July 1/97 19:01 pm - Editorial, Canada Games, Womens Challenge, Giro Fem, Track World Cup

Posted by Editor on 07/1/97
 

Heading South? - an Editorial  An interesting tidbit surfaced this past weekend at Mont Ste Anne. Kirk Molday, the B.C. rider who is sponsored by Marin, is trying to get the Canadian Cycling Association to allow him to switch his racing nationality to the U.S., effective immediately. Molday, who has finished as high as 5th in the World Cup this season, and currently leads the Norba National Series, holds dual citizenship, and says that the U.S. would love to take him (I‚ll bet!, given how poorly their men are doing...). The CCA has said no, but, according to CCA Director of Racing Pierre Hutsebault, the reason is not just to be difficult: „the UCI rules are very clear - a rider can not change the nation that they represent part way through the year. Next year - no problem.‰ It is a sad commentary that a top Canadian rider needs to make this move, but the economics of the sport are such that a U.S. rider of Kirk‚s ability could probably command 8 to 10 times as much money as a Canadian one.  Kirk is not the only Canadian cyclist who rides for an American team who has said privately to us that he could do much better (in sponsorship) if he were an American. The problem seems to be twofold: the bigger U.S. market can support higher budgets; and Canadian companies are absolutely pathetic about national pride. I‚m not talking about the Canadian bike industry here - they are actually pretty good at doing their bit. However, it is the non-cycling industries that do very little for the sport (read: any sport). Major corporations, such as Corel, Bell, Alcan, and a host of others, need to have more pressure put on them to support sports such as cycling. Unfortunately, the only time you see them in a sports-context is for some major event that attracts the (you guessed it) U.S. audience - golf, basketball, baseball, figure skating.  Rather than berating Kirk, and others (including Specialized downhiller Todd Tanner, who started in Canada), we should be pushing Canadian corporations to support their own. It has happened in the past - the enormously successful old Canadian Tire Series of road races brought foreign riders to Canada, and helped develop riders such as Gord Fraser (starting the Tour this year), Lesley Tomlinson, Jill Smith and, yes, Alison Sydor.  Maybe it‚s time we started asking Canadian companies: „What have you done for Canadian sport?‰  If you have comments on this topic, please drop us a line.   Canada Summer Games News  With the opening of the Brandon 1997 Canada Summer Games only 40 days away, it might be hard to think of the 2001 Canada Summer Games. However, on June 17, the Honourable Sheila Copps, Minister of Canadian Heritage, and Jack Pelech, Chair of the Canada Games Council, jointly announced that London, ON, would host this prestigious event.  London beat out Ottawa-Carleton and Niagara region in the final stage, with Windsor, Kitchener-Waterloo, Peterborough, North Bay-Sudbury, North York and Hamilton-Brantford have been eliminated in the preliminary bid process.  The 2001 Canada Summer Games will feature the following events for both men and women: road race, points criterium, ITT, MTB downhill and MTB cross country.  The 1997 Summer Games in Brandon MB will feature RR, Crit, ITT and XC events. Cycling begins August 18 and winds up August 23.  For further info on the 1997 Games, check out the host website at www.cgames97.ca  Submitted by Andre Gallant, Director of Sport, Canada Games Council agallant@rtm.cdnsport.ca   Looking for a slightly different cycling experience? Then try out the Kluane-Chilkat Cycling Relay from Haines Junction, Yukon to Haines, Alaska.  June 21 - the longest day of the year - was the date of the 1997 version. Over 125 teams invoving approximately 900 people took part in this 245 km, 8 stage relay, ranging from two person speed demon teams to the more relaxed, 8 person/mixed gender teams.  Stages ranged from 20km, monster uphill climbs to 30km freewheeling, whiteknuckle descents.  A three person team from Juneau, AK were the eventual winners, setting a course record time of 6 hours, 15 minutes.   The event is always held on the weekend closest to the summer solstice, so keep your eye on Yukon travel info, or contact the Kluane-Chilkat International Cycling Relay Society in Whitehorse (sorry, you'll have to get the number from directory assistance).  Submitted by Andre Gallant   Other Canadians at the HP Women's Challenge (thanks to Marc Morrison)  Final GC  23 Cybil Diguistini* at 0:13:53 32 Erin McGann 0:15:57 47 Leah Goldstein 0:21:41 71 Barbara Zimich 0:43:29 81 Karen Timewell 0:54:23 91 Mandy Poitras 1:27:53  *Cybil was the 4th placed "espoir" (22 and younger).  I talked to a very excited Cybil Diguistini this morning. She says she impressed Mike Neel at the HP Women's Challenge who would like to take her to the Killington Stage Race this fall and then possibly give her a spot on his Saeco/Cannondale squad the following next season.  Cybil also pointed out to me that two of the three "espoir" girls that were ahead of her in the final GC were actully 23 years old (UCI cycling licences use your age at the start of the year). Cybil has just turned 19 and obviously has a great future in the sport.   Penguin Classic Stage Race, Alberta (coutrtesy Alberta Bicycle Association)  Cat 1/2  1. Kelly, Paul Bow Cycle/Republik 03:44:21  2. St. Pierre, Allen Bicisport 03:44:50  3. Soltis, David Juventus 03:46:00  4. Heaney, David Juventus 03:46:08  5. Utting, Oliver Bow Cycle/Republik 03:46:09  6. Leahy, David Juventus 03:46:28  7. Chrapchynski, Steve Bicisport 03:46:34  8. Veroba, Bob Brew Brothers/Soma 03:46:44  9. McNutt, Todd Bow Cycle/Republik 03:50:11  10. Haponiuk, Mike ERTC 03:50:40   Stage 2 (Time Trial)  1 Kelly, Paul Bow Cycle/Republik 00:07:16 03:51:37  2 St. Pierre, Allen Bicisport 00:08:16 03:53:06  3 Soltis, David Juventus 00:07:31 03:53:31  4 Utting, Oliver Bow Cycle/Republik 00:07:30 03:53:39  5 Heaney, David Juventus 00:07:45 03:53:53  6 Leahy, David Juventus 00:07:51 03:54:19  7 Veroba, Bob Brew Brothers/Soma 00:07:36 03:54:20  8 Chrapchynski, Steve Bicisport 00:07:51 03:54:25  9 McNutt, Todd Bow Cycle/Republik 00:08:20 03:58:31  10 Decore, Matthew Kona 00:08:11 03:58:56   Stage 3 (Criterium)  1 Kelly, Paul Bow Cycle/Republik 01:06:28 04:58:05  2 Soltis, David Juventus 01:07:17 05:00:48  3 St. Pierre, Allen Bicisport 01:08:05 05:01:11  4 Utting, Oliver Bow Cycle/Republik 01:08:14 05:01:53  5 Heaney, David Juventus 01:08:05 05:01:58  6 Leahy, David Juventus 01:08:05 05:02:24  7 Veroba, Bob Brew Brothers/Soma 01:08:05 05:02:25  8 Chrapchynski, Steve Bicisport 01:08:39 05:03:04  9 Haponiuk, Mike ERTC 01:07:11 05:06:14  10 McNutt, Todd Bow Cycle/Republik 01:08:05 05:06:36   Women  Stage 1  1 Mekechuk, Joy Juventus 02:14:03  2 Dyck, Andria Cycledelia 02:14:08  3 Corbin, Vanessa Bow Cycle 02:14:53  4 Morrison, Janelle Blizzard 02:15:03  5 Olsen, Monica ERTC 02:21:01  6 Tuck, Carrie Independent 02:21:02  7 Dansereau, Joanne Bow Cycle/Republik 02:21:13  8 Dunn, Cumley Sports Shack Croakers 02:21:17  9 Friess, Adele Cycledelia 02:27:31  10 Elm, Selina Absolute Cycle 02:27:37   Stage 2 (Time Trial)  1 Dyck, Andria Cycledelia 00:08:40 02:22:48  2 Mekechuk, Joy Juventus 00:09:08 02:23:11  3 Corbin, Vanessa Bow Cycle 00:09:08 02:24:01  4 Morrison, Janelle Blizzard 00:09:17 02:24:20  5 Tuck, Carrie Independent 00:09:43 02:30:45  6 Olsen, Monica ERTC 00:09:53 02:30:54  7 Dansereau, Joanne Bow Cycle/Republik 00:09:58 02:31:11  8 Dunn, Cumley Sports Shack Croakers 00:10:08 02:31:25  9 Friess, Adele Cycledelia 00:09:08 02:36:39  10 Elm, Selina Absolute Cycle 00:09:27 02:37:04   Stage 3 (Criterium)  1 Dyck, Andria Cycledelia 00:43:17 03:06:05  2 Mekechuk, Joy Juventus 00:43:22 03:06:33  3 Corbin, Vanessa Bow Cycle 00:43:04 03:07:05  4 Morrison, Janelle Blizzard 00:43:12 03:07:32  5 Tuck, Carrie Independent 00:43:22 03:14:07  6 Olsen, Monica ERTC 00:43:22 03:14:16  7 Dunn, Cumley Sports Shack Croakers 00:43:22 03:14:47  8 Friess, Adele Cycledelia 00:43:22 03:20:01  9 Elm, Selina Absolute Cycle 00:43:32 03:20:36  10 Sanson, Lisa Team Magic 00:45:59 03:23:50    Giro  The women‚s Giro started today, and there is a strong Canadian presence at the race. Linda Jackson, winner of the Tour de l‚Aude, and second at the HP International Women‚s Challenge will head the Canadian team, which includes Leigh Hobson, Anne Samplonius and Sophie St Jacques. Kim Langton will also be racing, in the colours of her Italian trade team. We will provide as much information on this race as we can, however, it will be overshadowed by the Tour de France (starting Saturday).   Track World Cup #4, Italy  Mens Sprint  1 ROUSSEAU Florian FRA 10,562 2 KIKSIS Ainars LAT 10,593 3 MACLEAN Craig GBR 10,706  Womens Sprint  1 GRICHINA Olga RUS 11,843 2 GRICHINA Oksana RUS 11,957 3 FREITAG Kathrin GER 12,009  Kilo - Men  1 KREJNER Grzegorz POL 1.06,802 2 MACLEAN Craig GBR 1.07,485 3 GERARD Damien FRA 1.07,504  500m - Women  1 GRICHINA Olga RUS 36,761 2 LARREAL Daniela VEN 38,097 3 BELLUTTI Antonella ITA 38,300  Pursuit - Men  1 MCGEE Bradley John AUS 4.43,742 2 SZONN Heiko GER 4.43,899 3 SIMONENKO Alexandre UKR 4.50,0  Pursuit - Women  1 BELLUTTI Antonella ITA 3.57,089 2 CHALYH Elena MLD 4.03,828 3 McGREGOR Yvonne GBR 3.57,317  Points race - men  1 FULST Guido GER 39 2 MARTINELLO Silvio ITA 36 3 RISI Bruno SUI 36  Points Race - Women  1 KARIMOVA Natalia RUS 24 2 BELLUTTI Antonella ITA 15 3 CHALYH Elena MLD 14  Keirin  1 NOTHSTEIN Marty USA 2 KIRITCHENKO Alexandre RUS 3 PANASENKO Serguei UKR  Olympic Sprint  1 POL (Krejner, Mientki, Trebski) 2 NED (Rozendaal, Vink, Vis) 3 RUS (Khromykh, Kiritchenko, Potapov)  Team Pursuit  1 UKR (Bondarev, Fedenko, Matveev, Simonenko) 2 ITA (Collinelli, Benetton, Capelli, Canevarolo) 3 GER (Becke, Mutschler, Siedler, Fulst)  Madison  1 SUI (Betschart, Risi) 31 2 ITA (Villa, Martinello) 25 3 NED (Slippens, Post) 19   Coming Tomorrow - UCI Mountain Bike Rankings (after Mont Ste Anne)