News Shorts - 26 February

The Belgian Opening Weekend has heralded in the start of the Belgian racing season with the Het Nieuwsblad- Kuurne weekend double header.

BiciSport heads to the Belgian Spring Classics on 10 March and the first edition of Flanders Follies will appear here on 10 March.

NSW Masters Track Champs @ DGV @ 24 Feb - Peter Verhoeven (BiciSport Anytime Fitness) takes Silver in the Masters Pointscore

NSW Masters Track Champs @ DGV @ 24 Feb - Ian Grant (BiciSport Anytime Fitness) a Silver in the Kieren

NSW Masters Track Champs @ DGV @ 24 Feb - Davide Browne (BiciSport Happy Wheels) a Bronze in Kieren

NSW Masters Track Champs @ DGV @ 24 Feb - Ian Grant a Silver in the Points Race

NSW Masters Track Champs @ DGV @ 24 Feb - Bicisport at DGV with MOR, Brooke Green, Davide Browne & Ian Grant.

Disappointing is an absolute understatement to report that 2024 individual Masters entries dipped below 290 (excluding Team Sprint & Teams Pursuit entries). Entries usually range from 310 to 330 individual Masters entries … so under 290 is a really really poor outcome. Furthermore, no Men Masters Team Pursuit entries at all when the competition in the past has totaled a healthy 22 teams (those were the days not that long ago).

NSW Masters Track Champs @ DGV @ 24 Feb - Davide Browne

NSW Masters Track Champs @ DGV @ 24 Feb - Davide Browne

NSW Masters Track Champs @ DGV @ 24 Feb - Ian Grant in warm up mode

NSW Masters Track Champs @ DGV @ 24 Feb - Peter Verhoeven (BiciSport Anytime Fitness) atop a nice retro Moser on the warm up platform

NSW Masters Track Champs @ DGV @ 24 Feb - Peter Verhoeven

RACE SEEKER - THIS WEEK

  • 3 Mar

    • Central Coast Criterium Championships (Ourimbah Campus, NSW)

      • Visitors welcome

    • Lansdowne Park Criteriums (Waratah Masters)

BICISPORT TRAINING RIDES

  • Every Mon/Wed/Fri Mornings

    • Gruppo Molteni @ Centennial Park

      • Gruppo Molteni meet at the corner of Parkes Drive/Grand Drive at 8.20am and do CP laps until 9.30am then coffee at the Spruce Goose Cafe

  • Tues 27 Feb & Thurs 29 Feb

    • Blossoms & Buds 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 29 Feb

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

  • Sat 2 Mar

    • Coffee @ Sandstone Cafe Miramare Gardens @ 9.30am

  • Sun 3 Mar

    • Depart Shark Park carpark near Cronulla @ 9.30am for Kurnell & return

GIS Gelati Pro Cycling Team (Italy) - 1978-91

One of the best Italian pro teams of that era (or any era really). Sponsors were GIS Gelati (Italian ice cream) with an endless supply of classic Italian bike suppliers - Pinarello, Benotto x 2, Colnago, Olmo, Moser, Rossin & Basso …. everybody had a crack. Groupsets were Campagnolo (of course). Jersey design was and remains iconic.

Team results were everywhere (thanks to De Vlaeminck & Moser) but the Tour of Italy was a rich source of results with 23 stage wins, plus stage wins in Tour of Spain & Tirreno. Team members were a classy lot - Saronni, De Vlaeminck, Moser, Basso, Van der Velde, Baffi, Akam (UK), Giovannetti, Bitossi & Panizza. A great team full of talent.

Franco Bitossi

Felice Gimondi (left) & Franco Bitossi (right)

Marino Basso

Beppe Saronni