March 6/03 10:07 am - Symmetrics Cycling Team 2003, RONA Announces 2003 Schedule, Winnipeg's Pan Am Track in New Mexico
Posted by Editoress on 03/6/03
Symmetrics Cycling Team 2003
Symmetrics, a Vancouver-based, data analysis software development firm, makes a commitment to elite-level cycling, the development of future Olympians and charity
Citing similar values, Symmetrics president, Mark Cunningham, sees the Symmetrics relationship to elite cycling as natural and symbiotic. "Goodwill, team spirit, dedication and healthy competition drive our company to perform and do the same for a successful cycling team." This unique corporate approach to community involvement extends to both the elite and amateur levels of cycling as well as to a formal relationship with the BC Special Olympics organization.
Cycling Team
At the elite level, the 6 member Symmetrics cycling team boasts impressive credentials including a Commonwealth Games bronze medal, 8 national championship titles (road and track), 10 provincial championship titles and numerous other professional race wins throughout Canada and the United States. The collective calibre of the Symmetrics squad is sure to make an imprint on the regional and national road cycling circuit in the months to come. For the 2003 season, the team will focus on the Pacific Northwest cycling arena, putting a heavy emphasis on the more visible events such as the Tour de Gastown, Tour de Delta, Tour de Whiterock and the Canadian National Championships. The dedicated members of the Symmetrics squad are:
Scott Goguen:
Bronze medal - 1990 Commonwealth Games Road Race, 3-time Canadian Team Time Trial (TTT) champion, Canada Games TTT champion, 1st place National Criterium Championships, 2nd place National Criterium Championships, 3rd place National Criterium Championships, 2-time Provincial Criterium Champion, 2-time Provincial Road Race Champion
Matt Usborne:
BC TT Champion, BC Track Pursuit Champion, BC Cup Series Champion, BC Hill Climb Champion, 1st place finish in Tour de Delta Hill climb
Min Van Velzen:
1st place BC Cup, 2nd place National Criterium Championships, Top 5 finishes in Tour de Whiterock
Richard Minichiello:
Top 10 finishes in various BC Cup and provincial road races
Tony Zarsadias:
1st place Provincial Championships Team Pursuit (2001), 1st place Provincial Criterium Championship (2000), Top 5 finishes in various provincial and national races
Eric Harvey:
Top 10 finishes in various road races throughout B.C. and the Pacific Northwest
Youth Development
While the elite team forms the foundation of the Symmetrics Cycling Project, the project's mandate extends beyond to the amateur and junior ranks as well. Symmetrics is seeking to invest in young talent. A conscientious effort is being made to attract and develop young riders who will eventually augment the ranks of the elite team. Symmetrics intends to demonstrate its strong commitment to the development of Olympic calibre athletes by offering selected riders the necessary funding and coaching support in which to nurture their cycling talents to an elite, competitive level. This commitment to youth sports stems from Symmetrics' strong belief that the principals and values perpetuated in the sporting arena are essential to developing principled, committed and civically responsible adults.
Cyclists for Charity
The Symmetrics Cycling Project combines its interest in developing future Olympians with a desire to contribute both money and time to the community through the creation of Cyclists for Charity. Symmetrics' Cyclists for Charity formed its first community alliance with the BC Special Olympics organization. The basis of this relationship is charitable giving. Corporations and individuals can donate money based on the performance of the Symmetrics team and, in turn, Symmetrics Cycling will match the amount from the Gary Cunningham Memorial Fund, a fund established by the founding members of Symmetrics Cycling, for donation to the BC Special Olympics organization.
Sponsors
In addition to the Title Sponsor, Symmetrics, the Symmetrics Cycling Project relies on the support of a number of other sponsors who contribute money, product and time.
Partner Sponsor
Westlam Industries Ltd
Associate Sponsors
Norco: Bicycles, cycling computers, components
Adidas: Podium gear and casual clothes
Flash 5: Energy drinks and nutrition bars
Rudy Project: Eyewear
Timm Williams Design: Graphic design
Performance Health: Massage and chiropractic support
Team RONA-Esker Announces 2003 Schedule
Courtesy Team RONA-Esker
Team RONA-Esker will get their cycling season underway this weekend in California with the Pomona Valley Stage Race in the Los Angeles area. Karen Bockel, Geneviève Jeanson and Kristen LaSasso will take on Saturn, T Mobile, Landis/Trek/VW and other major competitors. The Pomona race is a run-up to the annual Redlands Classic near San Bernardino, April 1-6, which is considered the first major race of the season.
| March 6-9 | Pomona Valley Stage Race |
| April 1-6 | Redlands Bicycle Classic |
| April 9-12 | Sea Otter Classic |
| April 30-May 4 | Tour of the Gila |
| May 31 | Montreal World Cup |
| June 2-4 | Tour du Grand Montréal |
| June 8 | First Union Liberty Classic |
| June 12-15 | Nature Valley Grand Prix |
| June 25-28 | Canadian Championships |
| July 11-13 | Tour de Delta |
| July 16 | Tour de Gastown |
| July 18-20 | Tour de White Rock |
| July 28-Aug. 3 | The International |
| August 27-31 | Trophée d'Or féminin |
| Aug.29-Sept. 1 | Green Mountain Stage Race |
Winnipeg's Pan Am Track in Albuquerque, NM
Mayor wants bike track up for 2004
By Frank Zoretich, Tribune Reporter
Originally published February 7th
Bicyclists might be racing around in circles next to the new Albuquerque Isotopes baseball stadium by April 2004.
Mayor Martin Chavez is scheduled to announce this morning that he wants the Southwest Velodrome Association's banked wooden track erected on city property immediately east of the stadium.
But voters, he said Thursday, will have the last word on the project.
"It's my intention to put it on the bonds election in the fall," he said, estimating that it would cost "about $1 million" for improvements at the site.
The velodrome was originally built, at a cost of about $500,000, for the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
The association purchased it shortly after the games for a lesser amount, which has not been released, with help from a grant by the McCune Foundation of Santa Fe.
The disassembled velodrome has been in storage since. Association officials have said it would cost about $100,000 to reconstruct.
The nonprofit association, which promotes recreational and professional bicycling, had leased 3.5 acres of land in Rio Rancho, but the proposed deal with the city to erect the track there fell through last year.
"We're optimistic we can have the track up and running by next spring," Nick Hoffman, the association's president said Thursday.
"I'm real excited about this one," Chavez said. "In one fell swoop, it immediately elevates the city to the top in the world of bicycling."
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