Britain draws up plans for World Cup bid
On October 21, 2008 by Administrator
Last week, the Rugby Football League announced that Britain has constructed plans to host the next World Cup. Executive chairman of the RFL, Richard Lewis, hopes that the next Rugby League World Cup will be moved to 2013 in order to avoid clashing with the Olympics and has spoken of the strength of Britain’s prospective bid.
The plans that have been drawn up envisage a 12-team tournament, as opposed to the 16-team event seen in 2000 and this year’s 10-team competition. The plans have been greeted with criticism from some sections of the British media, since the RFL lost approximately £700,000 the last time it hosted the World Cup, in 2000.
The 2000 tournament was meant to light up the UK’s sporting scene but the reality was somewhat different. World-class rugby league players were forced to play in embarrassingly empty rugby stadia and several of the matches were ruined by typically British weather conditions.
The British public generally failed to show any excitement during the matches, many of which were one-sided and thus boring. Those fans who did have a passion for the sport encountered difficulties whilst trying to purchase tickets on match days and this resulted in many fans missing large parts of the games.
Those involved in the sport were particularly concerned with the poor marketing for the matches. However, Richard Lewis believes that important lessons have been learnt from that experience and says that the UK is now “the right place” for the World Cup to be staged.
Written by Charlotte Cook
Basso reveals excitement over imminent return
On by Administrator
Ivan Basso has spoken of his excitement at returning to competitive racing following a two-year suspension for his part in the Operation Puerto doping inquiry. The Italian cyclist believes that he can make a successful comeback and prove to the world of cycling that his previous victories were achieved honestly.
Basso won the Giro d’Italia in 2006 but was suspended after police found bags of blood that he admitted belonged to him. Although he made this confession, the 30-year-old still claims that he never used the blood to improve his performance during competitive racing.
Spanish police found over 200 code-named bags of blood that were all linked to leading cyclists, including Basso. Other cyclists implicated in the controversy include Jan Ullrich, the former winner of the Tour de France, and Roberto Heras, who has previously won the Tour of Spain.
Basso will return to action two days after his ban ends, on the 24th of October. He will travel to Tokyo to take part in the one-day Japan Cup and has spoken of his excitement at experiencing the emotions of competing, which he has been unable to feel for two years.
The cyclist believes that he is in “good form” and is confident that he can “do well” in both Tokyo and Argentina, where he will race in the Tour of San Luis in January next year. These races are good opportunities for the cyclist to reach the peak of his ability prior to the Tour of California in February, which in itself will be the perfect preparation for the 2009 Giro d’Italia.
Performing well in the Giro is Basso’s “biggest objective for 2009” but the races that form the build-up to that race will be instrumental in ensuring that the Italian’s comeback is successful. They will also allow him to build up a rapport with his new team mates, as Basso will be racing for new team, Liquigas.
Ivan Basso was born in Gallarate, in Lombardy, and ironically grew up living next door to Claudio Chiappucci. Chiappucci was forced into retirement after being found guilty of doping more than once. He impressed during the 1995 Junior World Championships and won the World Championship for under 23-year-olds just three years later.
The following year, he turned professional and competed in his first Giro d’Italia. Although he did not manage to finish the race, he publicly stated his ambition to win it in the future. Basso’s first professional victory came in the Regio Tour in 2000 with Amica Chips-Tacconi Sport.
2001 was a successful year for the Italian, who made his Tour de France debut after moving to Fassa Bortolo and joining up with Giancarlo Ferretti. He managed to finish seventh in the 2003 Tour de France and helped fellow Italian, Luca Paolini, win a bronze medal at the 2004 World Championships, held in Verona.
It was in 2006, however, that Basso really lit up the cycling world. He won the Giro d’Italia in an impressive manner, thrashing the other competitors.
However, the Operation Puerto doping inquiry put an end to the cyclist’s rapid development, as he was forced to miss out on professional competition for two years. It will be interesting to see if he is able to recapture some of the form that proved so effective prior to his suspension.
Written by Charlotte Cook
Armstrong’s Return
On September 22, 2008 by Administrator
Cycling legend, Lance Armstrong, recently shocked the world of sport by announcing his plans to come out of retirement to compete in the Tour de France. Armstrong has never been one to shy away from controversy and his reasons for returning should certainly be taken with a pinch of salt.
The official reason behind the cyclist’s return is a desire to “raise awareness of the global cancer burden”, a charitable intention somewhat undermined by the subsequent comment from his manager that “we’re not going to try to win second place”. So why exactly is Armstrong coming out of retirement?
Perhaps the first, and most cynical, reason that springs to mind is financial gain. Armstrong has been quick to put a stop to this kind of speculation, stating that he is not going to ask for a salary. Whether this is true or not is beside the point.
Some form of income is bound to come as a result of the media frenzy surrounding Armstrong’s recent announcement. On the other hand, the cyclist’s bank account is hardly at risk of running low, given his lucrative sponsorship deals with Nike and Trek bikes.
Some pundits have suggested that Armstrong is secretly keen to prove that his previous victories in the Tour de France have been clean, following continuing speculation that he took the banned drug, EPO, during the 1990s. However, this argument appears somewhat tenuous, especially since Armstrong has already passed dozens of drug tests over the years. Furthermore, would such an independent and self-assured character really result to such drastic measures just to prove certain sports critics wrong?
Perhaps the real reason lies behind this self-assured sense of identity that the cyclist has built over the years. After so many years at the top of his sport, it must be extremely difficult for Armstrong to simply let go of that area of his life. He has focussed his energies on raising a tremendous amount of money for charity but has seemingly not been able to experience the thrills provided by regular competition.
Many other sportsmen and women have found themselves in similar predicaments following retirement and have reversed their decisions without any of the speculation that is surrounding Armstrong’s announcement.
Whatever the reason for the cyclist’s decision, it certainly is a brave one. He has put his reputation on the line and ultimately risks humiliation. After all, Armstrong will be 37 when the Tour de France begins and only one cyclist over the age of 34 has ever won the tournament, and that was over 80 years ago. Rabobank team leader, Adri van Houwelingen, believes that it will be “impossible” for the cyclist to win the Tour de France, stating that Armstrong will be unable to “come back on the level he had before” as a young man.
However, in response to questions over his age, Armstrong has been quick to remind the public of the examples of Dara Torres, a 41-year old Olympic medallist swimmer, and Constantina Tomescu-Dita, who won a gold medal in the Olympic Marathon at the age of 38. Ultimately, the message seems clear: write Armstrong off at your peril.
Written by Charlotte Cook
Armstrong to make shock comeback
On September 10, 2008 by Administrator
Lance Armstrong wants that eighth Tour De France as the American has confirmed that he is coming out of retirement for the 2009 event.
The cynics will say that now he’s found a new wonder drug that can’t be detected but those people just disgust me.
I hope he goes and does it because he is just a great inspiration.
BMX and the Olympic Games
On September 4, 2008 by Administrator
The addition of a new sport to the Olympic Games is a tentative process and many get no further than the initial demonstration period. Popular sports such as American football and water skiing have failed to convince the International Olympic Committee (IOC) of their merits and lasted no longer than a year before being replaced. This year’s Olympic Games welcomes another new sport: one with a distinctly modern image – bicycle motocross (BMX).
Athletes participate in BMX in a plethora of different ways. The sport belongs to the same school of extreme sports as skateboarding, snowboarding and motocross, and the events within the discipline range from simple races to the more dangerous Vert event which focuses on style and skill over time or distance. The sport has become increasingly popular with thrill seekers due to its relatively low cost and the fact that it can be enjoyed on almost any surface. Riders actively seek out new terrain and locations to hone their skills, craft their arenas from the urban environment, and may even make their own ramps and jumps.
The Olympic BMX event is a competition of speed in which a number of competitors (eight during the semi-finals and four in the final proper) race around a dirt track complete with hillocks, ramps and tight corners. As such, the event has much more in common with the high octane world of motocross than with snow or skateboarding. The decision to avoid Vert BMX is a consequence of the amount of amateur riders that choose to specialise in the field which, at present, is very low due to the sport’s inherent potential for career-ending injuries. Beijing’s Laoshan BMX venue became the official venue for the five events contested on the 21st and the 23rd of August. The final was scheduled to take place on the 22nd but was postponed due to a spell of bad weather that made the course treacherous to riders.
Despite the dangers associated with the sport, American rider, Donny Robinson, believes that his involvement in BMX racing removed him from other, less desirable theatres: ‘You’re so focussed, […] you couldn’t ask for anything better as a kid. And our sport’s a little cooler.’ Robinson claimed a bronze medal in the men’s BMX final on Friday while British rider, Shanaze Reade, missed out on the podium after taking a tumble in the final. She escaped with minor injuries but was relegated from the competition. The two gold medallists were Anne-Caroline Chausson from France and Latvian rider, Māris Štrombergs.
BMX replaced the long-established time trial cycling event, effectively closing off an avenue of competition to make way for a niche (but very popular) alternative. The inclusion of snowboarding (since 1998, although the events have been altered subsequently) and BMX racing among long-established sports such as boxing and swimming may mark a move towards a more commercialised Olympic games where appealing to a younger, more ‘modern’ audience is paramount for the continuing success of the IOC and of the Games themselves.
Perhaps the most important question to ask of a new Olympic sport is: will it survive the four year hiatus and return for a second run at London 2012? BMX racing received a great deal of media attention over the last two weeks and was lauded as a thrilling spectacle by Reuters, the BBC and Sky Sports who thought that the event was a far-cry from the more disciplined sports that have graced the Olympics for hundreds of years. The success of BMX racing is an important step forward for extreme sports and the IOC may yet welcome skateboarding, surfing, gliding, or other niche events into the Olympic family.
Written by Chris Illingworth
2008 was good – 2012 could even be better!
On August 20, 2008 by Administrator
Looking back on the past few days it has been quite an Olympics for our team in the Velodrome.
Seven gold medals, three silver and two bronze – doesn’t sound too bad does it?
Chris Hoy will go down as the legend but it was a huge team performance. Some cynics would say that this shows that if you provide World Class facilities (the Manchester Velodrome) and sort out the infrastructure of the sport then you can actually become good at something. It is how Australia has worked for years, pumping money into public sports facilities and they’ve been terrific, we are only slowly cottoning on to that idea.
Anyway I digress…
Chris Hoy’s golds in the Men’s Sprint, Keirin and Team Sprint has lifted him to the very top of his profession. His team mate Bradley Wiggins was also going for three golds but only came away with two – this would usually be considered a great success but Wiggins was disappointed to of missed out in the Madison – an event where he and his partner are the current World Champions.
Victoria Pendleton and Rebecca Romero were the other British cyclists who tasted gold on the track in a solo event. Ed Clancy, Paul Manning and Geraint Thomas were part of the gold medal Team Pursuit team whereas Jason Kenny and Jamie Staff were part of the Team Sprint team.
Britain ruled the Velodrome in China and the future looks extremely bright for London 2012 in this sport.
Ten to watch: Shanaze Reade
On August 5, 2008 by Administrator
She might be at home on the BMX but on the track she is also dynamite. She could be wearing gold around her neck in the very near future…
No Cycling Status
On May 30, 2008 by Administrator
So Harlow won’t be given ‘cycling town’ status. Honestly what is that all about?
Were they planning on making more paved areas and reducing the amount of cars that could use the town?
Welcome to TalkCycling
On May 29, 2008 by Administrator
Welcome to the TalkCycling Blog
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