ride For Life will also feature an open men's/junior under 19 event from 9.30am, a corporate 20km short course and Family and Friends 10km Race from noon, an under 13, under 11 and under nine 7km handicap from 12.50pm, a corporate 40km long course at 1.15pm and an under 17 men and women 15km at 2.40pm. The event will finish off with Under 15 boys and girls 10km at 3.10pm.

Race director Phill Bates says the program boasts "something for everyone" and provides a rare opportunity for keen cyclists, regular racers and social cyclists to compete on a car-free circuit. The fact that it was a major part of Sydney's Olympics circuit gives it an added attraction.

There will also be plenty to see for people who don't want to ride themselves. Los Angeles Olympics gold medallist Kevin Nichols is sure to attract plenty of spectators when he takes on his national champion daughter, Kate. Nichols has been acting as Kate's assistant for the past couple of years, but told Cyclingnews during a 2003 interview that he didn't think he would get back on the bike again, suggesting his daughter was "too fast for me"! Also in the elite line-up will be Matt Bazzano and his wife Kathleen (nee Shannon), a dual Olympian and now mother of two.

"It's going to be a great day of cycling," Bates said. "And then to top it off, that night we have a dinner at the Randwick Labor Club, at which guests will enjoy a three-course dinner, hear guest speaker Mike Whitney and be able to watch the Olympic road race live on the big screen. We have sold 240 tickets already and there are around 80 left, for $40 each."

Also on course but not riding will be VIPs like Peter Garrett, the local Federal Labor candidate, who will flag the Masters and Women's 40 kilometre race away at 8am. And not on course, but there in spirit will be event ambassador, Athens Olympian Ben Kersten and Patron Mark Latham, the Leader of the Opposition, for whom the cause has special meaning as he has survived testicular cancer.

Money raised from the event (entry is $25) will go to the Prince of Wales Hospital Oncology Department to assist with research and the ongoing fight against cancer. The brainchild of Sydney lawyer Rick Christie who survived testicular cancer, then was inspired after reading Tour de France icon Lance Armstrong's book about his battle with testicular cancer, the event has strong links with Armstrong's Tour of Hope.

All entrants on Saturday will go into a draw to win the chance to ride the Tour of Hope with Armstrong.

With The Trust Company underwriting the entire cost of the event, all money raised will go to charity, a fact of which Bates is extremely proud. "We really want it to go well so we can make it into an annual event," he said. "Cycling Australia is supportive, seeing it as a great way to expand the sport of cycling into other areas; while with cancer affecting so many people, we really want to raise as much money as possible for the hospital as well. Plus, show the riders a good day as well."

While entries have been flowing in, the organisers are still seeking entries from the corporate sector (who can enter as individuals or in corporate teams of three) and younger riders. Pre-entry is preferred, although late entries will be accepted for a fee on the day.

One such corporate team will be accompanying Team MGZT, which is participating in the Ride for Life. The corporate team will comprise three staff members from MG Cars Australia. Cyclingnews readers can support this charity by sponsoring riders from Team MGZT or MG Cars via the team's web site: www.teammgzt.com. Supporters can pledge an amount per lap, for finishing, or a combination of the two, or can make an outright donations.

People interested in taking part or volunteering as a helper on the day can contact Phill Bates (within Australia) on 02 95705556 (mobile 0419127189) or through the hospital on 93822589. Further information can be found at www.rideforlife.org.au.

Surrey League five-day starts tomorrow

Claimed to be Britain's biggest domestic stage race, the Evans Cycles - Surrey League 5 Day kicks off tomorrow, August 13 with a 101 mile circuit race around Surrey's Chobham Common.

The field of 75 riders for this year's event includes the professional Recycling.co.uk-MG X-Power squad as well as teams from Ireland, Jersey and the Isle of Man. Also competing will be some of England's top Elite-category riders, including the best riders from the South-East. An 8-man Evans Cycles team is lead by national elite mountain bike champion Jody Crawforth and last year's sprints jersey winner Justin Hoy, while Prestige VC.com have southern counties champion, Rob Enslin and Scottish international Duncan Urquhart among their number. Also hoping for a slice of the glory is South East Road Race Series leader, John Ibbotson, who has returned to England after a number of years racing professionally in Belgium and Italy.

Meanwhile, Matt Melville, who is fresh home from finishing 4th in last week's Giro dell'Umbria will be looking to defend the king of the mountains jersey which he won in last year's race.

For more information see www.surreyleague.co.uk.

Stages

Stage 1 - August 13: Chobham Common, 101 miles
Stage 2 - August 14: Newdigate, 99.8 miles
Stage 3a - August 15: Goodwood Motor Racing Circuit
Stage 3b - August 15: Goodwood & South Downs circuit
Stage 4 - August 16: Daneshill, 98 miles
Stage 5 - August 17: Crowborough

New Melbourne track ready for Oceanias

by Karen Forman

Ready for the track

While the international focus has been on the against-the-clock development of the facilities for the Athens Olympics in recent months, the 1956 Olympic city of Melbourne, Australia, has been quietly creating a new international facility of its own. With the Athens Olympic Velodrome ready to get a workout in the next few weeks, the new Darebin International Sports Centre on Darebin Rd, Northcote, awaits the building of its track - and a unique track centre - a synthetic indoor lawn bowls rink.

Purpose built with an industrial shed design on the site of the former concrete Northcote outdoor velodrome (demolished two years ago) at a cost of around $8 million, the dual use venue will become the new headquarters of Victorian Cycling (as well as the neighbouring lawn bowls club and the Victorian Junior Soccer Federation) and act as an adjunct to the existing international standard velodrome at Vodafone Arena in inner city Melbourne. Smaller than Vodafone with 500 seats, it will be used as a training venue for riders contesting the Melbourne Commonwealth Games track cycling events at Vodafone next year.

German velodrome architect Ralf Schurmann is expected to start construction mid-September of the 250 metre Baltic pine track (the same material used for the tracks at Vodafone and Sydney's Dunc Gray Velodrome). It will take six to eight weeks to complete the job, and the new complex will be first used for the Oceania Championships December 4 - 5. The majority of the Oceania championships will be held there with some feature events combined on the same weekend with the annual Melbourne Cup on wheels meeting at Vodafone Arena on December 4.

Cyclesport Victoria board member, Barry Langley, said money was originally set aside from the Vodafone project to create a training velodrome in a simple industrial building. But then the project took on bigger proportions, thanks to Melbourne's successful bid for the Commonwealth Games.

"The next door neighbour (to the Northcote site), the Faircote Bowling Club, won the gig as host /main venue for the Commonwealth Games; some more money was put in and the building became a bit flashier and will have administration offices for the bowls club, Victorian Cycling and the Victorian junior soccer federation," he said. "A unique feature is the seating on the outside wall for bowls. All in all it's a dual purpose structure and everyone is really excited that it's almost complete."

Langley said the venue would be a great asset for Victorian cycling clubs. "Vodafone will still be used for major promotions as DISC has only seating for 500 at the moment and that makes it unviable to recoup costs through ticket sales," he said.

"It will be used for club and group racing and training similar to the current use of Dunc Gray. Some clubs are already planning and booking time at the new venue for their members and will also be used extensively by the VIS. Being indoor and using available light, it will be a low cost facility for all year cycling. The lights are also very economical for night time use."

"We are very grateful to the generosity of the Darebin City Council and the Victorian government for making it possible."

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