July 10/01 3:59 am - Shep Report, Track Nats Commentary, Hamilton Classic (Ontario)

Posted by Editor on 07/10/01
 

Shep Report

Weeks are rolling by as they usually do when you're spending some time at home. Unfortunately life here resembles a nan bread in an indian clay oven. Too hot. Park City had both highs and lows. Lack of those winter miles has made it difficult to understand what kind of form I'm in. That's racing though. Cross country punched my legs hard and most others. Ryder and Cadel pummelled each other for the duration of the race with dry taking the gig. Shamoe rode steady eddy and finished it off with an eighth. Bloody altitude. I was in the smoking section for much of the race then started a move forward in my mind and heart but the legs didn't want to come along for the ride! Damn it.

Short track day featured dry dusty conditions from the previous day plus the added bonus of cement. Due to my flat at the last round I had the great start position in and around the sixth row. Wasn't looking forward to the battle amongst the ranks. Started hard and elbowed my way Canuck-style into the top twenty on the first lap. The front was being pushed by Ryder, Kona crew and the polo shirts. Shamoe went down on the third corner hopped onto the stead and pursued the lot. Laps fell by and the lead group slowly reeled away. I chased hard and eventually found myself in the lead driving spot in a desperate attempt to reach the front five. Veggie mite crashed on the transition to pavement and so left me solo to chase. Died a thousand deaths and bridged the gap but clung on by a small thread. Carl saw the knackered look on my face and launched up the side.....wedgy followed at the same moment kabusher also countered.....the crash looked like it hurt as I bunny hopped Jeff's bike while they were intertwined with pavement rocks, spokes, gel and dust. Damn! Four crashes witnessed by me! Wedge gets the "I'm at tough cod fisherman from the maritimes" Award because he finished off the race in 7th with a broken wrist. (he must have a strong wrist). Kabush in 6th. Dre was nipping at the heals of the now group of 4 but went down in the same spot as Mick Rowney (bad luck bad corner). With three to go Carl went hard which I though was going to stick but he came back with two. JHK rocketed by his team mate in a well timed counter but dry ryder would have none of it. I sat on ryder's wheel and after the bridge was pretty much hoping for a blown corner or a flat. Ryder went with under a lap to go and I followed only to get even with Jeremy but not get by him.....third for me love the podium. Ryder the double win and JHK in second.

Grouse mtn world cup
As close to home as the world cup will ever get. Course featured a ton of single track, nutty steep climbs, and bumps that made the cheeks swell as if a couple of catholic priests had paddled it. First two corners were more like a WWF match as the riders elbowed, pushed, tire buzzed or swore their way into single file. Upon entering the single track most took numbers while the front accelerated away. Rollie drove the cart mule and decided solo was the best way as he cruised off of the front wile feeding from the crowd's cheers. Many would chase including little mig, cadel, christophe,etc.....one would catch him. I worked into a comfortable position after the start but have to admit I was never that comfortable! Rolland built his lead to 1:15 but suffered the cruellest act.... a flat. Off the bike fixed it but in the meantime christophe passed him. Rollie worked in vain to catch on but came up just 12 seconds short. His heart and all the canuck fans' broke during that 12 seconds. Seamus yo-yo'd through the teens and ended up 18th, Kabush cruised up the totem pole and ended up 7th. Chicken dropped by last minute as did his bike. stayed in there for the points back to Europe to start a five day road race tomorrow! Damn. The big surprise (not really) was dry ryder accelerating his exoskeleton into the top five and then sprinting mig for fourth! Unreal. Shamoe sprinted it out with Tinker in the end and I sprinted around the track in search of form. Faded last two laps ended with a 32nd. Better than the last cross country and it's up from here. Next stop is Durango, Co for a time trial and a cross country race. Hope the dice roll my way.


Track Nationals Commentary
Mark Connolly - CBC Sports

The Tim Horton's National Track Championships were a great success this weekend on many fronts and fell short on a couple of others. The performances of the athletes, organization of the event and the weather were all perfect. The disemination of results left alot to be desired.

On the track Steen Madsen of the host Juventus club showed he is a world class competitor. He set a new track record in the flying 200 m with a time of 10.48 seconds in windy conditions. He broke the old mark set by Alex Ongaro in 1986. Madsen went on to win the Sprint competition and the Keirin. National team coach Kurt Innes says "He's world class, doing top eight times in the world right now. He's over-exceeding our expectations right now".

Madson will be heading to the World Cup in Mexico City in August along with training partner Lori-Ann Muenzer and Mandy Poitras. Muenzer is in a class all by herself right now in Canadian women's sprinting. She easily won the 500 ITT and the women's sprint competition.

Poitras beat out fellow national team member Erin Carter in the Sr. women's pursuit final. She's currently competing with the road team 800.com but says the track remains her priority and hopes to earn a berth in the world championships in Belgium this fall. Poitras couldn't defend her points race championship as Toronto's Julia Bradley sprinted away from the pack and lapped the field to win gold.

A larger group of riders will be heading to the Pan Am championships August 20-26. A victory there is an automatic berth in the worlds. Steen Madsen, Lars Madsen, Doug Baron and Jim Fisher, who just missed setting a track record in the men's Kilo, will be joined by Erin Carter and Mark Ernsting for the Pan Ams. Another rider will be named to join Ernsting for the Madison.

Heading to the World Junior championships are Ryan McKenzie, Nick Corcoran, Cameron Mackinnon and Laura Yoisten, all of Calgary, along with Cameron Evans of Delta, B.C., and Cynthia Beaulieu of Windsor, Ontario. Those championships will be in Allentown, Pennsylvania July 25-29th.

The organizers had a dispute with their webmaster which scuttled their plans to post results as they happened. Full reporting on the event would have gone a long way to spreading the gospel of track cycling. When people accross the country can't get results in a timely fashion, it hurts the sport. The CCA and event organizers must address this in the future and make it a priority.


Hamilton 2001 Classic - Ontario Provincial Criterium Championship
Courtesy Keith Peck

Sunday, July 15th, 2001. 11am to 6pm

Start and Finish in front of Hamilton City Hall. The course is 1.2km per lap, with a slight rise at 0.7km.

Category	Start	Distance	Laps	Entry Fee
Cadet Men	11:30	40km	34	$15.00
Master B,C,D Men	11:30	40km	34	$25.00
Master A Men	1:00	40km	34	$25.00
Junior Men	2:15	40km	34	$25.00
Senior 3 Men	2:15	40km	34	$25.00
Jr. & Sr. Women	3:30	40km	34	$25.00
Senior 1, 2 Men	4:45	60km	50	$25.00

Registration closes 15 minutes before race begins. Ten lap citizen race will be held at 10:30am.

Directions: From Hwy. 403, take Main Street East exit, continue for 2.5km. City Hall will be your right side, on the corner of Main and Bay Street. Parking available behind or across from City Hall.

Presented by: Hamilton 2003 World Cycling Championships Committee, Hamilton C.C., and Ziggy's Cycle and Sport.

For more information contact:
Hamilton - Brian Chewter (905) 522-8445
Hamilton - Michael Szelag (905) 387-4176
Mississauga - Rob Chesky (905) 878-3971
Ancaster - Anton Pkas (905) 648-6143
Kitchener - Ziggy Martuzalski (519) 893-2963

 

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