August 2, 2007 — Here is the latest from the OMCA, including information on the Championship races, beginning Sunday, August 5. The first race is in Bookton, Ont. It covers 69 km in 6 laps. This initial championship race is a Pursuit format.

We encourage all Masters riders, men over 40 years and women over 35 years, to come race with us this weekend. Join the OMCA now, or at any time in August for a $50.00 membership fee and race the balance of the 2007 schedule as well as the entire 2008 schedule. As an added incentive, you may deduct any upcoming one event fee of $10.00… a lot of racing for $40.00. Please note that you will qualify for BAR (best all-round rider) and Road, ITT and Pursuit Championships in 2008 only.

Click here for more info.

Race Reports

submitted by Don Krueger

New Dundee, June 17: After the two-turn neutral start, the pack splintered asunder, with the double hill on Cameron Road being the primary agent. Additional breaks occurred as elite riders Bert Candela and Craig Doucet, hopefully not their sole OMCA appearance this year, frolicked at the front. Nonetheless, headlines go to new member Bruce Meyers and Michigan friend Chris DeTombe, who inaugurated what may become our annual Father’s Day race. Festivities included car honking, bell ringing, banner waving, and fan cheering, in short, enough hoopla and holler to bring
welcomed excitement and merriment to OMCA racing scene. Thanks to timekeeper Dan Burnett.

Falkland, June 24: Regulars welcomed the return of Ted Hogarth and Bill Perkins to the Falkland race strip, noted for its narrow shoulders, high traffic, and chancy turnaround. Heavy mid-season training and a long course produced slow times, though two riders garnered applause for breaking the hour: Jim Hutcheson and David Jack (FTD). Thanks to timekeeper Dan Burnett and marshal Rob Szasz.

Caistorville, July 8: Can’t say much about this race, I’m still out of breath. Some wind, some rain, smaller group, and still four minutes faster than last year. Hey, Peter, while you were in Quebec, we weren’t sloughing off. Thanks to timekeeper Pam Hagen.

Ayr, July 15: A black, unfamiliar car drove into the parking lot while Peter was telling me about his adventures in Quebec at the nationals. Peter no doubt spotted the BIKEDIVA license plates as he turned to welcome newcomer Lee Andrews and congratulate her for finding Ayr despite numerous road closures. Though new to OMCA racing, Lee is quite the opposite when it comes to competition, as evidenced by her recent multiple-medal performance at the senior games in Louisville, KY, earlier this month. Please see Athlete of the Week – Cyclist defies odds as big wheeler in Louisville here.

Returning guests Alex and Yvonne Fisher, returning member John Miller, and newcomers Ken McDermid and Ed Galagher filled out a field of nearly a dozen riders who assembled up the street to receive instructions from starter Mark Swartz.

It was a beautiful day for racing, not hot and sultry like last year, nor pestered with wind and rain as in the year before. Alex moved out front and set a steady pace for the peleton. Every lap Rob would test his legs by surging up the hill, and Alex would call off all would-be chasers. Others attempted solo attacks with the same result. Thus the pack stayed together for the entire race, albeit with dwindling numbers as the laps
went by.

The tempo was pretty constant, except on the fourth lap going down Trussler Rd when the speed maxed over 60. I think that’s when Roy, who knows best of all how to hold a wheel, dropped off the back. The next lap saw Yvonne unable to make the (uphill) grade, which left five of us to contest the finish.

Crossing on Piper Street we had Rob neatly boxed in. He chuckled when I called out, “Perfect! Let’s hold this formation!” No doubt the fabled sprinter knew that if the corner turn onto Swan Street didn’t spread us out, the uphill finish certainly would.

Ken led the way over the last K. The first hill created daylight, the second, steeper hill provided the opportunity: Rob sprinted into the lead with 100m to go. The rest of us, hearts a-thumping and legs a-spinning, were unable to counter and held place to the line. Thanks to timekeeper Mark Swartz.

Millbank, July 22: Nearly ideal conditions and a fast (i.e. short) course delivered an odd mixture of fast times, slow times and no times. Lee Andrews broke 70 minutes, which — check the record books — might be a women’s course record. Jim slipped on loose gravel at the S-turn before the finish and lost as much as 2 minutes re-chaining, remounting and re-gearing. Ted and Dan, both full of heart, started well but didn’t go the distance. It was an eventful day: Chris and Jim tied for FTD within seconds of the hour, I took nearly six minutes off my time from last year, and Peter’s powerful ride might have broken the hour on a flat course.

Many thanks go to Patrick King, without whose time-stamped photos the results could not have been compiled, and to starter Phil Renaud and marshal Edith Springer.


Doping Scandals Continue in Tour de France

There are Millions of dollars in endorsements at stake for the team leading any stage of the Tour de France. The exposure on world wide television coverage is estimated to be $10,000,000. So far two teams have withdrawn from the tour and a lawsuit has been initiated because doping scandals continue.

At this time last year, it was difficult for me to believe that Floyd Landis would be stripped of his title. After all the suspicion and publicity of drug use in The Tour surely — I thought — nobody would be caught! And maybe that is simply the attitude most of the professionals have — “surely, I won’t get Caught.”

Director of the Tour Christiana Prudhoome is quoted as saying “We cannot say that Rasmussen cheated, but his flippancy and his lies on his whereabouts had become unbearable.

Pat McQuaid, President of ICU — cycling’s governing body, is quoted as saying “I can only applaud that decision, it is a zero-tolerance policy and it’s a lesson for the future… One cannot mock the Tour de France impunitively like those riders,” he added, referring to riders Rasmussen, Moreni and Vinokourov.

If I had to bet my money on the sport I would place it one of the many charitable activities raising money for great causes. Like the Tour for Kids!

This is such old news little seems to be done that effectively eliminates doping in the professional cycling circuit. Does it even matter anymore? Register your vote by responding to “OMCAsecretary.ca”