Latest Cycling News for March 28, 2005

Edited by Hedwig Kröner

World Championships conclude in Los Angeles

Great Britain Rides to Fourth World Title, Aussies Medal Haul Ends at Nine

Team Great Britain
Photo ©: Mitch Friedman

The 2005 UCI Track Cycling World Championships concluded Sunday as Australia bagged another two medals to maintain their stronghold on the medal count and close the games as the most highly decorated nation at the annual crown jewel of nternational level track cycling competition. Kate Bates snagged her second silver medal of the weekend with a strong ride in the women's scratch race and Jobie Dajka rode to a bronze in the men's sprint to bring the Aussie medal total to nine.

In terms of world championships though, it was Great Britain who took home the most with four world titles, adding another one today in the men's Madison event courtesy of Robert Hayles and Mark Cabendish. Also, the consistent and well-rounded Dutch squad earned another two medals in the final day of racing thanks to Robert Slippens and Danny Stam in the Madison and sprinter Yvonne Hijgenaar in the women's keirin.

As host country for the first time in 19 years, the United States came away from the 2005 world championships without a medal despite a handful of opportunities on Sunday. Jennie Reed (Kirkland, Was.) made the finals in the keirin but finished sixth, the best finish for the U.S. squad in an otherwise modest overall performance.

More Track World's coverage

Day 4 wrap & photos
Women's keirin
Men's sprint
Women's scratch race
Men's Madison
Photos

Cyclones top medal tally

The women's scratch podium
Photo ©: Mitch Friedman

The Cyclones have topped the medal tally at the Los Angeles Track Cycling World Championships finishing the four day event with one gold, three silver and five bronze for a total of nine medals. Day Four of competition saw Kate Bates, 22, claim silver in the scratch race to add to her points race bronze and individual pursuit silver, while Jobie Dajka, 23, clinched bronze in the men's sprint. Although it won the most medals, the Australian performance ranked it fourth on the medal table behind Great Britain (4, 1 and 1), the Netherlands (2, 3 and 3) and Germany (2, 0 and 1) and has been greeted as a major success for the cycling program in the first year of the new four year development cycle.

"We're very pleased because we came here with not very high expectations," said Australian Head Coach, Shayne Bannan. "The aim was to experiment and develop riders using different strategies towards the next four years and Beijing. If you look at this 2005 performance compared with 2001 (one gold and two silver medals) it's a very healthy situation," said Bannan, who believes the whole team deserves credit for the Los Angeles success. "The whole team in general has been a standout with their attitude and commitment," he added.

Several of the 'big guns' of Australian sport were not in Los Angeles due to either injury or professional road cycling commitments and Bannan believes what was achieved in their absence puts Australia in an ideal position heading into the Melbourne Commonwealth Games. "We may gain some of our more experienced riders and along with the young group we used here we are pretty much on target to achieve in Melbourne what we achieved in Manchester," said Bannan. In Manchester, Australia claimed ten gold, seven silver and six bronze medals to crush their rivals but cyclists from Great Britain have now earned their stripes on the international stage.

"We're in the situation again where we are the hunter and it gives us extra motivation," said Bannan. "That's when 'Aussies' perform at our best and going into Manchester you wouldn't have considered us a favourite which may be the case again going into Melbourne. We would expect to have close to our best team for Melbourne but it depends on the availability of some of our pro riders," he added. "But it's important that here we've exposed a young group to the top level and even if the pros are not available, I still feel we have enough depth to be very good."

Kate Bates did everything right in the final of the women's 10 km scratch race attacking with three laps to go but couldn't hold off Russian juggernaut Olga Slyusareva, 35, in the final metres. "I can't be disappointed because the only way I was going to win that was to go from the front and the race plan went perfectly," said Bates. "But she was just better, not by a little bit but by a couple of lengths so I'm happy. I've gained a lot of confidence and know I'm getting where I want to be and where I can be," she added. "(Although I'm) slightly frustrated that it's three minor medals and I'd trade them any day for one gold."

But Bates also recognises that her choice to contest three events rather than specialise in either pursuit or points/scratch races puts her at a slight disadvantage. "That's my choice and we'll see how it goes in the next few years and maybe I'll make some compromises to try and get one of those stripy jerseys (World Champion's rainbow striped jersey)," said Bates who heads to Europe in a few days to rejoin the Ton Van Bemmelen professional road team for next weekend's fifth round of the road World Cup in Belgium.

Jobie Dajka (Australia)
Photo ©: Matthew Moses

Adelaide's Jobie Dajka scored Australia's final medal of the Championships when he defeated Frenchman Grégory Bauge in two straight heats in their best of three races for the bronze medal. It was a race for the battle scarred with Dajka feeling the effects of his spectacular crash in the keirin two days ago and his French rival sporting fresh injuries from a major crash in his semi final defeat to countryman Mickaël Bourgain. "I always expect the best out of someone so I wasn't surprised to see him back on his bike," said Dajka after his victory. "I just raced him the way I usually would and came out on top - sporting some scars of my own as well but that's racing; sometimes it's good luck and sometimes bad luck so I'm just happy to come away with something.

"It's always disappointing not to finish on top but this year the goal was just to put my face back on the map and I think I've been able to do that," Dajka added. "Now I'll have a couple of weeks off and then get back on track for the Commonwealth Games."

Shooting for much more

An interview with Juan Antonio Flecha

Confirmation for Flecha
Photo ©: Sirotti

Juan Antonio Flecha is a man that seems to just keep growing in his sporting career. His triumphs in Zurich and the Giro de Lazio last year prove that's the case, and his stage victory in the 2003 Tour de France is by no means going to be his only one - 'the Arrow' [his surname means 'arrow' in Spanish] is going back for more. His biggest challenges are the classics in Belgium: the Tour de Flanders and Paris-Roubaix take prime positions in his personal calendar.

Cyclingnews Hernan Alvarez Macias contacted him at his home in Sitges, Catalonia, in north east Spain, to see how 2005 has treated him so far, and what he thinks his chances are in the year ahead.

Cyclingnews: How was Paris-Nice for you?

Juan Antonio Flecha: Fine, except the last two days when I felt bad. In fact, the last day I had fever and I vomited at night. Today [March 15] I didn't train either. I think I've got a virus, some stomach virus. During the last few days [of Paris-Nice] I felt very bad. I suffered a lot, and on the day of the second stage I felt like vomiting - the same day in the airport I had fever, I was actually physically sick.

Click here for the full interview.

Julich scores second victory 2005

Team CSC's Bobby Julich took the overall victory in Criterium International after winning the decisive time trial, dominated by his team CSC, with teammates Jens Voigt and Kurt-Asle Arvesen placing second and third. "It was as if my legs did all the work by themselves in the time trial," Julich said. "I could feel it was my day, even though the course was quite difficult due to the rain," he added, feeling very happy for his recent successes.

"It's as if I'm riding a wave after Paris-Nice, and I really feel I have the opportunity to make up for the years, when nothing was going right for me. This proves, you have to stay focused. Bjarne has given me confidence, and also I'm part of a team, which is like one big family. I couldn't ask for anything more," he explained.

Team manager Bjarne Riis was also very satisfied with the achievements of his riders, which proved his training methods right. "Just like Paris-Nice, the Critérium International has been a big goal for us, and today was a fantastic culmination," Riis said after Julich's win in Northern France. "This morning the team worked perfectly together, and then Bobby put the icing on the cake with a super time trial. I'm very happy on his behalf and also very proud of the team being so outstanding in the time trial. It comes as no surprise to me, and it promises well for the oncoming tasks," he added.

USA Cycling hires West

By Eddie Monnier

While US juniors performed admirably taking three medals at Junior Worlds this past summer, the Elite Worlds have not gone well for the US. Cyclingnews had an opportunity to speak for a few minutes with Gerard Bisceglia, CEO of USA Cycling. When asked about his thoughts on the host country's results, he responded, "Right off the bat, it's time to announce we've hired Gary West, one of the top coaches in the world, responsible for making the Australian sprint program what it is today... He was there at the beginning, and he's done a wonderful job in Japan the last few years to bring that program back to a respectable level." West will oversee the US sprint program and work closely along side Pat McDonough, Director of Track Cycling.

"We're proud people," Bisceglia added. "It's disappointing to perform as poorly as we have when worlds are on foreign soil, but when it's in our own country, right here at home, it's embarrassing."

USA Cycling is especially looking to improve its women's track program. "I think of track cycling along four components: Sprint, Endurance, Men and Women. Our best opportunity for immediate results is women's endurance," Bisceglia said. "As far as women's sprint go, we have a university here where this track is located, with 20,000 students, of which 70 percent are women. We need to tap into that market."

Another key issue of US Track Cycling is its development program. "Marty Nothstein is finishing his incredible career today. It's sad when two of our oldest riders, ready to retire, are still our best. We don't have any stock to replenish from. We have some good riders, but not enough. We need more riders to push each other," explained Bisceglia.

And while West and McDonugh have their work cut out for them, there's only one way to go - and that's up the rankings.

Boomerang in Mt Beauty

The 'Adventure Travel Company Boomerang' kicks off for the third time this weekend (April 2-3) in Mt Beauty, Victoria, Australia. The Boomerang is two bike races, a five stage road race and a five stage MTB race that come together for the 5th stage, a 50 metre knockout sprint. Team entries are encouraged, and as all stages are short (the road race in total is 75 km) the Boomerang is ideal for riders of all levels.

As the name indicates, all stages start and return to Mt Beauty. There are excellent prizes and a pasta party is held on the Saturday evening where guests Phil Anderson and Anna Millward talk all things cycling. At the moment, 35 women cyclicsts have already entered.

For more information contact race director David Olle, on 0415 866 061 or visit www.topbike.com.au/atb_home.htm.

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