Heffron Park @ 20 Aug - Craig Pager (BiciSport Happy Wheels) went top 10 in a strong C grade
Lansdowne Park @ 21 Aug - Ian Grant (left) & Eric Dole (right)
Lansdowne Park @ 21 Aug - Ian Grant leads Eric Dole
Lansdowne Park @ 21 Aug - Eric Dole (BiciSport Happy Wheels) and Peter Verhoeven (BiciSport Anytime Fitness) before the start. Eric & Ian rode A2 grade and Peter in B grade. Both grades were fast & furious and Ian took an A2 prime (Intermediate Sprint).
Lansdowne Park @ 21 Aug - A2 grade podium and Ian Grant never fails to make a walk to the podium (this time for winning an Intermediate Sprint)
BiciSport in Belgium @ 16 Aug - L to R the VerHulst family in Eddy, Mikey, Stijn, Maarten and Koen with the Velle Elite Race lead car. “Wedstrijd’ is Flemish for cycle race. Maarten is the Velle Race Director.
The same Ford has been the lead car at Velle for 29 years and it in itself represents the history of the Velle race that started in 1948. Many sponsors have offered to replace this lead car but a sense of history has preserved the original. The car itself drives (?) like a 29 year old Ford (yikes !). They haven’t taken the ignition key out for years … because they can’t !. Rumours that the car actually runs on Belgian Duvel beer cannot be substantiated …
Previous winners of the “amateur” Velle race include Behonyi Beheyt & Willy Planckaert - both legends in Flemish cycling. Beheyt won the World Professional Road Championship at Ronse in 1963 where he stole the race from Belgian team mate Rik Van Looy … the Belges still talk about this “act of team treachery” in 1963 like it was only yesterday.
Thanks to Matt of Wattle Designs at Terrey Hills for the Bici finish line banners and Frank Signor (BiciSport Griffith) for the BiciSport hats.
BiciSport in Belgium @ 16 Aug - Velle Elite race before the start
BiciSport in Belgium @ 16 Aug - Velle Elite race at the start with 50 riders
BiciSport in Belgium @ 16 Aug - Velle Elite race after one lap (of 17 laps) and a compact peloton but not for long
BiciSport in Belgium @ 16 Aug - Velle Elite race on lap3 and the dye was cast … 11 riders in the “break of the day” that included the Belgian National champion Tom Timmermans (5th rider from right). The race was effectively over for the main peloton
BiciSport in Belgium @ 16 Aug - Velle Elite race with Tom Timmermans looking resplendent in the Belgian National Champions jersey. Tom would eventually finish 4th.
BiciSport in Belgium @ 16 Aug - Velle Elite race and after the breakaway had escaped the main peloton had a long day out chasing 13th place
BiciSport in Belgium @ 16 Aug - Velle Elite race and the Ford kept doing laps urgently in need of a Duvel and a day sleep
BiciSport in Belgium @ 16 Aug - Velle Elite race and Wannes Heylan took a fine solo victory
BiciSport in Belgium @ 16 Aug - Velle Elite race and L to R … Yente VerHulst, Wannes Heylan (winner) and MO’R
NATIONAL MASTERS ROAD & CYCLOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS - WOLLONGONG DATES & COURSES ANNOUNCED
Details of the National Masters Road Championships in Wollongong are now posted in the Special Events section of this website
RACE SEEKER - THIS WEEK
27 Aug
Lake St Clair Cyclosportive (Singleton)
Oakville Road Race (Parramatta CC)
28 Aug
West Head Individual Time Trial (Manly CC)
NSW Cyclo Cross Championships (Dunc Gray Velodrome)
Lansdowne Park Criterium (Waratah Masters)
BICISPORT TRAINING RIDES
Tues 23 August
Waratah Peloton @ pass the corner of Yulong Ave & McCarrs Creek Rd Terrey Hills @ 8.00am 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 25 August
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 @ 8.00am 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
Sat 27 August
Coffee @ Sandstone Cafe Miramare Gardens @ 9.30am
BiciSport in Belgium @ 17 Aug - The Gistel Cycling Museum in the West Flanders town of Gistel. Both Sylvain Maes and Johan Museeuw come from the town of Gistel - Sylvain won two Tours de France (1930 & 1936) and Johan won everything else (World Pro Road Championships & numerous one day Classics). Few things are a cycling disappointment in Belgium but this Gistel museum tops the list as an abject failure. Ok, BiciSport has been there, done that and it saves you the trouble ….
BiciSport in Belgium @ 19 Aug - No visit to Flanders is complete without a visit to the Flandrien Hotel in Parike near Brakel. Run by Bernard Moerman (left) and Jamie Anderson its a mixture of museum, boutique motel and service course offering a delightful place to stay in cycling mad Flanders.
BiciSport in Belgium @ 19 Aug - one of the very best private bike collections is in the Flandrien coffee lounge.
In the above picture is the very latest addition to the Flandrien Hotel - the black guitar case contains a special Cheryl Crow Fender guitar, in Tour de France yellow, autographed by both CC & LA. Now that is special.
BiciSport in Belgium @ 19 Aug - the Flandrien Hotel has a comprehensive service course
