Cool....parked next to Nijs. Nice one.

In Roosendaal we parked next to Michel Zanoli (RIP) in '96. What a complete froot loop he was.

Blijlevens was the star back then.....his car was actually surrounded by fans before he could get out. But all really polite, repsectful, knowledgable Dutchies. I took a couple of photos like a groupie.

One of my mates did the job in the final.......for Ben Rix! Second. Still, there were only the two of them in, so he should do ok out of it. The racing was ok but I reckon Melbourne Cup night was a better nights racing.

Is 'Good Weekend' out of the Age or Hun? I can never remember.

Good Weekend is The Age. well written......the journo obviously understands bike racing, which is a welcome change.

Said that Neiwand finished his 17 year elite career with only two track bikes in his boot to show for it.....and the AIS wanted one of those back.

From missing Olympic gold in Sydney by a whisker, to pulling beers at the Beehive in Hawthorn at 115kg. Another victim of the "medal factory"...

Sprinters really seem to have trouble fitting back into society....

Pate
Hill
Dajka
Niewand

Thanks for that. I'll see if I can get a copy at the newagent at lunchtime.

What about Gordon Johnson or John Nicholson? They've been successful. :)

Nicko was my track coach when I was a kid!! I always thought he looked a bit like a chunky Art Garfunkel. :D


I've still got the paper at home....so if you can't find it, PM me and I'll scan it and e-mail it over to you.

I can remember seeing Nicko ride at Coburg in his rainbow jersey as a little kid. Damn I'm getting old.

Thanks for the offer on the article ed. I'll let you know how I go.

Coburg always made me dizzy at night. Lights, shadows swirling everywhere.....like riding in a nightclub.

At Blackburn I guess? Big fella now, not riding due to injuries from many moons ago, but I heard/saw somewhere recently that he was getting repaired so could possibly get back on the bike again. No idea in what capacity tho.

Beehive has a table tennis comp on Tuesday nites. It'd be like a caravan park rec room with a bar. Brilliant! :D

yeah...Blackburn all the way.

There were big posters of him and Don Allan looking down from the walls during our ergo sessions there....apparently Nicko had one of the first big sponsorships with Shimano, so they sent promotional crap out everywhere

Swag of old guy World Champs at DGV last night: Geoff Smith, Dave Willmott, Peter Barnard, Kieth Oliver, and Denis Fahey I think. Dunno about Geoff Stoker, if he was there he kinda got lost in the crowd :D

Should be some good times set in the NSW Masters Teams Pursuits on Saturday week.

How were the teams going?

Did you get Keith O to sign the raceline?

5+ team surprised themselves I think. Gary White left with a huge grin on his mug "Great time, did it easy". So they're still on target to challenge for bronze.

2+ team just rolled around getting the timing right on the changes, and smoothing out technical flaws. Back next Monday for one or two hitouts at 95%, and 2" more gearing all round.

Can't get over the difference in speed at DGV. A light warm-up was at >40kmh!! Was like dollying along at 28 on the Sat coffee run.



Duh, his signature is on every Raceline already. Besides I'm not a fan, he's just another old codger I have to beat when I line up against him.

Andrew Rule is the feature writer for the GoodWeekend. He broke the storey on the Geoff Clark's "alleged rapes" (ATSIC leader).

Good journo. not a dichotomy.

Two bikes and one needed to be returned... yes I read the article, a little apocryphal. I assume he was on the title of the Elwood home before he got divorced, and the CUB sponsorship enabled a mortgage. Not ecactly AFL money, but his personal incom would have been inline with the Australian average worker's wage. Add it to his wifes income and they afforded themselves a lifestyle that allowed him to be a full-time professional athlete.

Did not qualify him for retirement, but hopefully he finds his feet.

+1



PS-tought I'd seen Andrew Rule's name somewhere.

He writes alot of 'true crime' books and underworld stories

Good overview there Thunder.

Melbournians, is there going to be a spot for anyone to catch the road race on the 26th?

the Punt Road climb will be nice, that will hurt after 10 laps. That is close to 15% I think in the steepest. It would be nice if the organisers put a Belgian beer garden in the tan, and Peiper can sett up a stall with frites mayo, and 10 day old mussels thant have salmonella breeding better than rabbits.

I'm in.

Can some clever person please post a map of the actual course?? Is it the same as the nationals from about 5 years ago?


Oh yeah....a small cup of garlic snails and a smoked eel roll from the van, thanks.

You blokes must have been asleep last week!

There are spots where you can see the race a few times per lap. Dad's mate lives nearby the circuit, so we'll probably have a night on the piss, crash, then stagger up the next morning.

Last time I remember the Aussie champs being there was in 1995 when McEwen beat Stephens, Serrano and Diaz-Zabala

http://www.melbourne2006.com.au/Spor...efault.htm#map

http://www.melbourne2006.com.au/Spor...efault.htm#map

hey ed, one of me mate's has gotta go up bush.
What's the city end of the Hume like at about 5 o'clock to 5:30?

A living nightmare, I would presume.


Forgot to tell you.....that new Craigieburn bypass completley stumped me last week coming back from Yarrawonga. Was trying to get back to Mickleham Rd to go right to Sunbury, was funnelled off towards Broady!!

Nice road tough.

same here. I didn't know it was finished, so I didn't know where the hell I was.

Man!!! How long does it take you to get home?

I played at the Romsey Pub about a month ago........hmmmmmmmmm:p
Not as feral as some of the Frankston gigs or the Kalkallo (worst ever)

Kalkallo. Isn't that where all the serial killers stop to get fuel on the way out of Melbourne?

yep. Last pub out of Melbourne :)