February 16/98 18:48 pm - BC News, Advocacy, Euro Results

Posted by Editor on 02/16/98
 

Burnaby Track League, B.C.  BVC Wednesday Night Track League (courtesy Chester Lam)  Points are given 3,2,1 for the top 3 placings of each individual event.   February 11, 1998  Group B:  1. 20-lap scratch  1st - David F. (5:46.16, 15.17) 2nd - Ken Cunningham 3rd - Ian Manson  2. Devil  1st - Paul Manson 2nd - Chris Mckay 3rd - Ken Cunningham  3. Sprints  1st - Ken Cunningham (14.87) 2nd - Chris McKay   Group A:  1. 30-lap scratch  1st - Murray Solem (7:54.94, 13.26) 2nd - Alain Boucher 3rd - Paul Henderson 4th - Lido Crema  2. Devil  1st - Paul Henderson 2nd - Murray Solem 3rd - Chester Lam  3. Sprints  1st - Murray Solem 2nd - Randy Cunningham 3rd - Jim Moore  4. 50-lap madison  1st - Randy Cunningham / Lido Crema (14:06.3) 2nd - Murray Solem / Keith Bruneau 3rd - Chester Lam / Jim Moore (-1 lap)   Overal Standings:  Group A  1. Murray Solem 10 pts 2. Randy Cunningham 5 pts 3. Paul Henderson 4 pts 4. Lido Crema 3 pts 5. Alain Boucher 2 pts Jim Moore 2 pts Keith Bruneau 2 pts Chester Lam 2 pts  Group B   1. Ken Cunningham 5 pts 2. David F. 3 pts Chris Mckay 3 pts Paul Manson 3 pts 5. Ian Manson 1 pt   Advocacy News (courtesy Bicycle News Agency)  By Will Bramhill BNA's UK Correspondent  US CYCLING DOUBLES While Britain seemingly struggles to double cycle use by 2002, the USA is celebrating news that the number of cycle commuters is up from 3.3 million in 1990 to 7.9 million now. A Bicycling magazine survey is said to have found that if conditions improve, 29.9 million would bike-commute. Apparently the average US bike commuter is passionate about cycling, male, aged 39, college educated, owns several bikes and earns $62,000 a year.   HOMES WITH BUILT IN BIKES Homebuilder Sapcote is to put a bike pool into its next two developments. The first scheme, the Paragon, off New Kent Road in London, will feature a lock-up of 15 bikes which will be allocated for the day or weekend by the building's caretaker. Company boss Stewart Sapcote said he was keen to discourage use of the car for short trips, and the Paragon was just a few minutes bike ride from Tower Bridge and the City.   ROYAL MAIL BIKES The Royal Mail is, at long last, testing a Brox, a four wheel cargo cycle with excellent qualities. Since then, the =A32,000 machine has been developed and toughened up for heavy commercial use, and the result is the test in Ferndown, Dorset in the UK. (For those who don't know about the Brox, the invention of Mancunian Rob Brock, it has four independently-sprung wheels, hydraulic disc brakes, seven gears and can carry up to a quarter of a ton. It climbs hills and kerbs with ease and switches to become a trolley in pedestrian areas.)  The verdict so far? Postman Alan Woodcock likes it and he is regularly stopped by curious passersby and residents on his round. His boss, Eric Burge, said: "The Brox could be used in some areas but it's too early to say if we'll equip other staff with it."   I RESOLVED... TO GET ON MY BIKE! Now is the time of the New Year when that well-intentioned resolution to get a little bit fitter is starting to slip. It doesn't have to be that way.  So if you're teetering on the edge of taking up cycling for fitness, chew these facts: If you're a couch potato, taking up bike can increase your life by up to five years. An hour cycling can help you burn up anything between 150 and 650 extra calories, but don't be tempted by the tea and bun shops on the way.  Cycling at least 20 miles a week can reduce the risk of heart disease to less than half that for less active people, and you can do 1,600 miles on the food energy equivalent of a gallon of petrol.  Finally, if you do like the gym or swimming, think about going by bike instead of the car, you'll do yourself the world of good. The beauty of cycling is that you can fit it into your everyday life ... you don't have to make that much of a special effort.  THE BICYCLE NEWS AGENCY / Bikenews@cycling.org  Editor, Ernst Poulsen E-mail: ernst@inet.uni2.dk  All articles are the copyright of both The Bicycle News Agency and the individual authors.   NEWS RELEASE (Editor‚s note: This is the Œofficial‚ announcement)  WORLD‚S TOP CYCLISTS TO COMPETE IN VICTORIA THIS SPRING AT WORLD CUP OF TRACK CYCLING  Victoria, BC (February 12, 1998) - The CCSD National Cycling Centre, part of the Commonwealth Centre for Sport Development, has accepted an invitation by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) to host a stop on the 1998 World Cup of Track Cycling Series, the largest event of its kind on the international cycling calendar.  The dates for this World Cup event - the only one kind this year in North America - are May 27-29th, 1998. This international event will be the first of a three-commitment to the UCI to host a world cup event in Victoria.  „I am pleased, but not surprised, that the Greater Victoria area and the CCSD National Cycling Centre set the foundation for accommodating this World Cup event with such short notice,‰ said Tanya Dubnicoff, a member of the Canadian National Cycling Team and 1994 Commonwealth Games gold medallist. „I know the potential of this velodrome and I look forward to competing once again before a Canadian crowd - so mark your calendar and get ready to witness track cycling at its ultimate level.‰  The Canadian Cycling Association (CCA) offered the CCSD National Cycling Centre the opportunity to host a World Cup event in 1999, but due to the withdrawal of the 1998 World Cup Organizing Committee in Indianapolis, USA, the UCI invited the CCA to host the event one year earlier.   „Victoria is fast becoming a hotbed of cycling activity and bringing top international cyclists to Canada was a long-term goal which has been realised sooner than anticipated,‰ said Ken Shields, President of Commonwealth Centre for Sport Development. „We‚re committed to hosting the finest event possible and are confident that with all of the organizing partners already on board that we are on schedule for this spring.  The prestigious event will be hosted in conjunction with the Greater Victoria Velodrome Association, with assistance from the Victoria International Bicycle Race Society. It is anticipated the three-day event will be held in close concert with already established cycling events in Victoria, namely the 7th annual Bastion Square Grand Prix and the 3rd annual Mt. Tolmie Road Race, scheduled for May 30-31, 1998.   „This is a terrific opportunity for track cycling in Canada,‰ said Pierre Hutsebaut, Director of National Racing Programs for the Canadian Cycling Association. „If there is any hosting group which can deliver such an event under tight timelines, we believe it is our partnership at the CCSD National Cycling Centre.‰  Other World Cup stops include Cali, COL, May 22-24; Berlin, GER, June 5-7, Milan ITA, June 12-14. The World Junior Championships will be held In Havana, CUB July 15-19 and the World Championships in Bordeaux, FRA, August 26-30.   Track cycling fans will have three opportunities to witness fast-paced competition at the Juan de Fuca Velodrome in 1998. In addition to the World Cup in May, the BC Provincial Championships will be held July 4-5, and the Tim Hortons National Championships will be held July 24-26.   The CCSD National Cycling Centre is the training headquarters for the Canadian National Cycling Team and hub of a series of national, provincial and community programs. National coach Yury Kashirin is the Head Coach and Director of the Centre.  The Centre is a partnership between the Canadian Cycling Association, Cycling BC, the Greater Victoria Velodrome Association, the Victoria International Bicycle Race Society and the Commonwealth Centre for Sport Development. It is part of the Commonwealth Centre‚s series of national „line‰ centres, created out of the legacy of the XV Commonwealth Games.   Ruta del Sol, Spain  Stage 1 - Seville to Seville, 157.8 kms  1. Robbie McEwen (Aus) Rabobank 4:02:42 2. Leon Van Bon (Ned) Rabobank 3. George Hincapie (USA) US Postal 4. Jeremy Hunt (GB) Banesto 5. Tom Steels (Bel) Mapei-Bricobi all s.t.  58. Lance Armstrong (USA) US Postal s.t.  Stage 2 - Seville to Malaga, 216 km  1. Tom Steels (Bel) Mapei-Bricobi 5:34:17  GC  1. Robbie McEwen (Aus) Rabobank 9:33::59    Tour of the Mediterranean, France  Stage 6 - Le Grau-du-Roi to Marseille, 135 kms  1. Michele Bartoli (Ita) Asics 3:16:36 2. Fabio Baldato (Ita) Riso Scotti at 0:01 3. Francesco Casagrande (Ita) Cofidis 0:03 4. Mirko Celestino (Ita) Polti 0:04 5. Rodolfo Massi (Ita) Casino 0:07  Final GC  1. Rodolfo Massi (Ita) Casino 15:39:25 2. Bo Hamburger (Den) Casino at 0:50 3. Richard Virenque (Fra) Festina 0:58 4. Patrick Jonker (Ned) Rabobank 1:52 5. Bartoli 1:59  Points Jersey - Bartoli 52 points  Mountain Jersey - Pascal Chanteur (Fra) Casino 34 points   Amusing Tidbit  We aren‚t sure whether to be flattered or annoyed - a writer for one of our print competitors telephoned our office asking for „info on women‚s cycling‰, so that he could write a story!   Teams  We are still gathering team info, and have decided that we will publish a complete list of the team info that we receive by February 23rd. So get your team in by e-mailing the team name, sponsors, riders (with ages) and focus (road, mountain, etc.) to us ASAP!   Survey  We will be ending the CC website survey soon, but we still want to hear what you have to say - so go to the Website Survey. The information that we are gathering from the survey is extremely helpful in fine-tuning the site. So, if you have filled out the survey, thanks - and if you haven‚t, we would appreciate it if you could take just a minute to do so.   Classifieds  We know - we are behind in posting the new Classifieds that have been coming in... But if you check Classifieds now you will see that it has been updated today.