News Shorts - 17 January

BiciSport Griffith @ 16 Jan - BiciSport Griffith rode from Griffith to Whitton & return over 80k (for hot scones & coffee at Whitton).

L to R … Roger Thompson Seagrave, Albert Ravanello, Frank Signor, Max Hopp, Dom Piromalli, Helen Vowles & Melissa Budd & Peter Budd.

BiciSport rider support is offered to all races listed in the Special Events section of this website.

At the local level this relates to Heffron Park criteriums, Eastern Creek & West Head road races. In addition there are selected NSW State Opens and all Championships. Just go to the Special Events section of this website for more details.

RACE SEEKER - THIS WEEK

  • 18 Jan - Heffron Park Tuesday Criteriums

  • 22-23 - Alpine Classic Cyclosportive (Bright, Vic)

  • 22-23 Jan - Illawarra Track Open, Sprint Grand Prix (DGV)

  • 23 Jan - Eastern Creek Raceway (Waratah Masters)

  • 21-29 Jan - Santos Festival of Cycling (Adelaide, SA)

BICISPORT TRAINING RIDES

  • Tues 18 Jan

    • Waratah Peloton @ pass the corner of Yulong Ave & McCarrs Creek Rd Terrey Hills @ 8.05am for Akuna Bay, top of McCarrs Creek Rd climb at 8.40am, then direction Duffys Forest, then return Terrey Hills shops @ 9.15am then to St Ives for coffee

    • Centennial Park Lower Loop from 5.30am to 7.45am

  • Thurs 20 Jan

    • Happy Wheels Waterloo to La Perouse @ 6.00am

    • Belgian Waffle Ride @ Centennial Park @ Spruce Goose Cafe @ 10.30am for Park laps

    • Waratah Peloton @ pass the corner of Yulong Ave & McCarrs Creek Rd Terrey Hills @ 8.05am for Akuna Bay, top of McCarrs Creek Rd climb at 8.40am, then direction Duffys Forest, then return Terrey Hills shops @ 9.15am then to St Ives for coffee

  • Fri 21 Jan - De Niro’s Cafe Kingsford Anzac Pde @ 6.15am sharp for La Perouse

  • Sat 22 Jan - Coffee @ Sandstone Cafe Miramare Gardens @ 9.30am

Willem 11 - Gazelle Cycling Team (Netherlands) - Pictured above Rik Van Looy (left) & Peter Post

Willem 11 existed from 1966-71 and featured a Dutch cigar maker as the main sponsor with Gazelle the dutch bike manufacturer. Components were a mixture of Campagnolo coupled with Universal (Italian) side pull brakes (not really sure why) .

One of the most talented professional teams ever assembled with Rik Van Looy, Rene Pijnen, Peter Post, Harry Steevens, Rini Wagtmans, Ward Sels, Harm Ottenbros & Evert Dolman. The team had a single day Classics focus and they won every one of them courtesy of Van Looy, Post, Pijnen & Sels. Van Looy also took a World Road Championship as did Harm Ottenbros. Post won a Paris Roubaix classic (holding the fastest average speed for P-R for several years) and Sels won what Van Looy & Post somehow didn’t. A classy team with several life time legends on the roster in Van Looy, Sels & Post. Ottenbros won a World Pro Road Championship but claimed the fame & pressure caused him more harm than good.

A Willem 11 derny bike (and driver) with Peter Post in tow at a local criterium.

Rik Van Looy (left) & Eddy Merckx @ 1969 Tour de France

Eddy Merckx (left) and Rik Van Looy (right) in 1967

Rik Van Looy

Team cars were a Simca ! …. the advert said “… you know where you are with a Simca …” … which was usually broken down on the side of the road waiting for a tow truck !

Harm Ottenbros (pictured) won the World Pro Road Championship but subsequently did not enjoy the journey.