November 28/02 7:45 am - BC News, University MTBing (Ontario)

Posted by Editor on 11/28/02
 

Cycling BC News - Athletes and Coaches
Courtesy CBC

The High Performance Committee operating under Cycling BC would like to notify Junior Men and Women (Under 24) of the following 2003 Race Projects.

Tour de l'Abitibi, July 21-27
Junior Men (6 riders)
Located in and around the township of Val-d'Or, Quebec, the Tour de L'Abitibi is perhaps the largest and most prestigious Junior Men's stage race in North America. Attracting teams from as far away as Holland and Japan, last year's roster boasted teams from seven countries, five provinces and two states. The eight-stage event covers a prologue, several road races, criterium and even a team time trail.

Columbia Plateau Stage Race, May 2 - 4
Women Under 24 (4 riders)
Known for it's challenging terrain and hot weather, the Columbia Plateau Stage Race, located in northeastern Oregon, is a three-day, four-stage event, unique due to its point-to-point format. Growing yearly, the stage race attracts many of the west coast's best teams.

Selection Events:
Look for selection events and training camp dates to be released in the late winter.

Note: To be eligible, Junior Men must race in Category 3. Women must race in the 1-3 Category.

Points:
Upon release of selection events, points will be distributed to the top ten finishers as follows:
10, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 1

Rider Selection:
Men - 3 based on points, 3 based on High Performance Committee selection
Women - 2 based on points, 2 based on High Performance Committee selection

Questions can be directed to Allan Prazsky, Provincial Coach, at road@cycling.bc.ca or via phone at (604) 737-3137.

Cycling BC will be able to provide partial funding for these projects. The exact amount is yet to be determined. All selected athletes will be informed as budgeting is finalized.


Coaches Needed

The High Performance Committee is calling all licenced certified coaches interested in volunteering for one of the following two projects.

Interested applicants must submit resumes, highlighting coaching experience, team project experience, and NCCP certification level. Resumes can be forwarded to Allan Prazsky, road@cycling.bc.ca prior to December 12th.

The ideal candidates will have several years of related experience in coaching and team building.

All submitted resumes will be reviewed by the High Performance Committee, with hopes to finalize the selection no later than the end of January, allowing selected coaches sufficient opportunity to prepare for selection evaluation, and formalize athlete training programs.

Questions or resumes may be directed to Allan Prazsky, Provincial Coach, via email at road@cycling.bc.ca or (604) 737-3137.


U of T Mountain Bike Team Honoured
Courtesy David Wright

To celebrate the University of Toronto's Mountain Bike Team's 2002 Provincial Championship in the University Cup series, the school had a special banner raising ceremony.

Along with 4 other UofT Varsity teams who also won provincial championship titles the mountain bike team's banner was proudly displayed in the university's athletic centre.

Although not an official OUA sport yet, mountain biking has made an impressive breakthrough on the Ontario University sports scene. Most universities now have mountain bike race clubs and a bid is underway to receive official OUA status. Bruce Kidd, Dean of Athletics at UofT fully supports the team and is pushing for the inclusion of more sports being available to university students.

David Wright, the Chairperson of the Ontario University Mountain Bike Race Council (OUMRC) is confident that the sport will only keep growing and participation is continuing to rise, specifically women in the sport.

Team Captain Antonia Gawel gave a great speech at the ceremony saying that she was very proud of her team-mates and looks forward to next year's season.

More information about the UofT Mountain Bike Team: mtnbike.sa.utoronto.ca