August 23/97 8:47 am - Road World Qualifications, Ontario MTB Provincials

Posted by Editor on 08/23/97
 

Qualifications for Road World Championships

Below are the listings for countries that have qualified for the Road World Championships (in San Sebastien, Spain), and the indivivdual riders from other countries who currently meet the selection criteria. briefly, the criteria are:

top 10 countries in UCI rankings get to send 12 riders each.

the next 5 countries get to send 8 riders each.

the next 40 riders on UCI rankings (not citizens of countries already selected) are eligible- their country then decides if it wants to send them.

Of the 4 Canadians eligible, Brian Walton has already indicated to the Canadian Cycling Association that he will not attend the Road Worlds (he is going to the Track Worlds in Australia, and then staying Down Under for the Tour of the Sun). The CCA will make a decision on who they will fund by the end of August.

Participation in the Men's Elite individual road race (according with article 9.2.010 of the UCI regulation)

1. Countries automatically qualified

Countries

1. Italy
2. France
3. Switzerland
4. Spain
5. Belgium* 18 entered of which 12 starters
6. Germany
7. Russia
8. Denmark
9. Netherlands
10. Australia
11. Ukraine
12. Great-Britain
13. United States* 14 entered of which 8 starters
14. Colombia
15. Poland

*Belgium will also be able to enter the outgoing World Champion Johan MUSEEUW

2. List of Canadian riders qualified on the basis of the UCI rankings

Name

ANAND, Mat
LUKASZEWICZ, Czeslaw
WALTON, Brian
WOHLBERG, Eric


Ontario Mountain Bike Provincials

We are up at the Mansfield Outdoor Centre (Airport road, an hour north of Toronto Airport)for the Ontario provincials this weekend. The event is organized by W.O.W. Ltd. (our Tech Editor) and we have been roped in for grunt work (after this posting I'm off to set up the Dual Slalom gates). So no hobnobbing with the stars this weekend! On the other hand, this is where the future stars get their starts, so if you want to see racing at its grassroots best, come on up for the day. Today is the downhill and the Dual Slalom, with the Cross-country tomorrow (you can still get a one-day licence today for tomorrow's race). Right now the riders have started their downhill practice runs, and the racing will start at noon. The concensus is that the course is very tough - a mixture of rock-strewn singletrack and open grassy slopes (treacherous now that they are wet). The course is approximately 1 kilometre long, 120 metres of vertical drop. Riders are saying that spikes are mandatory if you expect to do well. Later this afternoon (3:00 pm) the Dual Slalom gets underway.