Bugger, must be down to what is described in NZ as "Blenheimer's disease" (Blenheimer = medium white wine in a box, the biggest selling wine in NZ in 1979.)

The Swiss are clever with choccie and folding knives and multi-tools. They aren't quite as good with cyclists, and their recent record with pro teams is not so good.

Good:

Chocolate
Money
Picturesque countryside
Skiiing
Bike racers
Tennis players (well....one male player)
pocket knives
enormous trumpets
timepieces


Bad:

Taxes
Nazi gold
Farmer's subsidies
immigration policies
football teams

Martina Hingis wasn't bad at tennis either (when she served overarm that is.)

not bad on the eye, either. Marrying Radek Stepanek, I hear.

I see the old bugger is still at it...

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/20...n/DSC_8445.jpg

Someone shut him up. He thinks hes Pavarotti. At least he doesn't have his guitar.

crikey! Is that Danny Clark?
Someone finally convinced him to remove the moustacha

or singing in sweat-soaked skinsuit and Sidis after winning a derny race....

Yeah, well pull my finger.

Just watched 'Top Gun'. Gayest movie ever.

I assume this isn't the first time you've seen it and therefore you knew how gay it was before you watched it. My theory is that you either like gay movies or are too lazy to change the channel or both.

LOL.

Australian TV is a wasteland, you should know that. I'd actually forgotten quite how gay Top Gun was until I saw it again tonight. My missus actually snorted laughing at the volleyball scene. And yes, I am a lazy bastard.:D

Foxtel is a wasteland with more channels IMO. Normally there is at least one show worth watching (SBS or ABC) but there was bugger all tonight.

Poms have been terrible. I was looking at the Age website earlier. Geoff Lawson reckons Cricket Aust will be pissed off as the Poms poor showing and matches ending early may cost them $4M. Dunno where he pulled that number from, either his arse or someone at CA or channel 9. In any case, I'm not too fussed as I'm not a huge cricket fan. Just don't like being beaten by the Poms.

Are you going to check out any of the Bay Series races next week or the Aussie Road titles at Bunninyong (near Ballarat)?

I'm heading up to bunningyong, taking the BBQ and sitting up on the hill. Good day out IMO.

ANy excuse I get to post this :p

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwcDC...elated&search=

Walker won the race but could only claim the U23 title. Russell Van Hout came third in the race but as first Elite rider is currently Elite Aust champ. Another Cycling Australia cockup.

It's been held in SA for a couple of years but is back at Bunninyong, where it was held previously. Before that it was at Portarlington. Both Victorian circuits are good hard courses IMO, though Bunningyong is a bit of a ballbiter. Very tough climb each lap.

Its normally 200km or thereabouts. You'd at least have to hold an Elite licence to enter, possibly even an international licence. I'm not sure there is a qualification standard. The Cycling Australia Website would say. Once upon a time there were seperate Pro and amatuer championships. Any pro could ride the pro event but you had to be selected by your state federation to ride the amatuers.

I know exactly how you feel about not wanting ot race until you can smash everyone, but surely you're not thinking of winning the Aus title in one of your first races! :) Having said that, that's almost the sort of thing LeMond and Merckx used to do.

I spent the summer of '85/'86 hiding in the bushes (virtually) with my stopwatch at the Carnegie Velodrome, obviously timing all the racing and training, then busted my balls during the winter of '86 until I knew I'd be reasonable. When I rocked up to the first few scratch races and criteriums, I quickly realised it didn't necessarily matter if I was the strongest guy in B-grade.

yeah, us 3 will start a club. Three in a bunch is about the size I like :)


I guess I'm saying (above) that tactics during flats races, and particularly criteriums, are a huge eye-opener, and it's usually the smartest guy, with a fair sprint, lots of friends, and lots of guts who wins. All sorts of crap goes on in criteriums, with guys ganging up on other guys, blocking their attacks, etc. If you rock up as strong as a on ox, with with shoes and a rainbow jersey, I guarantee you'll be in for the full treatment.

Maybe you'd prefer the winter road season. I reckon I would: less sprinting out of corners, etc.
The nationals are held at the end of the raod season, anyway.

I strongly recommend you race before you get your arse handed to you in something like the warny. You will need to learn some race craft. Racing at 55km/h in crosswinds with some of Australias top riders out the back of Werribee is not the place to be learning. They'll have no qualms about running you into the dirt if you even look like getting in the way. Even learning in training bunches isn't enough, things happen much quicker in races.

Don't take this the wrong way - I know you have competed as an 'Elite' athlete before and I truly respect it (not to many on this forum have competed at an equivalent level)- but you need to be a bit humble and crawl before you can run. Its not all about brawn. Cycling is a very subtle, skillful and tactical sport, is extremely tough and competitive at the higher levels and can be dangerous if you can't handle your bike with the big boys. Go and watch one of the Bay series races or the Aust champs in the flesh - you'll see what I mean.

man, I still remember the lap times. :)



I think you have to be a member of a club, etc, etc, but that doesn't meant to have to do club races every week.

One notable "beginner" on the local scene in recent years was this guy, Julian Dutton.
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...ng_en%26sa%3DG

He was a rower who was only riding for a year, came to the group rides and smashed most of us, immediately did well in the local races, then came 7th in the Aus TT this year (then he quit, but that's another story that I haven't found out yet) -- admittedly in the absence of the overseas guys, but still..........and the course didn't suit him

Ride the 10 crits. For new riders if they learn ONE new thing every race they are doing very well. Its easier to conceptualise things you have been told when you see it or put it into practice during races What I'm saying is the more you race the more you learn.

You see it with footy. Gun players instinctively know what to do. Most others will be told by the coach what to do but have to learn from mistakes made on field before they grasp the concept.

Yes

I advise you not to ride any races between now and the Warny, to train in the middle lane on the Monash freeway, to call out Jobie Daijka as a drunken nutcase if you ever see him and to front up at your first race wearing a rainbow jersey.

Hopefully you will now do the opposite of everything I've said.

(Shaking head from side to side)

Competition improves the breed. Farkin race as much as you can.

don't get me started on chick sports! How big is the talent pool! :p Some people talk about Laine Beachley being our best ever sportsperson, but fairdinkum, how big the talent pool in women's surfing??!!



It's hard to say. According to this, Indurain was 79kg (6ft2"), and he used to duke it out with Rominger in the hills, who was 65kg! I know Induarin was a freak (so was Rominger), but at least it gives us hope :p

http://www.bikecult.com/bikecultbook...cordsHour.html


Here's a little bit on power to weight

http://www.cyclingforums.com/showthr...5&pagenumber=2

yeah, why don't you just go straight to the national kierin final; that'd be the easiest race to start in :)

reckon i'd get killed if I went up the Dandebongs today?

Too many tourists?

It's a bit warm for Beach Rd