World Para Track Cycling Championships 2012 - Los Angeles

The Australian Para Cycling team is now in camp in Adelaide in preparation for their departure to Los Angeles for the 2012 Track World Championships.

This is a really important event for team members because it is effectively the last opportunity for riders to stake a claim for track spots for the London Paralympics later in the year.

Canberra is well represented again with defending World Champion Sue Powell and our tandem pairing of Brandie O'Connor and pilot Kerry Knowler.  Brandie and Kerry will be looking to improve on their impressive podium performance at the 2011 Oceania Championships in New Zealand last November and bring some World Championship bling home.

Despite early indications that I would be traveling with the team, I have not been included on the team roster, so I won't  be on the spot to provide daily updates to any of you dedicated followers out there.

I will do my best to provide regular updates from any reports I get back from people in LA, but there won't be the usual photos and detailed reports this time around!

Disappointing, but that's just the way the cookie crumbles...

Farvel to Denmark

It's time to say goodbye (farvel). This is our last night here before flying out for good old Australia tomorrow morning.

With bikes packed and a spare day up our sleeves we headed up the coast north of Copenhagen to have a look at Kronborg Castle, or Hamlet's Castle as it is also known after Shakespeare used it as the setting for Hamlet.  The castle is located at Helsingor and within sight of Sweden.  Anyone interested in castles can find more information at http://www.copenhagenet.dk/CPH-Kronborg.htm.

Helsingor is worth a visit itself, situated right on the coast and very popular with boat owners as the following photo shows.

A very small selection of Helsingor's boat population

Kronborg Castle is very impressive. While it dates back to the 1600s, it's obviously been very well maintained, making it possible to really get a sense of how it must have been when it was a fully operational castle housing king and court.


Kronborg Castle from afar. It gives some sense of how imposing it is



Canons are situated all around the outer walls of the castle, apparently still at the ready if the
canonballs are anything to go by!

One corner of the enormous inner courtyard.

While in the castle, we discovered how Google Maps covers the areas where cars and other motorised vehicles can't go. It really was a case of the old meets the new.


Google Maps tricycle complete with all the paraphernalia necessary to photograph the world. Literally!

 The afternoon was spent on a final foray into Copenhagen for one last lap of Stroget, the capital's famous shopping street.  Copenhagen is not that much richer for having us there, but we enjoyed the spectacle of ancient buildings standing shoulder to shoulder with all the modern fashion houses and a huge variety of shops from an outlet devoted entirely to Lego, to a t-shirt outlet selling a variety of t-shirts and sweatshirts of a brand name not repeatable in polite company, and more jewellery shops than you could imagine!  All good fun and a good way to soak up those last few hours before returning to reality.

Copenhagen Town Hall

So this will be the last post from Denmark.  Thanks for tuning in and I hope you've enjoyed this journey with me.

Farvel and tak.

A little bit of luck goes a long way

The Roskilde World Championships circuit hosted the men's and women's tandem races this afternoon.  As predicted, the narrow and technical circuit proved challenging for the longer two wheeled machines, with several bikes coming to grief.

On one such occasion the victims of the misfortune were one of the American pairs in the women's race.  They suffered a front wheel puncture on one of the sharper corners of the circuit on lap 4 of 5 and had no hope of staying upright.  Brandie and Kerry were right behind them on the road and narrowly avoided kissing the bitumen with the Americans.  Rumour has it that Kerry has a future in any sport requiring the ability to change direction rapidly - she managed to muscle the Australian tandem out of harm's way and keep her and Brandie in the race. 

Unfortunately the interference with forward motion just as they were about to climb a small rise saw them lose contact with the main bunch, which at the same time, launched a series of attacks which effectively put paid to our girls' chances of regaining contact and being in a position to contest the final sprint. Still, better to be upright and finish the race off the pace than to be spending the night and ensuing days nursing road rash!

Kerry and Brandie getting involved in the action on lap 1 of the tandem road race

Of the other Australians in action this afternoon, Carol Cooke again added a silver medal to the team's tally in her trike road race, beaten by the same Canadian who won the time trial.

By my reckoning, Australia finished the 2011 World Road Para Cycling Championships with three gold medals and four silver medals.  Chinese Taipei produced its best ever result at Para Championships, with a 6th and a 4th.  Yes, OK, this is the first time, but congratulations to Jing for acquitting herself with great dedication and persistence.

Tomorrow everyone will enjoy some free time before flying out for Australia on Tuesday morning, another Worlds done and dusted.

Look out world, here comes Jing!

In her first World Road Championship appearance, Jing has improved from 6th in the time trial to finish a strong 4th in today's road race. The race was run over three laps of the 15.2km race circuit at Roskilde (the time trial was one lap of the same course).

The field stayed together for most of the first lap but the American defending champion, a Spanish C2 and a German C3 rider rode away on one of the climbs towards the end of lap one. The Spanish rider found the going a bit tough and dropped off, leaving the American and the German to ride together for the rest of the race, crossing the finish line with a joint victory salute for the cameras.

Meanwhile, Jing was having her own personal battle with another C3 rider, who narrowly edged her out in the sprint finish, but since they're in different divisions, it was academic anyway.

Here's Jing, very relieved to be crossing the finish line

This afternoon the tandem divisions have their road races, so more results later...

Deja Vu All Over Again

Sue Powell, World Champion. Again. Just in a different event this time.  Today Sue dominated the C4 Women's Road Race with a clever combination of attacks and conserving energy when it mattered.  As would have been expected after the time trial, when the three C4 women were separated by less than 12 seconds over 15km, the race came down to a sprint finish.  After 60km of racing, Sue took the gold by about 20cm ahead of Marie-Claude Molnar (Canada), with the Megan Fisher (USA) rounding out the placings.

On the podium again. Only two medals are awarded when there are only three starters

And what of the rest of we mere mortals?

Last night Jenny, Jing and I had dinner at Noma, Copenhagen's famous restaurant voted best in the world for the last two years.

Outside Noma which is housed in an old warehouse on the waterfront in Copenhagen

At Noma there is no menu, you simply eat what is put in front of you. And what is put in front of you is a range of very small servings of a wide variety of locally produced exotic fare. We had about nine appetisers including Reindeer moss, deep fried and served with creme fraiche..

Reindeer moss imported from Finland, served deep fried

The appetisers were followed by seven main courses and bread served with pig fat crumble and unclarified butter.  If you are into exotic food I suggest you go to http://www.noma.dk/ and check out the full menu.  It's certainly an experience!

This morning those who raced yesterday had a light recovery day and took in some more stunningly green Danish scenery.  Of course, one must have the obligatory "I was here" photo -

Jing and Kerry on the outskirts of Ringsted

As I've mentioned, Jing is here representing Chinese Taipei and this morning, the Chinese Taipei Ambassador to Denmark, his wife and secretary paid a visit to the Chinese Taipei team at out hotel.  It was an honour for us to have this meeting and to be able to provide some background on Para Cycling. 


Jing explains the finer points of cycling to the Ambassador

And so ends another varied and busy day in the world of para cycling.  Tomorrow is the last day of racing and Jing and Brandie and Kerry have their road races to complete proceedings.


Time Trials Done and Dusted

The time trials for all categories are now finished.  Unfortunately the second day wasn't quite as successful as the first but Australia still finished on the podium twice, with silver medals to Michael Gallagher in the C5 Men and Carol Cooke in the WT2 (women's trike) category.

Brandie and Kerry couldn't quite find their rhythm in the Women's tandem category and finished in 16th place. We'll chalk that one up to experience and move on to the road race tomorrow to look for a better showing.

In the women's C2 division, Jing delivered Chinese Taipei's first top 10 World Para Championships result, finishing 6th in her category and overtaking the rider from Russia, who started three minutes in front of her, in the process.  Jing's average speed was close to a personal best and Taiwan can be very proud of her representation.  Jing is also looking forward to the road race to see what it's like racing elbow to elbow with others in her category.

Today Sue is in action in the combined women's C4/C5 road race.  Sara Storey (C5) from Great Britain is also in this race and is a formidable rider in able bodied elite company, so my prediction is that the pace will be on and only the brave will survive!  Tune in later for results/report from this race.

Sue Powell, World Para Cycling C4 Time Trial Champion

Yes, the first events of the Championships are completed and Australia leads the medal count with two Gold medals.  David Nicholas won the Men's C3 Time Trial and Sue Powell has reclaimed the Women's C4 crown.

Final times haven't been posted yet, but David blazed around the 15km course in around 20 minutes.

Sue powered her way around in a stunning display of power and technique to shut out the USA rider who beat her by a full minute last year.

And here's the proof!

Another Rainbow Jersey for the collection!

That's it for now.  Time for.... you guessed it, a well earnt cup of coffee.....