September 26/01 11:34 am - Bessette Update, CC Store, 'Cross, Banquet, XTerra

Posted by Editor on 09/26/01
 

Bessette Update

We reported yesterday that Lyne Bessette has decided to bypass the road worlds, citing fatigue and injury. The announcement caught the CCA (Canadian Cycling Association) by complete surprise - they found out when we called them to ask who the replacement would be!

According to Pierre Hutsebaut (Director of National Racing Programs), at this time there is no automatic replacement for Bessette, and the decision will be based on who is going well in events currently taking place in Europe. If there are no sufficiently significant results then the CCA will not fill the position.

"I have been to the course in Lisbon, and it is very, very hard. Any rider we send will have to be able to climb well and suffer enough to stay with the lead group." says Hutsebaut.


CC Store Specials

We will begin taking orders for the 2001 Mountain Bike World Championships starting tomorrow (September 27th). The cost will be $34.99 (plus shipping and taxes), and delivery will be in time for Christmas.

All Selle Italia saddles will have no shipping charges from now until October 5th - save $6.50!


Cyclo-Cross at Grouse Mountain
Courtesy Josie Heisig, Grouse Mtn

Grouse Mountain is bringing Cyclo-Cross racing back to the North Shore! Cyclists will be tackling a spectator-friendly one-mile circuit filled with a range of terrain including mud pits, steep run ups and pavement. Mandatory barriers are positioned strategically around the circuit and riders must dismount their bikes and carry them over the obstructions. All competitors must have a valid cycling license. One-day licenses will be available at Grouse Mountain. Races will be held October 13 and 20, 2001 at Grouse Mountain Resort.

Registration will be held from 9:00 am - noon on race days at the base of Grouse Mountain.

Race times:

B-race - 11:00 am
A-race - 11:45 am
Provincial Championships (on October 20) - 1:00 pm

Cost:

$15.00/race for Annual Skyride Passholders
$20.00/race for all other competitors
$7.00 - Cycling B.C. Day of License


10th Annual Biker Banquet - Ottawa
Courtesy John Large

Everything is in place for the 10th annual Biker Banquet, Saturday November 3, at Camp Fortune in Chelsea. As usual, you can join over 200 other area cyclists for an evening of great food, wine, a few awards, a special guest speaker and entertainment. This years event marks the 10th year of bringing together cyclists from our varied cycling community for an great evening.

We always incorporate a weekend of fun including a hockey game and this year we are hosting a Halloween Hill Climb ( including a trailer pull!) and a Sunday group ride. For those still keen the OBC runs a cyclocross as well on Sunday. West Quebec Wheeler Social director Julian Hine, will make sure our out of townies are well entertained. Tickets will soon be on sale at area shops or you can contact John Large at bridgap@cyberus.ca for reservations.


Preview of the Track World Championships
Courtesy CCA

Ottawa - Canada is sending a small but strong team to the 2001 track cycling world championships, to be held at the Sportpaleis velodrome in Antwerp, Belgium from September 26 to 30.

Lori-Ann Muenzer from Edmonton, who won a silver medal in the sprint at last year's worlds, leads the four-rider delegation. She will compete in the women's 500 m time trial and the match sprint. Erin Carter (Ste-Anne, MB) will ride the women's 3000 m individual pursuit; Mandy Poitras (Vancouver) will also ride the women's pursuit as well as the points race; and Edmonton's Steen Madsen will compete in the men's match sprint and Keirin.

According to national coach Kurt Innes, Muenzer has improved a lot since last year, particularly her performances in the 500 m time trial, which he describes as "awesome." She has also been honing her tactical skills in the sprint and is coming to the worlds on a high after excellent results in the World Cup final and at the Goodwill Games. The competition at the worlds will be a lot stiffer than last year, however, many riders had missed the worlds because they ended their 2000 season immediately after the Sydney Games.

Another rider who has made strides this season is Mandy Poitras. In the past, she has struggled in points races when the speed is constantly high. "Mandy's done a lot of work on the road to improve her speed," says Innes. "She'll be disappointed with anything but a medal." Poitras has also been performing well in the pursuit, beating Carter on several occasions.

Erin Carter has had a tough season because of health problems, so her form will be tough to predict; it will come down to how she feels on the day of the pursuit. Innes feels that she's a "top-10 long shot."

Canada was awarded a last-minute entry in the men's match sprint and Keirin events, so Steen Madsen was selected to the team. Madsen, who is also Muenzer's personal coach, has had an excellent season to become Canada's dominant sprinter. Now he will have a chance to test himself against the best athletes in the world.

The small size of this year's team is partly due to the budgetary constraints of a post-Olympic year: the team did not travel to enough World Cups to qualify for the worlds in all disciplines. Instead, the main focus of the season was on the Pan American championships and on developing new riders.

The Olympic sprint program is a good example: for the last three years, the three-man team has been composed of the same riders. However, in 2000 their progress reached a plateau, so this year Innes has experimented with new riders like Tyler Hansen from Victoria. With the Athens Olympics three years away, now is the time to make changes, and this has already paid off with an Olympic sprint win at the Pan Am championships.

Canada's quality-over-quantity team at the worlds faces some tough challenges this year. Best of luck to our athletes!

Kris Westwood
CCA Correspondent

Championnats du monde sur piste

Ottawa - Le Canada sera representé par une petite mais forte équipe aux championnats du monde de piste, qui auront lieu du 26 au 30 septembre à Anvers, en Belgique.

La délégation, composée de quatre coureurs, sera menée par Lori-Ann Muenzer de Edmonton, qui a gagné la médaille d'argent en vitesse l'année passée. Elle disputera les 500 mètres contre-la-montre et la vitesse. Erin Carter (Ste-Anne MB) disputera la poursuite individuelle femmes; Mandy Poitras (Vancouver) disputera la poursuite et la course à l'addition femmes; et chez les hommes Steen Madsen (Edmonton) est inscrit à la vitesse et au Keirin.

Selon l'entraîneur national Kurt Innes, Muenzer s'est beaucoup améliorée depuis l'année passée, particulièrement ses performances au 500 m. Elle a aussi travaillé beaucoup sur la tactique pour la vitesse, et arrivera aux championnats en très bonne condition mentale après d'excellentes performances aux Goodwill Games et la finale de la Coupe du monde. Cependant, le niveau de compétition aux championnats sera beaucoup plus élevé qu'il y a un an: beaucoup de coureurs étaient absents car ils ont mis terme à leur saison 2000 après les jeux olympiques à Sydney.

Une autre coureur qui a beaucoup progressé est Mandy Poitras. Dans le passé elle avait souvent eu de la misère dans les courses à l'addition quand le tempo était très élévé. "Cette année, Mandy a beaucoup travaillé sur la route pour améliorer sa vitesse," dit Innes. "Elle sera déçue si elle ne gagne pas une médaille." Poitras réussit également de bonnes performances en poursuite, battant Erin Carter plusieurs fois cette année.

Carter a eu une saison difficile à cause des ennuis de santé. Sa forme sera donc difficile à prédire; son résultat dépendera sur ses sensations le jour de la compétition. Innes pense qu'elle "pourrait viser une place dans les 10 premières."

A la dernière minute le Canada s'est vu accorder une qualification additionelle pour la vitesse masculine et le Keirin. Steen Madsen a été choisi suite à une saison dominante au niveau national. Madsen, qui est également l'entraîneur personnel de Muenzer, aura maintenant l'occasion de se mesurer contre les meilleurs sprinteurs au monde.

La petite taille de l'équipe canadienne cette année est en partie due aux contraintes financières d'une année post-olympique: l'équipe n'a pas voyagé à assez d‚épreuves de la Coupe du monde pour se qualifier dans tous les disciplines. Plutôt, le focus de la saison était le championnat panaméricain et le développement de nouveaux coureurs.

Un bon exemple est le programme de la vitesse olympique. Depuis trois ans, l'équipe était presque toujours composée des trois mêmes coureurs. En 2000, leurs performances ont plafonné, donc cette année Innes a commencé à expérimenter avec d'autres coureurs comme Tyler Hansen de Victoria. A trois ans des jeux d'Athènes, il est l'heure de faire des changements et on voit déjà les retombées: l'équipe de la vitesse olympique a gagné le championnat panaméricain.

Le championnat du monde est un grand défi pour notre petite équipe canadienne. Bonne chance à nos athlètes!


Nissan Xterra USA Championship - Tahoe
Courtesy Andreas Hestler

Call it an off-road triathlon: 1.5 kilometre swim, 34 kilometre mountain biking, 10 kilometre trail running.