J’Ville.Cycles Newsletter SPRING 04

Please Read: Recent hard drive failure *swear words go here* has seen the shop email list disappear into the Billy Gates world of microspace…so if you haven’t received…would like to receive or would like to send our regular rant and ravings to someone else... please send us your email addy and we will be back in touch….Cheers Francois

Ok whats been going on!!
Crikey what hasn’t been going on!!! On the back of a huge European summer!! *Wishes he was there* International Cycling has been huge as far as results and press coverage of our sports!! …..The Olympic lead the way and many Congratulations to all the Kiwi Olympic Cyclists from all disciplines of Road, Track Mountainbike and Triathlon and following the O-games the Paralympians are now having there turn…You made us all very proud!! and while we here in the shaky isles have been besieged be late coverage and freezing weather the northern hemisphere turned on Idyllic hot Mediterranean weather for the athletes….it sure looked nice!!!
The #1 Highlight !!
Sarah Ulmers ride in the 3000m pursuit where she smashed world and Olympic records as well as opposition!! GOLD Medal!! the Macdonalds hamburgler people must be very happy. Timely that Invercargil concurrently released details of NZ’s first fully covered Velodrome so you *Trackeez* can have a wonderful facility to train with all year round all be it at the bottom of the main Island!!
The #2 highlight!! Hamish Carter and Bevan Docherty giving the world a two piece of Kiwi…. On the bike they dominated the opposition - no doubt there guys you where in a class of your own!!
To the Road racing, First up was the woman’s 118k event, it was once underway, a hard fought, aggressive and very tactical affair and when one of the favourites defending Olympic champion Leontien Zijlaard-Van Moorsel hit he deck the race was wide open to the 3 rider per nation competition. An intelligent break on the second to last time up the hill by Aussie Sara Carrigan and German Judith Arndt managed to gap the field with the Little Aussie battler Sara easily winning from the angry German whom was later fined after denying giving the bird to the world!!!


the bunch sprint for third was won by the Russian Olga Slyusareva. 2 Kiwi riders finished amongst the madness and well done to them it certainly looked like a tough day out.
17 Joanne Kiesanowski
56 Michelle Hyland
DNF Melissa Holt
The men’s Road race the following day was really tough! held in blistering heat. Julian Dean backed up his outstanding tour De France result with a strong ride and the only kiwi finisher. Post race reports came in that this was one of the toughest road races ever! Big Kiwi hopeful was newly signed Credit Agricole rider Jeremy Yates, his career certainly looks like it has moved to anew level. again the pace was just to much for him and he DNF’d
The race itself changed quickly with the early departure of World Champion Igor Astarloa, he hit the deck quite heavily and never returned to the racing. The big Swede Magnus Backstead took off for a few quite a few laps early on before the peleton decided he had had enough TV coverage and reeled him in…from then on lap after lap small breaks attacked but never to any real advantage. almost in a carbon copy of the woman’s race a break with two laps to go by one of the favourites Italian Paolo Bettini with Spaniard unknown Sergio Paulinho gapped the field. 04 World Cup contender Bettini easily won the cat and mouse game for the sprint win…Axel Merckx also managed to escape the main bunch on the way to the finish line to grab 3rd spot and a medal.
15 th Julian Dean Go Jules we love ya!!!
DNF Jeremy Yates
DNF Heath Blackgrove

Mens ITT kiwi rep Heath Blackgrove, was severely outclassed and finished 5:48 down in 33rd position, while the upset of the games so far belonged to Non Le Tour finisher Tyler Hamilton his angry ride to blitzed the field to take the Gold. His return to form was well enjoyed by all and an average spped of just over 50kph was very impressive. Tyler also paid very good odds at the TAB…and I know of one Wellington rider who profited very nicely from a wager on that result. The great Jan Ulrich failed to pickup a medal yet agian…its proving to be a tough year for the German..
1 Tyler Hamilton (USA) 57.31.74 (50.062 km/h)
2 Viatcheslav Ekimov (Russia) 0.18.84
3 Bobby Julich (USA) 0.26.45

Woman’s ITT. Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel returned to racing after her road race crash to add a fourth gold medal to her impressive collection, winning the 24 kilometre women's time trial. USA team member Deirdre Demet-Barry took the silver with swiss rider Karin Thuerig in bronze mode.

Back to the Track racing and the super fast Velodrome had some exciting and amazing competition all be it at 2 in the morning crikey Im only just recovering from Le Tour…the high-speed racing effectively meant that all competitors had to go better than record speed to even make finals which unfortunately meant kiwi riders appearances where rather short lived…still they must be real happy with their opportunities and even getting there in these sorts is a worthwhile commendation!!

A special mention to my old friend and long time NZ Track Team mechanic Dale Hollows …Over the past few years the track squad has had some fantastic results!! and he is there number 1 guy…if you are ever in RotoVegas call in to the Rotorua Cycle Centre and give him a big hug!! “he da man”
Greg Henderson’s spirited ride in the points race. Well it was spirited to say the least. his TVNZ interview afterwards was in true Greg form just !! good on ya GH…Unfortunately this event was to be followed by a disappointing result for Greg and Hayden Roulston in the Madison which was dominated by our Aussie cousins, and all round legend Stu Ogrady leading the charge with the win…I’m a real fan of Stu with his le tour results and a world cup win this season the Gold medal was worthy of non other!!

The conclusion was the woman’s and men’s XC Mountainbiking…AF “after fire” of course! Well unfortunately my mind was already tainted by the thought of having to sit through a what might be an off road time trial and after years of watching televised XC racing *not married either* the chance of having an exciting race is well, very rare!!!!! What happened? In the woman’s race the favourite took the lead early on and rode away!! Gold to Gunn Rita Dahle. TV ones commentator, was left grasping for - words, phrases or anything that made sense as he showed off his limited vocabulary of MTBike racing a real tragedy! Well the funny Side. I turned the sound down and gave my own!! You had to be there!! J
1 Gunn-Rita Dahle (Norway) 1.56.51
2 Marie-Helene Premont (Canada) 0.59
3 Sabine Spitz (Germany) 2.30
16 Robyn Wong (New Zealand) 14.08

Men’s XC Ok by now the O-Games are really wearing thin on me…Ive been up late again *Ohh July was good* watching with a fans passion the worlds best doing there things *some very nice things*…
After the Woman’s XC. Sorry to upset anyone…that type of coverage does not do our sport any favours…So to the race… NZ’s Kashi Leuchs is a contender!! last years mega winner Filip *EPO user* Meirhaghe out!!! There is lots of Testosterone rolling up to the start area.. I’m pretty excited too….This is after all as good as it gets!! Bang..*sound effect* and the worlds best XC MTBike racers blast off at a very quick rate! 150metres in and then the first inevitable pile up! Our guy Kashi off is caught up in it, followed quickly by another incident he’s now doing battle with the mid field not the leaders…bugger!! Out front the pace is on and on pure pace alone this is a great race to watch. !! Im impressed these guys are really hauling! OK OK lets not bash the clumsy commentator too harshly!! Frenchman Julien Absalon gets away from the lead group to blitz the chasers!! He is even getting some air!! Ok so it turns into a time trial !!! the race concludes with exhausted riders making there way across the line…
1 Julien Absalon (France) 2.15.02 (19.240 km/h)
2 Jose Antonio Hermida (Spain) 1.00
3 Bart Brentjens (Netherlands) 2.03
28 Kashi Leuchs {New Zealand}

Low-lights..well the pre Olympic Aussie cycling drug scandal really rocked our world!!!
TV-Ones bad commentary
Ex Aussie now NZer Anthony Peden not even making the games because of ..yaknow yaknow
TV-Ones bad commentary, heres the address to make complaints too ..
http://corporate.tvnz.co.nz/tvnz_detail/0,2406,111442-239-251,00.html
Not seeing Poala Pezzo given some decent footage as 3 times Olympic woman’s XC champion..
Too many late nights again!!

Ok still in Europe…it’s the end of summer. and that means World Championships in all cycling disciplines…except them Cyclo crossers…So where do we start…BMX Worlds in the Netherlands...Reports back are that the course was huge and fast!! Wait for it to make the next Olympics!! NZ riders made the finals in several age groups although no Rainbow Jerseys were collected…
results I can find are
Joel Burke 5th in Jnr men’s
Mitchell Wright 7th in 8yr boys
Kurt Pickard 7th in 13yr boys
Tayla Tomokino 4th in 8yr girls
Nicole Wright 4th 10 yr girls
Sarah walker 2nd in 16 yr girls
Sarah walker 3rd under 18 cruiser
Vanessa Quin 8th senior Women.
Local scene….. Jimmy Mitchell “who did ride the worlds” will be refocusing his energy on the Karori BMX track over the next few months, stay tuned there may be working bees..and things that need your help….
Harbour city thunderbolts, held an open day at the Hutt BMX track in early September, if you are keen to do some BMX racing this summer get your bikes out and tuned as there will be regular racing available!!

The 04 MTBike Worlds Les Gets, France.
Don’t be shy now…YAferkinhoooo Two rainbow jerseys in as many days!! Firstly super grom chik Scarlett Hagen scorches the field to win the junior woman’s world DH title by 10secs!! Not since Anne Caro have we witnessed such a domination of that class….look out world…
Then our very own queen of DH the ever bright Vanessa Quinn aka VOK rumbles the best of the Ladies to take her best ever worlds finish and the Rainbow Jersey!!! yes the Fav Anne Caro was out with smashed shoulders and bits…that’s what racing is all about you gotta make the final and following on from Vanessa’s strong world cup finishes ..Her final gate at the BMX worlds Vanessa “mighty” Quinn won by nearly three seconds….absoluteluyfantastico!!!
www.vanessaquin.com

Kashi Leuchs returned to top ten form with fine 7th in the elite men’s XC
1 lap behind
47 Mike Northcott (New Zealand)
56 Tim Vincent (New Zealand)

In the USA John Kirkcaldie didn’t mange a third successive Norba DH title!! bugger two is not a bad number though !!
A crash in the season final of the NORBA series had JK finish in 4th overall for 04…

World Masters Road racing championships, Invergcargil’s John Alabaster has brought home another 04 rainbow jersey John who became NZ famous last year for his stage win in the Tour of Southland recently won his age group”50-54” in the TT and a third place in the road race.


Local stuff!!!

Night riding, with winter almost over!! the hardcore night riding is nearly over for the year….Regular Wednesday night rides at Makara have been well supported and night light sales have been very impressive….the new LED lights have certainly been the number one seller for commuters and as back up lights for you night riders! We have sold out of the new Topeak moonlight HID systems these $600 light sets are worth checking out at www.topeak.com something to dream about for next year! So with daylight saving nearly upon us and many riders are gearing up for the annual day night thriller in Taupo, “entry forms are in store” Jville cycles will have several teams entered and we look forward to catching up with many friends and associates at his fun event…

Speaking of preparation. with spring time comes warmth and the incentive of training for coming events in the upcoming months is strong! lots of customers readying themselves for round Taupo and summer adventures!! So don’t miss out- get your early season miles in now! and enjoy the sunshine J

New Stuff as the new cycling season springs up on us ha-ha, So do all the new models! So Francis has been busy “poor bloke” travelling around the country to new model release shows from Chch to Ackld he has seen new bikes from Diamondback, Bauer, Raceline, Scott, Haro and Jamis so far….also on the show rounds was the 05 Rock Shox, Avid Brakes, SRAM dealer night held in Wellington. International rock Shox rep Rob Eva hosted the evening which was very informative and we got to play with all the new products!!! stay tuned for more info…the new Rock Shox range can be seen online www.the-red-pill.com


PNP Series.. Hi and thanks to everyone for making round 1 and round 2 of the CB Richard Ellis series

Rnd 1- 110 riders, thats incredible, imagine if it had been sunny!
Its seems a hard call to send recreational riders out on a wet and hilly course where the snow from the day before is still visible on the side of the tracks. The track was in great condition last week and we can only hope that we are not stricken with such challenging conditions again! There were some really heroic performances out there today among the recreational and elite riders alike. The Levin riders got the better of the Welly riders in Round 1 and we can only hope that good competition like this will help lift the standard for any riders preparing for next years nationals. Dont foget the next round at Dry Creek on September 19
Jeff
Rnd-2 Belmont park glorious spring weather greeted the 140+ rider field as they contested for positions on the 8k loop track…
I had received a call from the PNP club looking for helpers on the Friday and as I had planned to go watch the event, I happily turned up to help out as well. Now if you didn’t know where Belmont park was “like me” you could have driven around a while *up and down the motorway* until the flow of MTBikers drew me to the *no signs* event!! Ok once duly equipped with day-glo vest…damn it clashed horribly with my purple shorts!! I was posted out on vehicular management…”car parking attendant” which is always fun as I can say hi to everyone as they arrive and tell them all where to go!! hehehe
Racing commenced at 10am with a short sprint along the tar seal before climbing up into the park area…Laptimes were just over the 30 minutes for the 8 k course with only the senior men completing three laps…Wayne Hiscock win in that category was never doubted, it was the battle for second place between Ex national XC champ Craig Lawn and Upper Hutt rider Gavin McCarthy on a single speed bike that was the highlight for me…Gavin would lead over the hill on every lap with Craig retaking the lead on the way back to down to the finish area….Gavins last lap was very impressive as he managed to create a gap that he maintained to the finish and secure second place, Well done!! !! Prize giving followed and was held in warm spring afternoon sunshine with many happy riders!!
Noticeable was the big contingent of riders from Levin !!
For all results check out http://capitalcycling.org.nz/mtb/ and we will see you all at rnd three….

Single Speed Worlds…Ex Wellington rider Rick “Froggy Woodward yes the brother of Trevor has been over to Germany for the 04 worlds….here is his travel report!!

Hi all, I'm sure there are results around somewhere but here they they are, live and direct. Florien from Germany 1st. 2nd Clint Jackson (last years champ from New Zealand) Womans Cat winner was Linda from USA 1st. Many other people had a great time - racing or just riding around and stopping, having a bier or sausage a good time was had by all. Sorry if my z and y get mixed up - it's not a qwerty keyboard in Germany - it's qwertz. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 2 trucks for the bikes, 2 double decker buses for the people and off
to a place whose name escapes me right now, but it was an old tank training ground 70 km outta Berlin. Bier and sausage well represented at the sign on - infact special mention of the bier tent - 10/10 for presentation. (coke cost more than bier) Sandy terain, just like Woodhill, but huge congestion straight into the singletrack - no drama, just take it easy. 1.5 hrs later it was all over for yours truely - lapped twice by Florien from Germanz - not only was he dazzlingly fast he was polite as well. Nice
one. On return to the Generator hostel where everyone is staying - this place holds 850 beds apparently, party central in the bar - a nice bbq and then into the prizes. Surly (USA single speed bits and pieces manufacturer) and a few others (Phil Wood hubs) etc. came to the party with some kick ass prizes. Clint Jackson from NZ getting totally naked to claim a pair of FOX
suspension forks worth NZD $2500.00 was the sight of the night !! CSI reports sights of naked chicks on bikes in the wee small hours pulling massive skids in the parking lot. Not encouraged att all by the Kiwis as you can imagine..........................
Today the merry little band of kiwis went on a guided bike tour of Berlin courtesy of www.fattirebiketoursberlin.com - huge tired beach cruisers and a stop for lunch in a bier garden - ask yourself what could be better on a 25 degree Celsius day ??
We even got brave enough to get to the TV tower where the tour starts by Tram. Not an easy task deciphering German ticket machines and then they invite to use your eftpos/credit card only to reject you at the last minute. (we do accept all forms of Euro dollar tho.) Tonight will possibly our last night at the Generator hostel - heading off to Potsdam 2moro to see some castles and hang with the 'Potsdam Potatoes' our newly adopted German friends about an hour down the road. So, hope you all have your fires stoked up well as we bask in the sun over here. It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it. Aufverdersein (excuse spelling)
Rick and Keighlez and Bennz and Clint jackson all from a little countrz 32 hours awaz bz plane.


Roulston to Discovery
23 year old New Zealander Hayden Roulston (Cofidis) is set to sign a two year contract with the Discovery Channel team, according to the New Zealand Herald. Roulston, who has been plagued by injuries for the last two years, hopes to be fully fit by the time he starts his contract in 2005. However, he will shortly undergo an operation to remove a cyst that has been preventing him from riding at full capacity.
"The most important thing is that I'm 100 per cent fit and healthy when I take up my new contract," Roulston told the NZ Herald. Of his plans, Roulston said that he will be riding as a domestique for the team. "I wanted to get into a role where I'm a worker and spend the next two years working and learning."
Roulston doesn't believe that he will be part of Discovery's Tour de France line-up, but there will be plenty of opportunities for the Belgian based professional to shine in the classics and other tours on the Pro Tour calendar.

And its days like this…I’m sooo glad not to live in America
Cyclist attacked by grizzly bear in Wyoming.
-- A mountain biker on Togwotee Pass fought off a grizzly bear that repeatedly charged him until a companion drove the animal off with pepper spray. Kirk Speckhals escaped his encounter without a scratch; he had only four dirt marks from the bear's claws on his forearm, a punctured bicycle tire and a bent rim.
He said he hopes others learn from the mistakes he made during his ride around Pinnacle Buttes - including not making enough noise to warn bears, not riding together and not carrying pepper spray.
Speckhals, 46, and companion Tom Foley, said the grizzly was persistent and backed away only when there was about a second's worth of spray left in the can of deterrent.
Speckhals gave credit to Foley, who carried his can of spray on his hip, for saving his life.
"I was on the ground with the bear on top of me," Speckhals said. "I was waiting for a bone-crunching bite. I was ready to die."
Speckhals and Foley said the day started innocently enough when they left for the loop ride on Aug. 29 with another friend, Mark Wolling, near Brooks Lake. The route traverses a couple of passes on the Shoshone National Forest at the 9,500-foot level.
The area is near the Teton and Washakie wilderness areas and core grizzly habitat in the Yellowstone ecosystem.
Speckhals, a ski patroller and quality controller with a construction company, said he had ridden the loop several times before but had never carried bear spray.
Before taking off, Foley offered his extra can of spray. Wolling took it, figuring if anybody got in trouble, it was more likely to be him since he was bringing along his dog.
Speckhals said he had been ringing his bicycle bell at regular intervals to warn bears of his approach. As he climbed to the second pass of the trip, he pulled away from his companions and stopped making his regular warning.
Speckhals said he crested a rise and heard a noise he knew meant trouble.
"In the woods, 300 feet away, he was in full charge, coming right at me," he said. No question the bear was a grizzly, Speckhals said.
"I got off my bike and put it in front of me and started yelling 'Bear! Bear!'" he said. Foley, some distance back, heard the cries but could not see the confrontation.
Wolling was farther behind.
"All of a sudden I heard 'Bear! BEAAAR!!'" Foley said. "Whoa, God, I better get up there," he thought.
From the screams and sounds of the struggle, Foley realized Speckhals was wrestling with a bear.
Said Speckhals: "I lunged my bike out at him and yelled and he stopped."
The bear moved in again. He charged "six or seven times," Speckhals said, each time deterred at the last moment by the bicycle.
"Finally, he grabbed my bike out of my hands," Speckhals said. "He started stomping on it."
With the bear distracted, Speckhals started creeping away, but the bear immediately left the bike and put its front paws on Speckhals.
In a Greco-Roman wrestling stance, Speckhals sensed he was going down.
"This time he just took me out - drug me to the ground," he said. "I knew I was in trouble. I rotated and got on my chest."
Foley arrived to see the bear sitting atop his friend.
"Immediately, I knew I had to get over there, see what I could do," he said.
With pepper spray drawn, he advanced to within 15 feet and fired.
The bear got off his friend but turned and began circling Foley who was still spraying in the animal's face.
"That's when I got scared," Foley said, adding that the bear's eyes were very large.
"They were full of bear spray - not a blink."
The bear continued to circle as he backed up, yelling for Wolling. Foley's can of spray was running low; "I knew I was almost out," he said.
By now Wolling had made it to the site along with the dog and fumbled with his pack trying to find the second can of spray.
The dog rushed up, barked twice, then retreated down the trail "as fast as his little legs could move him," Wolling said.
With perhaps a second's worth of spray left, Foley tried a new tactic. He yelled at the bear at the top of his lungs.
"I could tell his eyes changed," Foley said. "I knew it was over. All of a sudden he took off."