Regional News for November 11, 2002

Edited by Jeff Jones and Chris Henry

Colombian going for American continental record

Colombian cyclist Henry Cárdenas is looking to make history, and a mention in the Guinness Book of Records, by becoming the first person to cycle across all the American continents. Cárdenas, 47, has crossed South America, and hopes to finish in Alaska. His journey began in Bogota, and has been taken him through Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil, French Guyana, Surinam, English Guyana, Venezuela and back to Colombia, totaling 37,000 kilometres thus far.

"This is something I have been thinking about for eight years," commented Cárdenas. "I am unmarried and live with my parents and my brothers, who went crazy at first but since have been very supportive."

Cárdenas rides with an eight pound pack on the back of his bike, carrying his tools and necessities for each country visited. "I trained for a long time to prepare for this trip. I ride from 100 to 120 kilometres in the mornings, and use the afternoons to recover."

Upon completion of his quest, Cárdenas plans to return to his job working in a bicycle warehouse in Colombia.

2003 Australian MTB Championships secure funding

The 2003 Australian and Oceania Mountain Bike Championships at Mt Beauty has gained government funding of $20,000. Speaking in Mt Beauty yesterday, Mr Pandazopoulos, the Victorian Minister of Tourism, also announced that, in addition to the $20,000 for the mountain bike race, a $60,000 marketing campaign would raise the awareness of Victoria's adventure tourism business.

"The championships will attract about 800 riders and their families as well as mountain bike enthusiasts from across the country and overseas," said Mr Pandazopoulos.

Urban Polaris hits Canberra

'Bringing mountain bikes to the city' is what the Urban Polaris is all about and after two years in Sydney the event is coming to Canberra on Sunday 17 November as the concluding event of the month-long Canberra Festival of Cycling.

Some 400 riders from will take to the bike paths, forest trails and routes around the national capital to seek out as many of 35 checkpoints as they can in the 7 hours. Checkpoints will be all over the city - in buildings, up hills, houses, deep in the forest. The event centre for the 2002 Urban Polaris is at South Oval, Australian National University (ANU)

The Urban Polaris is the third event of the 2002/2003 Strong Butt League; a group of 4 endurance mountain bike events (including the Canberra based Mont 24Hour) where participants are ranked to find the strongest butts in Australia!

Mike Tomalaris speaks at Canberra Festival of Cycling

As part of the 2002 Canberra Festival of Cycling, Michael Tomalaris of SBS Sport will be guest speaker at a benefit dinner on November 16 to support people in financial need as the result of a severe disability acquired whilst cycling. Tomalaris has covered the Tour de France for SBS since 1996, along with numerous other races. He will share stories with dinner guests from his unique view of the world of cycling.

The dinner will include auctions of cycling memorabilia and other items, door prizes and a presentation of awards for the Strong Butt League of endurance mountain bike events. All proceeds will go to 4Wheels4Sean, a charity established in response to the plight of Canberra cyclist Sean Fitzgerald who became a quadriplegic two years ago.

Tickets are $50 per person - for details about how to book visit www.polarismtb.com.au/4w4s, or contact Huw Kingston at 02 4883 6509 or huw@polarismtb.com.au.

5th Icebike

On February 02, 2003 Woodcock Cycleworks will sponsor the 5th annual Icebike race in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The race takes place on the frozen surface and banks of the Red River near the Forks Marketplace and The Forks Historic site (Parks Canada). Three distance categories will be run with male and female categories. For more information, please contact Rob Nagy at rgnagy@mb.sympatico.ca.

New "Postie Fan Zone" website launches

Founder of the Unofficial Lance Armstrong Fan Club, longtime Cyclingnews reader and cycling "super-fan" Sammarye Lewis has recently launched an unofficial USPS "Postie Fan Zone" website, www.postiefans.com. The ebullient San Jose, CA. resident has traveled the world over to support Lance and USPS and now she's decided to channel her enthusiasm for all things Lance Armstrong and USPS cycling into www.postiefans.com.

"The Postie site just got featured on LA.com and the hits are pounding in," a delighted Lewis told Cyclingnews. Certainly the official USPS Cycling Team site is worth checking (www.uspsprocycling.com), while Sammarye's decidedly unofficial new "Postie Fan Zone" site always has lots of new and updated info, truly befitting the site of a certifiable super-fan.

Dory Selinger program moved

Originally scheduled for November 5, 2002, the NBC Today Show segment on well known handicapped cyclist Dory Selinger has been postponed until November 26. The theme of the show is "Against the Odds" and it will be aired between 7am and 10am on that day.

(All rights reserved/Copyright Knapp Communications Pty Limited 2002)