ARBUTUS MEADOWS EVENTS 120904

This was the last evening of the season for MIVA massed start races. There were no junior riders tonight as the youth contingent had spent a very strenuous weekend at the Axel Merckx clinic and were enjoying a well-earned rest.

The first senior event was a miss and out – the third one this summer. The pack was more together tonight and all but three stayed together. First to go was Bill McMillan who thought the sprint lap was later and didn't hear the bell either. Next was Russell Berg who is still working on his cycling legs. Next was Shawn Boyd for whom this was the first ezperience ofan elimination race. Then Shepherd Stewart found himself at the back – probably due to a case of few miles while on holiday. Iain Hay was

next off the back – he was not feeling at all well tonight. With only one rider left to lose before the final three man sprint, Ray Wagner was just edged out after being well away from the back during the early laps. At the line, Normon Thibault made a determined effort, just beating Paul Thompson, with Kyle Waring, who has shown a big improvement this season, finishing a close third.

The points criterium that followed was quite exciting to watch, with the points spread among seven different competitors. Paul, Bill and Shep. shared the points in the first couple of sprints but then Normon won the next two, collecting fifteen points in the process. Kyle and Ray also appeared on the score card for the first time. In the last four sprints, Paul returned to his winning ways, collecting nineteen points and the overall win ,with Norm scoring a further six to end up in second place and Ray garnering fourteen of his sixteen point total here and securing third. Kristy Mighton's photos  here.

Thanks to all the riders who supported these Tuesday races through the season, to the youth riders from Courtenay and Nanaimo who showed us some great riding and to their parents who ferried them to the events, to those who helped set up and take down through the year, and a special thanks to the Bau family who made their wonderful new track available for the last few events.

Every September, Pacific Sport organises a Coaches Breakfast with a keynote speaker. This year is no exception. The Breakfast is at the Coast Bastion Inn on September 21st. and the featured speaker is Bob Lenarduzzi, President of the Vancouver Whitecaps. For further information on this event go here.

The last weekly criterium of the season is at Arbutus Meadows Equestrian Centre tonight (Tuesday). First race is at 6.30pm and the criterium will be at about 7pm. Everyone come out and enjoy this great circuit.  

MIVA HILL CLIMB NO. 2, 12 08 30 Meadow Drive/Jamieson Road, Nanaimo           PHOTOS HERE

Pleasant evening – 18 deg. C., no wind. This was the first massed start hill climb the club has run to date. Almost immediately, Paul Auton surged ahead of the group and stayed there. Behind him, Paul Thompson, Steven Crowley and Kirby Villeneuve stayed together for the first part of the climb, with Jason Hare, Lorrie Baildham and Dave Kenny about fifteen seconds behind them, Patrick Burnham was having difficulty turning his fixed wheel but stayed fairly close. Bringing up the rear were the two junior riders, with Abigail Hare already well ahead of brother Aiden.

After the initial one kilometre steep grade, the road flattened out for the next seven hundred metres before kicking up again for the final kilometre. The order stayed the same, with Auton about half a minute clear of second placed Thompson and Crowley and Villeneuve pulling ahead of Hare. Lorrie managed to stay a couple of seconds behind him. Dave Kenny was now well over half a minute behind the leading woman, with Patrick a further fifteen seconds back.

In the final steep climb to the line, Paul A consolidated his lead and finished over forty-five seconds ahead of the other Paul.with Steve Crowley a further seven seconds back in third place and Kirby coming fourth a further ten seconds down. It was forty seconds before Jason Hare rolled in, with Lorrie only five seconds behind. Master F, Dave Kenny finished a further forty seconds back but his age-corrected time would have placed him in fifth place overall. Patrick managed to keep his fixie churning but would have been faster with a lower gear. The Hare kids both did creditable rides, with Abigail's time especially good for her age.

Of special note was the fact that Paul Auton rode from Duncan for the event established a course record and rode back home afterwards – over one hundred kilometres in all!

Thanks to all who helped with set up and tear down.

Next week's hill climb is another new course, starting at the bottom of East Wellington Road, just past the Holland Road junction, and finishing just before the junction with Jingle Pot Road. Registration will open at 6pm and first off will be at 6.31pm.

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any p.e.d.'s or blood doping when the majority of his acolytes and opponents were juiced up. There are those who think he was complicit in a carefully structured programme of homologous blood transfusions, EPO, testosterone, and goodness knows what else. There are those who have their doubts one way or the other but who aren't really sure. And of course there are those ( probably the vast majority) who don't care a hoot. Whichever camp you are in, Cyclesmas' excellent flow chart, published in Velorooms,  here,  is a real eye opener. By the way, Lances present net worth is estimated at $125,000,000