Los Angeles is at the cutting edge when it comes to " taking an Initiative "! Normally May each year , there is a " Collection of Weapons , thus generating " Gift Coupons " as a reward ! $100 " gift Voucher for Hand Guns , etc and $200 for Assault type weapons . Last May somewhere around 1700 items were exchanged on a " No Questions asked basis .
Due to the Newtown Atrocity , a new " Collection of Weapons " is reported to have begun ! How can anyone justify an " Anti Tank Gun " , in their possession ? Can you imagine how anyone could take this item out in public , let alone hunting ? Could it have been a souvenir of a member of the " Armed Services ? Not the sort of item that any "Right thinking Person " would keep in their home , let alone in an unlocked storage facility ? In a previous Blog Post , i had suggested that Weapons be turned in at the National Guard in return for a " Tax Rebate "! Costs the Government , little , to forego some revenue ! Seems that the Los Angeles Initiative gets results over the years , wonder why this is not a more common occurance throughout the USA ?
When Australia enacted Legislation for " Gun Control in 1996 , there was also a " Buy Back Scheme ": There were penalties for " Possession of a Sanctioned Weapon " after a certain date , but , i am sure most owners were happy to take the " Rewards on Offer "! Tax Rebates , may not be as attractive as giving " Gift Vouchers " , but they will mean less chance of people not complying with Legislation .
CNN reports another Initiative that i believe is worthwhile . A Newspaper , " Journal news ", has printed a listing of ALL Gun Permit Owners in TWO Counties of New York State . this is backed up by an " Interactive Map " ! This Interactive Map allows you to Zoom in on ALL your neighbours , this info being compiled from Public Information . Naturally , there is now a controversy regarding the " Rights & Wrongs " of this " Public spirited Action "! Some families will now be perusing those lists , checking to see whether the Childrens " Friends " , are listed , deciding whether they have issues about their Children visiting those premises ?
On the Contra side there are those suggesting the " Criminal Elements " will be able to utilise this info , for their benefit ? Looking to obtain some weapons , or knowing who can be regarded as " Defenceless " , are just a few of the ideas floated as justification for this Initiative , NOT being utilised by others releasing similar information elsewhere .
CONGRESS is supposedly returning to Washington before the New Year , WHAT is stopping them from following Los Angeles and using the " Legislation appied THERE " , to create an IMMEDIATE " BUY BACK Scheme " in their States and " Districts "?
Are these politicians SO COWARDLY that they want to see more " Giffords , more NEWTOWNS , more "First Responders " massacred ?
WHY are people not on the phone to their ELECTED REPS , demanding INITIATIVES and ACTION TODAY ?
Are you going to sit back after reading this and NOT VISIT : http://www.demandaplan.org/
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
TIME is passing , OUTRAGE is GROWING !
CNN continues to broadcast the name of the perpetrator of the " Newtown Massacre "! Can you imagine what signal , this is sending to someone , that is weighing their " Options "? MAKE NO MISTAKE , there are those out there with the same " mindset " , as those that committed the previous FOUR Atrocities , that President Obama was caused to deal with , by visiting the " loved ones of the Victims "!
Watching the " Piers Morgan Show on CNN , i saw , one of those , that President Obama comforted , with , virtually the same words , that he used Friday and again on Sunday . I have no doubt that President Obama , is genuinely distressed by what is taking place , repeatedly . Political Capital is what got him Elected in 2008 and just recently reelected . This is a commodity , that has to be expended , diligently , to give the Nation the best results .
Last night , European time , i saw Many Americans beseiging the offices of the " NRA ": It was quite clear from the placards , carried , that this is an ongoing situation . People have been expressing their feelings about the " NRA " for many years .
" A week is a long time in Politics " , is a well known expression ? Passions are currently inflamed by the weekend's events and many of those " Paid up Politicians " endorsed by the " NRA ", must be hunkered down , hoping to survive the " Firestorm " that has been created by this the latest , of the ongoing series of indefensible " OUTRAGES "! Being on the Payroll of the " NRA " , has made raising Campaign Funds , somewhat easier for Politicians in recent years . Did i hear correct , when TV informed me that the 2012 elexction Campaign cost Billions ?
President Obama , you have to act TODAY , your promises to the Families of the " Aurora Massacre " are unfulfilled and who knows when the next Serial Murderer will seek Notoriety ?
You have the National guard , to take control of ALL " Assault type Weapons " ! Congress should have ALREADY been recalled to reinstitute the Bills repealed in 2004 . Australian and British Legislation is on the Internet and you have the Legal Staff that can adjust the terminology to suit the US Constitutional requirements !
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR ?
ANOTHER OUTRAGE ?
AS Leader of the " FREE WORLD " , you are able TO ACT !
Nobody seems to want to help here :
http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/president-of-united-states-of-america-repeal-the-2nd-amendment
Watching the " Piers Morgan Show on CNN , i saw , one of those , that President Obama comforted , with , virtually the same words , that he used Friday and again on Sunday . I have no doubt that President Obama , is genuinely distressed by what is taking place , repeatedly . Political Capital is what got him Elected in 2008 and just recently reelected . This is a commodity , that has to be expended , diligently , to give the Nation the best results .
Last night , European time , i saw Many Americans beseiging the offices of the " NRA ": It was quite clear from the placards , carried , that this is an ongoing situation . People have been expressing their feelings about the " NRA " for many years .
" A week is a long time in Politics " , is a well known expression ? Passions are currently inflamed by the weekend's events and many of those " Paid up Politicians " endorsed by the " NRA ", must be hunkered down , hoping to survive the " Firestorm " that has been created by this the latest , of the ongoing series of indefensible " OUTRAGES "! Being on the Payroll of the " NRA " , has made raising Campaign Funds , somewhat easier for Politicians in recent years . Did i hear correct , when TV informed me that the 2012 elexction Campaign cost Billions ?
President Obama , you have to act TODAY , your promises to the Families of the " Aurora Massacre " are unfulfilled and who knows when the next Serial Murderer will seek Notoriety ?
You have the National guard , to take control of ALL " Assault type Weapons " ! Congress should have ALREADY been recalled to reinstitute the Bills repealed in 2004 . Australian and British Legislation is on the Internet and you have the Legal Staff that can adjust the terminology to suit the US Constitutional requirements !
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR ?
ANOTHER OUTRAGE ?
AS Leader of the " FREE WORLD " , you are able TO ACT !
Nobody seems to want to help here :
http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/president-of-united-states-of-america-repeal-the-2nd-amendment
Saturday, December 15, 2012
COWARDICE !
An emotional President , Barack Obama , stood at the Podium last night , distressed to the point of being unable to articulate his feelings ! When he walked away from the podium to his office , what were his thoughts ? We ALL know who the " real culprits " of this sad occasion are ! Even people like me , an outsider without " Offspring " knows that the future is the " YOUNG "!
News Networks are swarming all over this story , clamouring for their " take " on WHY this tradegy was allowed to happen . Money and " Vested Interests " is why this latest tradegy has come about . As i wake this morning , i have seen Sky News , AlJazeera , CNN and BBC World News Networks put forward their " experts " , to attempt to explain the motivations of the perpetrator , of this the latest , of so many outrages .
As an Australian i cast my memory back to the " Tasmanian Event ", 95 lives lost in that " killing spree "! As a visitor to the USA , i have been in the neighbourhood of this latest incident , and since the 1966 Austin Tradegy , so many of these incidents have occured in areas that i have visited at some time over the years . Even the U.K. has had the " Dunblane Infants School " event , where 16 youngsters lost their lives ! That alone ,should have sent the message throughout the world ? Holland and France are other Countries , that have suffered these Heinous Tradegies .
President Barack Obama , YOU alone can solve the problem in the USA ! The National Rifle Association Board Members should be rounded up , TODAY , walked through the corridors of Newtown's Elementary School , BEFORE the bodies are removed ! When these people see the results , of their intractable opposition to any reform of the US Gun laws , then cast their minds over how they would feel , if it were their Family Members , lying there , would they oppose SENSIBLE GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS ?
The National Rifle Association has so much money to THREATEN every Politician , that NO POLITICIAN is willing to risk their career to oppose them ! " Pax America " is the World's Policeman , in the main it does a good job , BUT , how can you Police the world , when there are so many problems at Home ? Certainly a GUN does not operate by itself , just as a car cannot maim , by itself ! Here is not the place to make arguments " For and Against Gun Control "!
The Second Amendment of the US Constitution provides US Citizens with RIGHTS ! HOW much effort is required to repeal this Amendment ? Throughout the World people are using Social Media to express their Outrage and Sorrow for the results of this UNNECESSARY ATROCITY ! Time people stopped thinking about ways to safeguard " Children " , BUT , about ways to CLOSEDOWN those that prevent the enactment of Legislation to repeal the 2nd Amendment !
How many more communities must have this HORROR visited on Families of Children ? Put yourself in the shoes of a Board Member of the National Rifle Association and ask YOURSELF if you would release funds to fight President Obama , when he introduces Legislation to Repeal the " 2nd Amendment "?
When Barack Obama walked onto the Podium , he was behaving as a parent , he let the World see how much he cared for his Two children and Michelle his Wife ! He said that there will be action to deal with this situation . No doubt , back in his office , after quiet reflection , he would have started to work the phones , calling in support for the Initiatives , that he MUST take , to prevent countless repetitions , of these senseless incidents .
Make no mistake , this is ONLY the latest example , of this continual stream , of " publicity seeking mentally disturbed individuals "! People with " issues ", seek ways to show others , their particular concerns . Even now , as i write this post , i see CNN's , Piers Morgan , interviewing a " Class mate " , seeking a view of the perpetrator's personality and his background whilst at school and the time since . Now the Experts are saying that there are TWO types of perpetrator . Either " Sociepaths " or " Brain Damaged " individuals , for me this is not the answer since EVERYBODY is UNIQUE ! " Basking in the Glory of their ACTION "? Each " expert " has their OWN take on each Tradegy ! One of these Experts said that " America " FAILED the " Mentally ILL "! The other said " This event is statistically Extremely Rare "!
The title of this post " Cowardice " comes about , because TOO MANY PEOPLE , choose to avoid deciding to ACT ! This applies to the whole cross section of the Community , those Elected to Office as well as the Voters ! People in the USA seem to have only a choice of Republican and Democratic Candidates when National Elections take place , YOU as a Voter , need to decide you will only Vote for the Candidates that will Vote against the Interests of the " GUN LOBBY "!
Statistically speaking , an unproved fact , 3 times more people will act aggressively when they have a GUN in their house ! In this modern world , why is it necessary to have a Gun in the house ? Certainly , a small percentage of homes are raided by criminal elements , occasionally these perpetrators will be carrying guns and willing to utilise them to avoid detention .
At the risk of offending people , NOBODY outside Law Enforcement Personnel , require firearms ! Even farmers in areas where wild animals roam do not require " firearms "! They can choose to avoid these areas and when they need to " cull " , obtain the necessary permits .
" GUN CONTROL " is an emotive issue , so much so that the Piers Morgan Show has deteriorated into a Shouting Match "! " NRA " are described as " Enablers of Mass Murder " amongst other things ! The " Gun Lobby " has to change their way of thinking so that Mr & Mrs America can live at peace !
My only adverse contact with guns , accured in 1988 when i was driving in Sydney . Driving north along Castlereagh Street , mid morning , i saw a long haired man , pull a hand gun and shoot another in the leg ! The shot man was wearing the uniform of a " Security Company ", thus carrying a holster on his belt . As he collapsed the perpetrator , removed the pistol and started to run down the street . Carrying a " hands free phone " in the Van i called the Police and persued giving directions as the culprit changed direction several times . It felt like hours , but obviously , only minutes , and several times i ducked , thinking a bullet was going to come my way . Eventually the man ducked into a building , at which time a warrant card was flashed at my window and i passed information to the Detectives arriving on the scene . Regretably the culprit exited the back of the building so the matter was left in suspence for some months . Eventually caught , he was sentenced to 7years , after witnesses such as myself gave evidence in court .
Created the following Petition ;
www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/president-of-united-states-of-america-repeal-the-2nd-amendment#invite
Whilst YOU may not like the choice of words , support this action OR create a better way FORWARD !
NB I regret to say , that i did not wish the Grieving Parents , the Space to grieve without the World invading their Privacy . Not having been a Parent , i have no idea of what they are suffering .
So far there is no sign of the names of the casulties and R.I.P. seems so inadequate ?
President Obama in speaking as a Father and Parent said the following :
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/14/obama-statement-shooting-newtown-connecticut-text
BY SIGNING THE Petition above YOU can contribute to the impetus needed for ACTION !
News Networks are swarming all over this story , clamouring for their " take " on WHY this tradegy was allowed to happen . Money and " Vested Interests " is why this latest tradegy has come about . As i wake this morning , i have seen Sky News , AlJazeera , CNN and BBC World News Networks put forward their " experts " , to attempt to explain the motivations of the perpetrator , of this the latest , of so many outrages .
As an Australian i cast my memory back to the " Tasmanian Event ", 95 lives lost in that " killing spree "! As a visitor to the USA , i have been in the neighbourhood of this latest incident , and since the 1966 Austin Tradegy , so many of these incidents have occured in areas that i have visited at some time over the years . Even the U.K. has had the " Dunblane Infants School " event , where 16 youngsters lost their lives ! That alone ,should have sent the message throughout the world ? Holland and France are other Countries , that have suffered these Heinous Tradegies .
President Barack Obama , YOU alone can solve the problem in the USA ! The National Rifle Association Board Members should be rounded up , TODAY , walked through the corridors of Newtown's Elementary School , BEFORE the bodies are removed ! When these people see the results , of their intractable opposition to any reform of the US Gun laws , then cast their minds over how they would feel , if it were their Family Members , lying there , would they oppose SENSIBLE GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS ?
The National Rifle Association has so much money to THREATEN every Politician , that NO POLITICIAN is willing to risk their career to oppose them ! " Pax America " is the World's Policeman , in the main it does a good job , BUT , how can you Police the world , when there are so many problems at Home ? Certainly a GUN does not operate by itself , just as a car cannot maim , by itself ! Here is not the place to make arguments " For and Against Gun Control "!
The Second Amendment of the US Constitution provides US Citizens with RIGHTS ! HOW much effort is required to repeal this Amendment ? Throughout the World people are using Social Media to express their Outrage and Sorrow for the results of this UNNECESSARY ATROCITY ! Time people stopped thinking about ways to safeguard " Children " , BUT , about ways to CLOSEDOWN those that prevent the enactment of Legislation to repeal the 2nd Amendment !
How many more communities must have this HORROR visited on Families of Children ? Put yourself in the shoes of a Board Member of the National Rifle Association and ask YOURSELF if you would release funds to fight President Obama , when he introduces Legislation to Repeal the " 2nd Amendment "?
When Barack Obama walked onto the Podium , he was behaving as a parent , he let the World see how much he cared for his Two children and Michelle his Wife ! He said that there will be action to deal with this situation . No doubt , back in his office , after quiet reflection , he would have started to work the phones , calling in support for the Initiatives , that he MUST take , to prevent countless repetitions , of these senseless incidents .
Make no mistake , this is ONLY the latest example , of this continual stream , of " publicity seeking mentally disturbed individuals "! People with " issues ", seek ways to show others , their particular concerns . Even now , as i write this post , i see CNN's , Piers Morgan , interviewing a " Class mate " , seeking a view of the perpetrator's personality and his background whilst at school and the time since . Now the Experts are saying that there are TWO types of perpetrator . Either " Sociepaths " or " Brain Damaged " individuals , for me this is not the answer since EVERYBODY is UNIQUE ! " Basking in the Glory of their ACTION "? Each " expert " has their OWN take on each Tradegy ! One of these Experts said that " America " FAILED the " Mentally ILL "! The other said " This event is statistically Extremely Rare "!
The title of this post " Cowardice " comes about , because TOO MANY PEOPLE , choose to avoid deciding to ACT ! This applies to the whole cross section of the Community , those Elected to Office as well as the Voters ! People in the USA seem to have only a choice of Republican and Democratic Candidates when National Elections take place , YOU as a Voter , need to decide you will only Vote for the Candidates that will Vote against the Interests of the " GUN LOBBY "!
Statistically speaking , an unproved fact , 3 times more people will act aggressively when they have a GUN in their house ! In this modern world , why is it necessary to have a Gun in the house ? Certainly , a small percentage of homes are raided by criminal elements , occasionally these perpetrators will be carrying guns and willing to utilise them to avoid detention .
At the risk of offending people , NOBODY outside Law Enforcement Personnel , require firearms ! Even farmers in areas where wild animals roam do not require " firearms "! They can choose to avoid these areas and when they need to " cull " , obtain the necessary permits .
" GUN CONTROL " is an emotive issue , so much so that the Piers Morgan Show has deteriorated into a Shouting Match "! " NRA " are described as " Enablers of Mass Murder " amongst other things ! The " Gun Lobby " has to change their way of thinking so that Mr & Mrs America can live at peace !
My only adverse contact with guns , accured in 1988 when i was driving in Sydney . Driving north along Castlereagh Street , mid morning , i saw a long haired man , pull a hand gun and shoot another in the leg ! The shot man was wearing the uniform of a " Security Company ", thus carrying a holster on his belt . As he collapsed the perpetrator , removed the pistol and started to run down the street . Carrying a " hands free phone " in the Van i called the Police and persued giving directions as the culprit changed direction several times . It felt like hours , but obviously , only minutes , and several times i ducked , thinking a bullet was going to come my way . Eventually the man ducked into a building , at which time a warrant card was flashed at my window and i passed information to the Detectives arriving on the scene . Regretably the culprit exited the back of the building so the matter was left in suspence for some months . Eventually caught , he was sentenced to 7years , after witnesses such as myself gave evidence in court .
Created the following Petition ;
www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/president-of-united-states-of-america-repeal-the-2nd-amendment#invite
Whilst YOU may not like the choice of words , support this action OR create a better way FORWARD !
NB I regret to say , that i did not wish the Grieving Parents , the Space to grieve without the World invading their Privacy . Not having been a Parent , i have no idea of what they are suffering .
So far there is no sign of the names of the casulties and R.I.P. seems so inadequate ?
President Obama in speaking as a Father and Parent said the following :
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/14/obama-statement-shooting-newtown-connecticut-text
BY SIGNING THE Petition above YOU can contribute to the impetus needed for ACTION !
Thursday, December 6, 2012
PHIL ANDERSON speaks about " CCN "!
" Change Cycling now " has been in the headlines this week , far more visible than the phats of aigle would feel happy about ! In the ROAR article , Phil speaks out ;http://www.theroar.com.au/2012/12/06/anderson-big-changes-required-at-the-uci/#comments
My comment as issued , currently awaiting Moderation !
" G'day Phil ,
You will recall our many meetings at the side of the TDF , when you were shepherding your Client guests ! Last time we spoke , i guess would be at the 2009 TDF , in the South of France under the Ville Arrivee big screen . You and those with you , rode past the Bus Shelter where we were having a cook up prior to driving to the ITT , the next day . The remark of a guest that i was camping there contributed to the decision to set up the tents .
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Regretably " Big Mig " has had the finger pointed at him , numerous times in CNFclinic , Riis has put his hand up , Ulrich paid out money for the German Authorities to drop their action , we all know about Pantani & Armstrong , flandis got displaced by a " doubtful contender , Castre ( No reports against him ) is from Spain and worked for Riis , Contador has served a suspension and is Spanish . Now we come to Evans & Wiggins , both are hard workers and whilst i am sympathetic to their circumstances , both had questionable " Staff " and employers . Brailsford is busy clearing out ALL those who are " tainted " and Andy Rhys ran " Phonak Team ( where all publicity is GOOD ) now employs many question m,arks at BMC !
In setting up the following petitions i looked for ways for a soft landing for the Cycle Racers , many have crossed the line and deserve " redemption "! Matt white has been " shafted " for being honest and Steve Hodge in trying to be an Exemplary Person has been tarred . Brailsford has worked against solving " OMERTA " by threatening " Dismissal " as did Patrick Lefevre at Quickstep by dismissing Levi ( 1996 was the start of his disgrace , and Quickstep would you believe ? didn't know ) Leipheimer :
http://www.change.org/petitions/wada-create-an-amnesty-in-all-sports …
&
http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/office-of-the-governor-general-of-australia-create-the-means-for-a-sports-amnesty-in-australia#invite …
http://www.facebook.com/AmnestyForAllSportsAthletesNow?skip_nax_wizard=true
Whether you did or didn't cross the line is for you to declare but I WILL ASSUME that if you choose not to sign onto the " GG Petition " that there are questions you choose not to answer !
As one of the premier Aussie Sportsmen , you can influence the fate of others ! It reminds me pof the sheriff whom i have not seen since the TDS when he reminded me of " things he claims i said in 1999 ! Either good memory or choosing to bend my doubts of his past associations ?
Enjoyed your article but would wish to point out that Mike Ashenden was asked to stand but Greg was " cornered ( his words elsewhere ) " , as it turns out , this was the best outcome since Tuesday as it snowed here in Austria , i pedalled in the house and flipped channel from one Major News Network to another , ALL , showed " CCN Meeting facility and Greg . One channel showed "phat mc quack's " back , but whilst you 6 I would notice him , very few others would , nor was he named !
" CCN " is in it's infancy and phat has already tried to derail it with his request for Submissions / help by the 10th Dec , that is like someone " dragging a bush across a trail " ? Problem for ANYONE wishing change is the " UCI ( old boys club/network ) Constitution ! Vested interests will be at work to preserve the " Status Quo "! You already know how much difficulty there is with Gaudry V Turtur in Oceania , so how much more complex will the " Presidency fight " become ?
Looking forward to your reply , which will be added to this comment that will be posted on www.skippyaus.blogspot.com blog ! "
No doubt you will have views as to the effect on Phil's Legacy of any disparaging remarks made by those inhabiting the " Clinic " where ALL are free to adopt " Psuedenoms and fictitious IP addresses " and throw as much mud as they can find energy or time . Just occasionally there is a Needle in the haystack worth the effort to endure the odour !
Additionally contacted UK ADA , as i saw a Tweet about David Howman's visit , have previously written to John Fahy with NO RESPONSE so far :
"
Found the tweet about David Howman's visit : IF he is still there show him these links please , meanwhile encourage others to sign on !
The "www.changecyclingnow.org " petition has many elements that i have addressed the past years , of course who am i to tell people what to do ?
http://www.change.org/petitions/wada-create-an-amnesty-in-all-sports …
&
http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/office-of-the-governor-general-of-australia-create-the-means-for-a-sports-amnesty-in-australia#invite …
http://www.facebook.com/AmnestyForAllSportsAthletesNow?skip_nax_wizard=true
Looking forward to the UCI being RUN CORRECTLY for the BENEFIT OF ALL ATHLETES !
Friday, November 9, 2012
SOLDIER ON !
For years i have sought this Charity , http://soldieron.org.au/ ! With " Help4Heroes " in the UK , and " Wounded Warrior Project in the USA , i felt certain that Australians were supporting more than Legacy , that Noble Charity i remember volunteering Help to , back in the 1970's .
As i rode the routes of the " Le Tour , these past 15 seasons , i asked personalities such as " tomo " and racers such as " Stuey , Dodger & Robbie if they knew of an " Org. " that does the same work that is done in the UK & USA , helping to rehabilitate those Wounded in " Harms Way " . Being almost entirely in Europe these past years , i rely on SBS and SMH for the headlines . Mostly things like the "Melbourne Cup " and Political " fisticuffs " catch my attention . Those interests are likely to have been provoked by seeing or hearing some reference in Austria Media .
Today , whilst checking my Twitter feed i saw the following :
@kruddmp we've met before. Can you pls RT the link for my fundraising ride for SOLDIER ON?http://personalchallenge.gofundraise.com.au/page/chaddobbs pic.twitter.com/jbIamPHC
Can recall tweeting Ruddy and other personalities asking for redirection to an Oz Charity , but to no avail until today !
Now going to tweet @ChadPD and suggest he raise the bar from A$5000 , since his target is about to be reached . Will ask him to consider the possibility of using the 100th " Le Tour " as a Fund Raising Target , I should welcome the opportunity to assist ANY that wish to create a Team to ride the " Le Tour Route "! At present i am not able to get ALL the " Soldieron website " so will post the additional info as it becomes available . Not sure where @ChaddPD fits into " Soldieron " , but wish him success and congratulate him on his results todate . Would suggest that he consider " Tweeting " ALL the Aussie Cycle Racers , since there must be many other Expats like myself with an interest in helping OUR OWN ?
9th Dec 2012
Read recently that Chadd completed this event in about 7 hrs and there was a post in a " Berm Blog " describing his progress throughout that day . The fund raising resulted in about $5700+ , which exceeded his target !
Congrats Chad !
As i rode the routes of the " Le Tour , these past 15 seasons , i asked personalities such as " tomo " and racers such as " Stuey , Dodger & Robbie if they knew of an " Org. " that does the same work that is done in the UK & USA , helping to rehabilitate those Wounded in " Harms Way " . Being almost entirely in Europe these past years , i rely on SBS and SMH for the headlines . Mostly things like the "Melbourne Cup " and Political " fisticuffs " catch my attention . Those interests are likely to have been provoked by seeing or hearing some reference in Austria Media .
Today , whilst checking my Twitter feed i saw the following :
@kruddmp we've met before. Can you pls RT the link for my fundraising ride for SOLDIER ON?http://personalchallenge.gofundraise.com.au/page/chaddobbs pic.twitter.com/jbIamPHC
Can recall tweeting Ruddy and other personalities asking for redirection to an Oz Charity , but to no avail until today !
Now going to tweet @ChadPD and suggest he raise the bar from A$5000 , since his target is about to be reached . Will ask him to consider the possibility of using the 100th " Le Tour " as a Fund Raising Target , I should welcome the opportunity to assist ANY that wish to create a Team to ride the " Le Tour Route "! At present i am not able to get ALL the " Soldieron website " so will post the additional info as it becomes available . Not sure where @ChaddPD fits into " Soldieron " , but wish him success and congratulate him on his results todate . Would suggest that he consider " Tweeting " ALL the Aussie Cycle Racers , since there must be many other Expats like myself with an interest in helping OUR OWN ?
9th Dec 2012
Read recently that Chadd completed this event in about 7 hrs and there was a post in a " Berm Blog " describing his progress throughout that day . The fund raising resulted in about $5700+ , which exceeded his target !
Congrats Chad !
Saturday, October 13, 2012
MATT WHITE Resignation
Matt would appear to have done the “ right thing “ by resigning his posts in Cycling ! During this season he has held the post of “ Director Sportive “ at Orica/GreenEdge whilst the team achieved spectacular results in it’s first year of competition . He was also involved with the Australian Olympic Mens Cycling Team .
Articles covering his resignation :
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/more-sport/orica-greenedge-directer-matt-white-linked-to-lance-armstrong-drug-scandal/story-e6frfglf-1226494871368
http://www.news.com.au/sport/orica-greenedge-directer-matt-white-linked-to-lance-armstrong-drug-scandal/story-fnaqgujp-1226494871368#ixzz29AnQJa20
http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cycling/not-proud-cyclist-matt-white-admits-doping-involvement-20121013-27k7e.html
This decision to stand down should not be too much of a surprise , since Cycling Australia , has been aware of his background with Garmin Team in 2010 . There was a dispute caused when Trent Lowe visited a Doctor in Valencia in 2010 , as a result of advice from Matt White . In January 2011 , Jon Vaughters sacked Matt , on the pretext that in sending Trent to this Doctor , he had breached some Team protocols . This story is covered extensively in another of my Blog posts .
Matt follows Johan Bruyneel in standing down from their Management roles , after the release of the long awaited USADA report , on the decision to give Lance Armstrong a LIFE TIME BAN . The Bans came about as a result of Lance not contesting the accusations made against him by that body . With 202 pages of “ evidence “ released last Wednesday , 10th October 2012 and a further 880 pages to be released , history has been created and the Cycling World will not be the same as before !
Some background info on recent events surrounding this matter as copied from Cyclingnews article :
" In May 2010, Cycling Australia received
correspondence from the UCI in relation to Landis' allegations. In response to
this, Cycling Australia then referred the matter to the Australian Sports Anti
Doping Authority (ASADA) and on 27 May, Cycling Australia CEO Graham Fredericks
publicly stated:
"Cycling Australia is aware of the
allegations made by Floyd Landis both in the media and through correspondence
from the International Cycling Union. As a result we have referred the matter to
the Australian Sport Anti-Doping Authority as the appropriate agency to deal
with the matter."
In February 2011, ASADA made the following
statement to Cyclingnews:
- ASADA is aware of media reports about
the doping claims made by Floyd Landis
- When and what we can say about any operational matter is strictly governed by our legislation
- Under our legislation ASADA is unable to provide further comment at this time
- When and what we can say about any operational matter is strictly governed by our legislation
- Under our legislation ASADA is unable to provide further comment at this time
In a statement yesterday, Cycling Australia President Klaus
Mueller said he was unsure of how, if any of Cycling Australia members were
implicated.
"But it might now be time to consider a
range of options including an amnesty for athletes who have cheated in the past
to own up to any wrongdoing and have their confessions mitigate any subsequent
penalties," he said. "This would be dependent on the nature and extent of any
infraction/s.
"This case also provides an opportunity
for the Australian Government to review the resources and powers of ASADA
especially in light of the extensive investigation and action taken by USADA in
their pursuit of this case." "
WHY IOC & WADA do not decide to “ Clean House “ and institute an “ AMNESTY in ALL SPORTS so that ALL Athletes both Present and Retired can confess to their wrong doings remains a mystery ? There will be many more of the calibre of Matt & Johan that transgressed in the past and will not come forward until they are sought out and publicly named and shamed !
JACQUES ROGGE are we to see a trickle of Scapegoats OR are you up to the task of managing a complete sweep of ALL the “ skeletons in those Closets “?
JOHN FAHEY of WADA , are you happy to see Matt White treated as a “ scapegoat “ whilst those such as Neil Stephens MAY have questionable history , he was sent home from the Tour de France in 1998 as he was a member of Festina’s Team .
Would you not agree that 2006 was a strange year ? Certainly we saw the “ Le Tour “ for only the second time in it’s history , change the “ Winner’s Name “ , since evidence indicated that flandis was not a worthy winner , after he was found to have used PEDs during the event ! This week we saw just about ALL those confessing to the USADA , claim they stopped doping before they started the 2006 season ?
Hysterical to imagine that flandis was the ONLY Racer using in 2006 is it not ? Those with time should visit the recent blog of georgethecyclist ( http://georgethecyclist.blogspot.co.at/2012/10/christian-vande-velde-talks-to-his-fans.html
) to see his take on the visit of Chris Vdv & Tyler Farrer to the Garmin Store in Chicago this past week . During the Q & A , no one asked about the morning papers report of Chris’s confession to “ Doping “! Either a bunch of people who could not read or “ No one “ with the guts to ask uncomfortable questions ? Had anyone asked the “ Doping Questions “ would they have been ejected and the Q & A brought to a halt ? I think not ! However I was not there , so my query remains unanswered .
Would appear that it will be business as usual , for ALL those US Racers that confessed , judging by the behaviour of those visiting , at the Garmin Store ! Wonder if the Teams will be allowed to re employ these racers since the normal situation is that the Racer that receive “ Suspensions “ are terminated by their teams ? Levi appears to have been terminated by the Quickstep management !
YOU can have your say about the USADA report and how it effects Aussie Cycling by emailing Senator Lundy , who has called for Information :
mailto:Senator.Lundy@aph.gov.au
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
TRENT LOWE v JV & Slipstream
TRENT LOWE the Cycle Racer Versus JV & Slipstream
What was a clear case of crossed communications between Employer and Employee caused untold damage when Twitter was used as a form of communication . Why some people resort to discussing legal matters in public defies my imagination .
Essentially Trent Lowe gave notice in August 2010 that he had another team to join in 2011 since his contract was about to expire . That Slipstream chose to not reply was their prerogative and Trent appears to acted as other Team Racers had at the Pegasus Training Camp . JV or his advisors decided to take action against Trent and denied him payments that he felt were his due . In sacking “ Whitey “ , JV caused further problems for ALL Parties to the dispute .
The following link will give a fair overview of what transpired from August 2007 through January 2011 .
http://www.newcyclingpathway.com/news/blog/transperancy-international
What has taken place since ? This matter has just reappeared in the Cyclingnews Forum :
http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=18592&page=14
Should be an interesting story to follow since there has been a lot of info disclosed about what “ UCI “ policy expects of a team and the riders in relation to their health issues .
Checkout and sign on to reform of the " UCI " , LINK BELOW :
http://www.change.org/petitions/international-cycling-union-aka-the-uci-remove-pat-mcquaid-and-hein-verbruggen-from-cycling-forever?share_id=xXelRjytjf&utm_campaign=autopublish&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition&utm_term=884164
DON'T FORGET THE " PAUL KIMMAGE DEFENCE FUND " ! Deserves your support for DOPE FREE SPORT ! :
What was a clear case of crossed communications between Employer and Employee caused untold damage when Twitter was used as a form of communication . Why some people resort to discussing legal matters in public defies my imagination .
Essentially Trent Lowe gave notice in August 2010 that he had another team to join in 2011 since his contract was about to expire . That Slipstream chose to not reply was their prerogative and Trent appears to acted as other Team Racers had at the Pegasus Training Camp . JV or his advisors decided to take action against Trent and denied him payments that he felt were his due . In sacking “ Whitey “ , JV caused further problems for ALL Parties to the dispute .
The following link will give a fair overview of what transpired from August 2007 through January 2011 .
http://www.newcyclingpathway.com/news/blog/transperancy-international
What has taken place since ? This matter has just reappeared in the Cyclingnews Forum :
http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=18592&page=14
Should be an interesting story to follow since there has been a lot of info disclosed about what “ UCI “ policy expects of a team and the riders in relation to their health issues .
Checkout and sign on to reform of the " UCI " , LINK BELOW :
http://www.change.org/petitions/international-cycling-union-aka-the-uci-remove-pat-mcquaid-and-hein-verbruggen-from-cycling-forever?share_id=xXelRjytjf&utm_campaign=autopublish&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition&utm_term=884164
DON'T FORGET THE " PAUL KIMMAGE DEFENCE FUND " ! Deserves your support for DOPE FREE SPORT ! :
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Mike Ashenden weighs in for Paul Kimmage !
Mike Ashenden resigned from " UCI " because they tried to " muzzle " him ! The odious creatures that control the " UCI " are since 1991 doing ALL they can to turn Professional Cycling into their version of " HELL ON EARTH " for the Racers ! Though the Racers in the top echelons are paid well , though in the lower ranks struggle through their first years to survive as they seek recognition .
Paul Kimmage used to be employed by " The Times " but it seems that he was laid off through Staffing Cuts . At least that is their story . Having written a well researched article for " The Times " and " L'Equipe " , Paul now faces a court in Switzerland in December , since two Employees of a Swiss Corporation are suing him . It matters not , that he has reported the truth ! What will matter to the Swiss Court is that he has " defamed/libelled " people working in Switzerland ! Guess what the verdict will be since the court and the Organisation are both in the same Canton ? YOU GOT IT ! GUILTY !
Mike Ashenden hearing of Paul's predicament wrote the following letter :
Dear Paul,
I was shocked to read today that you have received a subpoena related to defamation proceedings brought against you by Pat McQuaid, Hein Verbruggen and the UCI itself.
It is not clear to me what the basis for the proceeding is; to the best of my knowledge it has not been publicly disclosed. Regardless, I find it deeply disturbing that, amidst the current turmoil surrounding cycling, you have been singled out.
I do not believe that court is the appropriate remedy in the current circumstances. For example, I don’t expect that WADA will sue him after Pat McQuaid claimed that WADA had launched a ‘15-year long political campaign against cycling’. Although his comments certainly do not reflect well on WADA’s integrity, to their credit WADA have shown admirable restraint.
I sincerely hope that after a period of reflection the UCI will adopt a similar attitude regarding your comments too.
Nonetheless, today I have had a change of heart. Earlier this year one of the UCI’s Passport cases that I had worked on as a member of their expert panel had to be dropped after we had received the rider’s explanation and us group of three experts could not reach a consensus decision. At the time, I chose not to invoice the UCI for the hours and hours which I had spent working on that case since October 2011.
However, your subpoena gave me pause to reflect, and I have decided to invoice the UCI a token amount of 260 Euro (two hours at our expert rate) for my contributions on that case. I have simultaneously deposited that amount into your defense fund.
I sincerely hope you are not required to pay a fine. However in case you are, I hope it is some solace that to some degree you would be merely handing the UCI’s own money back to them.
Please keep up your good work – The Times They Are a-Changin’.
Best wishes,
Mike Ashenden
Currently trying to get the " Chip in link " onto my blogs as i did for the " Charles Pelkey " matter last year !
Sunday Times has done this and the link is here :
http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/sport/
The " chip in " item is near the bottom of this page in Sunday Times Sport !
This items below ALSO came to my attention and Paul's book is on my list of " Christmas Presents "!
Buying Rough ride on iTunes or Amazon will get money to Paul also but I'm not sure how quickly. It's a great read!
Saturday, September 22, 2012
CADEL WON THE 2005 Tour de France
Hein and Phat , listen up ! There are people doing the work that your minions have chosen not to do , YET ! As people will see , some are able to see the wood from the trees , and reach fairly logical conclusions from the existing information available . Of course that tome written by shamilton may change a few things in the information made available by their efforts !
Listed below in date order , are the blogs that i have found presenting their conclusions and worthy of your attention :
http://scotslawthoughts.wordpress.com/2012/08/25/if-not-armstrong-who-won-the-tour-de-france-or-tour-dutopia-from-1999-to-2005/
http://150wattsofawesome.blogspot.co.at/2012/09/lance-armstrong-aftermath.html
My coming across these blogs , came through a variety of resources , but i feel sure that the " Clinic " on CNF , had something to do with that . Seems the mushroom farm is good for something worthwhile occasionally .
What a pity that the " UCI " is such a mess of problems that both Cadel , as indicated by the conclusions drawn , for 2005 and Georg Totschnig in 2004 , will not be presented with their wins when the 2013 edition of " Le Tour " begins on Corsica ! In celebrating the 100th Edition of " Le Tour ", would it not be great to see ONLY those who are " Clean of Drugs " participate ?
Please take note of what was said by " Scotslawyer ":
" What this exercise does, I think, is demonstrate the futility of looking to change the record book by awarding titles, long after the fact, to people who did not win on the track or field.
This is different from disqualifying Ben Johnson the day after his 100m win at Seoul. “Fixing” the result within days, or weeks is probably in order, and in fact even within a year of the event would be possible.
However, going further than that risks creating strange results, not reflective of competition.
If, for example, the first seven finishers in the 2000 Tour had not entered, or had been disqualified as the race proceeded, then EscartÃn and his Kelme team would, in all probability, have had to ride the race in a totally different way, and the people who were just behind him in the General Classification would have attacked differently too. There is a big difference between how a rider races when 18 minutes behind the yellow jersey, and 18 seconds behind.
That is why my idea, which, when I started this piece, seemed a whimsical one, namely the Tour D’Utopia, could in fact have a place in sport. "
Some people think that the IOC is as badly run as the UCI and with the board of WADA having people like Phat as members of the Foundation Board of WADA , one wonders if there is not a taint of suspicion ? How much linkage is there between WADA and SportsAccord when WADA funds the Salaries of SportsAccord personnel ?
Governments will listen to the IOC and WADA through their National Branches so it is not difficult to believe that these bodies have the power to seek their cooperation in instituting an " AMNESTY in ALL SPORTS "! Would it not be worth while for Governments to allow Athletes to avoid " Double Jeopardy " when they choose to cooperate with a " Truth & Reconciliation Commission " in the allotted Time Span , thus paving the way to discovering and destroying the resources and incomes of Criminals supplying the Products used in Doping ?
With WADA conducting a meeting in Stockholm concerning " Doping as a Public Health Issues " , attended by World Health experts from the likes of World Health Organization ( WHO ) , the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the United Nations Education, Science and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), INTERPOL and WADA . Link for more details here :
http://playtrue.wada-ama.org/news/wada-calls-for-increased-alliances-during-stockholm-symposium/
Earlier in the week there was another meeting in St Petersburg of the " Athletes Commission " regarding changes to the World Anti Doping Code , link here :
http://playtrue.wada-ama.org/news/athlete-committee-discusses-code-amendments/
Those at this meeting were concerned with the " Code review process " and their personal experiences will help to shape the 2015 version of the WADA Code ! People such as David Millar will be able to relate their experiences at the sharp end of the WADA experience ! In visiting the following website you will notice the background is of a Wheelchair race which no doubt will remind people that even Paralympians are involved in the collection of data needed to shape the 2015 WADA Code !
http://www.wada-ama.org/en/World-Anti-Doping-Program/Sports-and-Anti-Doping-Organizations/The-Code/Code-Review/
2012 London Paralympics detected several users of HGH , using new testing procedures , only recently introduced . That they were not used at the 2012 Olympics , was a policy decision by those in the IOC , seeking to avoid controversy . Perhaps they used the tests but decided not to publish the results ? " Shamateurs " use whatever they can get their hands on for what purpose ? You guessed right , " BRAGGING RIGHTS "! Of course Professional Athletes would not stoop to these means to inflate their income , prestige or EGO , would they ? Some years ago i overheard Masters Cyclists " bragging about their " Supplements and bike weights " , they still continue , no doubt with the same methods , to attend events , thinking they need these underhand abilities to enhance their lives ?
AS to the minor placings for the years that LANCE won , do we need to bother ? Doubtful that anyone cares ! Only Contador seems to have been replaced in the records and that by a suspected Racer who regularly follows the same training regime as his brother . Mud sticks , so it is not surprising that Andy has not taken the step of returning to racing after his Spinal problems mid year .
Off to watch the end of the Women Road Race and then out on the bike if the rain will only stop for a while .
Listed below in date order , are the blogs that i have found presenting their conclusions and worthy of your attention :
http://scotslawthoughts.wordpress.com/2012/08/25/if-not-armstrong-who-won-the-tour-de-france-or-tour-dutopia-from-1999-to-2005/
http://150wattsofawesome.blogspot.co.at/2012/09/lance-armstrong-aftermath.html
My coming across these blogs , came through a variety of resources , but i feel sure that the " Clinic " on CNF , had something to do with that . Seems the mushroom farm is good for something worthwhile occasionally .What a pity that the " UCI " is such a mess of problems that both Cadel , as indicated by the conclusions drawn , for 2005 and Georg Totschnig in 2004 , will not be presented with their wins when the 2013 edition of " Le Tour " begins on Corsica ! In celebrating the 100th Edition of " Le Tour ", would it not be great to see ONLY those who are " Clean of Drugs " participate ?
Please take note of what was said by " Scotslawyer ":
" What this exercise does, I think, is demonstrate the futility of looking to change the record book by awarding titles, long after the fact, to people who did not win on the track or field.
This is different from disqualifying Ben Johnson the day after his 100m win at Seoul. “Fixing” the result within days, or weeks is probably in order, and in fact even within a year of the event would be possible.
However, going further than that risks creating strange results, not reflective of competition.
If, for example, the first seven finishers in the 2000 Tour had not entered, or had been disqualified as the race proceeded, then EscartÃn and his Kelme team would, in all probability, have had to ride the race in a totally different way, and the people who were just behind him in the General Classification would have attacked differently too. There is a big difference between how a rider races when 18 minutes behind the yellow jersey, and 18 seconds behind.
That is why my idea, which, when I started this piece, seemed a whimsical one, namely the Tour D’Utopia, could in fact have a place in sport. "
Some people think that the IOC is as badly run as the UCI and with the board of WADA having people like Phat as members of the Foundation Board of WADA , one wonders if there is not a taint of suspicion ? How much linkage is there between WADA and SportsAccord when WADA funds the Salaries of SportsAccord personnel ?
Governments will listen to the IOC and WADA through their National Branches so it is not difficult to believe that these bodies have the power to seek their cooperation in instituting an " AMNESTY in ALL SPORTS "! Would it not be worth while for Governments to allow Athletes to avoid " Double Jeopardy " when they choose to cooperate with a " Truth & Reconciliation Commission " in the allotted Time Span , thus paving the way to discovering and destroying the resources and incomes of Criminals supplying the Products used in Doping ?
With WADA conducting a meeting in Stockholm concerning " Doping as a Public Health Issues " , attended by World Health experts from the likes of World Health Organization ( WHO ) , the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the United Nations Education, Science and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), INTERPOL and WADA . Link for more details here :
http://playtrue.wada-ama.org/news/wada-calls-for-increased-alliances-during-stockholm-symposium/
Earlier in the week there was another meeting in St Petersburg of the " Athletes Commission " regarding changes to the World Anti Doping Code , link here :
http://playtrue.wada-ama.org/news/athlete-committee-discusses-code-amendments/
Those at this meeting were concerned with the " Code review process " and their personal experiences will help to shape the 2015 version of the WADA Code ! People such as David Millar will be able to relate their experiences at the sharp end of the WADA experience ! In visiting the following website you will notice the background is of a Wheelchair race which no doubt will remind people that even Paralympians are involved in the collection of data needed to shape the 2015 WADA Code !
http://www.wada-ama.org/en/World-Anti-Doping-Program/Sports-and-Anti-Doping-Organizations/The-Code/Code-Review/
2012 London Paralympics detected several users of HGH , using new testing procedures , only recently introduced . That they were not used at the 2012 Olympics , was a policy decision by those in the IOC , seeking to avoid controversy . Perhaps they used the tests but decided not to publish the results ? " Shamateurs " use whatever they can get their hands on for what purpose ? You guessed right , " BRAGGING RIGHTS "! Of course Professional Athletes would not stoop to these means to inflate their income , prestige or EGO , would they ? Some years ago i overheard Masters Cyclists " bragging about their " Supplements and bike weights " , they still continue , no doubt with the same methods , to attend events , thinking they need these underhand abilities to enhance their lives ?
AS to the minor placings for the years that LANCE won , do we need to bother ? Doubtful that anyone cares ! Only Contador seems to have been replaced in the records and that by a suspected Racer who regularly follows the same training regime as his brother . Mud sticks , so it is not surprising that Andy has not taken the step of returning to racing after his Spinal problems mid year .
Off to watch the end of the Women Road Race and then out on the bike if the rain will only stop for a while .
Friday, August 3, 2012
SILVER !
Last week i had several visits to the area around the Dorney Olympic Rowing Venue owned by and nearby Eton College and Windsor for those looking for the site on a map .
Luckily for me i found yet another team of Aussie Rowers on their way from their training , they were kind enough to pose for this photo :
When we parted i said , " The next time i see you ladies will be on the Podium wearing the GOLD !" . WELL I was nearly right . Below is a photo of them on the podium wearing the SILVER MEDAL !
Congratulations to Kate and Sarah , you have made your family PROUD of you , and of course the Aussie Fans ! As a proud Aussie i think that your being at the Games was a success , but carrying off a medal was icing on the cake ! So many of your colleagues have been disappointed but " Whether you Win or Lose , IT IS HOW YOU PLAY THE GAME "!
Congrats to all the Aussies for being selected to represent our Country , we are ALL PROUD of your efforts !
When we parted i said , " The next time i see you ladies will be on the Podium wearing the GOLD !" . WELL I was nearly right . Below is a photo of them on the podium wearing the SILVER MEDAL !
Congratulations to Kate and Sarah , you have made your family PROUD of you , and of course the Aussie Fans ! As a proud Aussie i think that your being at the Games was a success , but carrying off a medal was icing on the cake ! So many of your colleagues have been disappointed but " Whether you Win or Lose , IT IS HOW YOU PLAY THE GAME "!
Congrats to all the Aussies for being selected to represent our Country , we are ALL PROUD of your efforts !
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
FOOT in MOUTH disease !
WADA chief John Fahey was the Premier of New South Wales with the Largest Population of the Australia not so many years ago ! The saying that " A day is a long time in Politics " could not be more true of his recent statement to those practicing " Sports Fraud " ! Politicians have the habit , of saying , what they believe that the populace want to hear ! Certainly those wishing to see Great Sports Action at the London 2012 Olympics will want an incident free experience !
Can you remember where you were when you heard of Ben Johnson's disgrace in 1988 ? John Fahey may well have used the same escalators in Grace Bros of Broadway , opposite Sydney University , that i was riding , when i saw the news flash on the TV's in the sales area there . Must ask my partner of that time if she recalls that event . Most older Aussies will recall where they were when Alan Bond achieved the " impossible " and won the America's Cup !
Fact is John your warning to those Athletes planning to defraud us is redundant rhetoric ! This warning was no doubt a repeat of earlier warnings which the cheats chose to ignore . Now that they have been selected for their National Teams , there is no escape , even if they lose their nerve ! What do you suppose people will think if they suddenly decide to not appear in London ? Yes , right first time , THEY LOST THEIR NERVE ! They were set to try and cheat their way into the record books .
Nearly every Olympic Games since 1936 has had some question mark that has detracted from the luster that " TRUE SPORTSMANSHIP " deserves . One wonders what the Athletes selected to take the " OLYMPIC OATH " thinks when they make that declaration ?
John Fahey as the chief of WADA and Jacques Rogge of the IOC , COULD if they wished , put an end to Sporting Fraudsters using PEDs ! All it would take would be a line drawn on the past ! Declaration of the errant ways and the associates involved , WITHOUT SANCTIONS , before the due date would cause a tidal wave of revelations ! Those choosing to ignore the opportunity would when discovered face " Life time Bans " from Sport and Employment in any Sporting Employment . Within a short time after the deadline , those associates , managers , coaches , mechanics etc , that see their proteges had not taken advantage of the " moratorium " and disclosed their misbehavior would need to " blow the whistle and own up to their participation Or they too would suffer the same sanctions of Life Time Bans !
Whilst Sporting Fraud is a crime , very few countries treat it as a punishable offence with Jail penalties being an option . Time that the Sporting bodies acted in concert to make the penalties punishable throughout the World with minimum uniform sanctions of 5 year suspensions !
Laugh of the week was the disclosure of that Cofidis Cycle Racer ! Di Gregorio claimed he acted alone , saw some pigs airborne too ! Realistically , could this guy share a room with a fellow racer whilst being supervised by the team Medic , Seigneur and Director Sportive , all of whom are supposedly highly intelligent people ?
Chris Prudhomme chooses not to read my mail , better things to do , i suppose ? Wrote him after speaking with him at the Dauphine Libere about the " Cities fit for Cycling " campaign , started by the " Times of London " newspaper . As the face of the " Le Tour " he could have chosen to involve ALL cyclists by encouraging follower of " Le Tour " to be more aware of Cyclists . Seems that ASO the owners of " Le Tour " are too busy raking in the cash to be bothered what the ordinary cyclist think of their creation ?
Last week the media was full of the leaked story about 5 American Racers at " Le Tour " . Since this news broke , many people are of the opinion that the five are performing at a standard below their usual efforts ? Could it be to the detriment of their teams ? When there was a suspicion of misbehavior in 2006 , some Racers were requested to not appear . Where is the difference on this occasion ?
WADA must be aware of the behavior of USADA and the news reports this past week so surely they should act ? Is it not detrimental to Sport in general for what is taking place to be allowed to continue ?
John Fahey and Jacques Rogge need to seize the initiative and ACT NOW !
Addition :
We all saw Jacques Rogge at the Opening Ceremony , mention " Doping ", not really surprising that he passed over this subject briefly ?
Can you remember where you were when you heard of Ben Johnson's disgrace in 1988 ? John Fahey may well have used the same escalators in Grace Bros of Broadway , opposite Sydney University , that i was riding , when i saw the news flash on the TV's in the sales area there . Must ask my partner of that time if she recalls that event . Most older Aussies will recall where they were when Alan Bond achieved the " impossible " and won the America's Cup !
Fact is John your warning to those Athletes planning to defraud us is redundant rhetoric ! This warning was no doubt a repeat of earlier warnings which the cheats chose to ignore . Now that they have been selected for their National Teams , there is no escape , even if they lose their nerve ! What do you suppose people will think if they suddenly decide to not appear in London ? Yes , right first time , THEY LOST THEIR NERVE ! They were set to try and cheat their way into the record books .
Nearly every Olympic Games since 1936 has had some question mark that has detracted from the luster that " TRUE SPORTSMANSHIP " deserves . One wonders what the Athletes selected to take the " OLYMPIC OATH " thinks when they make that declaration ?
John Fahey as the chief of WADA and Jacques Rogge of the IOC , COULD if they wished , put an end to Sporting Fraudsters using PEDs ! All it would take would be a line drawn on the past ! Declaration of the errant ways and the associates involved , WITHOUT SANCTIONS , before the due date would cause a tidal wave of revelations ! Those choosing to ignore the opportunity would when discovered face " Life time Bans " from Sport and Employment in any Sporting Employment . Within a short time after the deadline , those associates , managers , coaches , mechanics etc , that see their proteges had not taken advantage of the " moratorium " and disclosed their misbehavior would need to " blow the whistle and own up to their participation Or they too would suffer the same sanctions of Life Time Bans !
Whilst Sporting Fraud is a crime , very few countries treat it as a punishable offence with Jail penalties being an option . Time that the Sporting bodies acted in concert to make the penalties punishable throughout the World with minimum uniform sanctions of 5 year suspensions !
Laugh of the week was the disclosure of that Cofidis Cycle Racer ! Di Gregorio claimed he acted alone , saw some pigs airborne too ! Realistically , could this guy share a room with a fellow racer whilst being supervised by the team Medic , Seigneur and Director Sportive , all of whom are supposedly highly intelligent people ?
Chris Prudhomme chooses not to read my mail , better things to do , i suppose ? Wrote him after speaking with him at the Dauphine Libere about the " Cities fit for Cycling " campaign , started by the " Times of London " newspaper . As the face of the " Le Tour " he could have chosen to involve ALL cyclists by encouraging follower of " Le Tour " to be more aware of Cyclists . Seems that ASO the owners of " Le Tour " are too busy raking in the cash to be bothered what the ordinary cyclist think of their creation ?
Last week the media was full of the leaked story about 5 American Racers at " Le Tour " . Since this news broke , many people are of the opinion that the five are performing at a standard below their usual efforts ? Could it be to the detriment of their teams ? When there was a suspicion of misbehavior in 2006 , some Racers were requested to not appear . Where is the difference on this occasion ?
WADA must be aware of the behavior of USADA and the news reports this past week so surely they should act ? Is it not detrimental to Sport in general for what is taking place to be allowed to continue ?
John Fahey and Jacques Rogge need to seize the initiative and ACT NOW !
Addition :
We all saw Jacques Rogge at the Opening Ceremony , mention " Doping ", not really surprising that he passed over this subject briefly ?
Friday, July 6, 2012
Sorry Yves !
Some years ago i chanced on Yves , the cousin of Catherine Marsal , on the route of the Tour de France . He and his Parents were kind enough to accommodate me in their home in Peltre ,to the Southeast of Metz ! My previous visit to Metz , was when i arrived on the Saturday night at the YHA / Auburge Jeunesse in central Metz for the Sunday Time Trial . I spent the Sunday morning riding around the Metz area on the bike visiting the Team hotels as the teams prepared for the Time Trial . I recall meeting quite a few of the big name racers involved in that situation before they went into the compound , only accessed by those wearing the " dog collar " denoting VIP status !
Yves is a Professor of Maths and had been involved in Cycle racing to the extent that his principle car was a retired team car , a Citroen Estate car with the roof mountings for team bikes still in place . Over the years since then , i would duck into Peltre and either stay overnight or leave a parcel of Bidons on his doorstep should he not be available . On one occasion i left with the bigger parcel , since his mother gave me a large parcel of fruit from their orchard , cherries that lasted many days . On occasion we have met up at the " Le Tour " in a variety of " Villes Depart " either by arrangement or by chance .
One occasion that i recall was in Sete , where he was holidaying , and another time was on the occasion that i once again met Laurent Fabius , currently the French Foreign Minister , when he was a guest of ASO at the Ville Depart Village in Perpignon ! M. Fabius has had a chequered political career in that he has been a Premier of France in the Mid 90's as well as the subject of " Political Backstabbing " when there was the " Blood Transfusion Scandal Case " ! Seems there is another Scandal in France about to erupt , as the home and office of former President Sarkozy was raided in the past week ! So far we have seen former Presidents such as Jacques Chirac and Giscard Estagne embroiled in controversy in recent years .
Whilst doing this post , instead of being in Metz , as planned , i am sitting in front of a TV , watching the last 60km of the " Le Tour " as it heads into Metz ! At the 60 km to go there was a cote de B. , which became such a choke point , that at that point , the breakaway was at 1 min 30secs and so with bikes colliding , ALL behind the " Maillot Jeune " , were standing around whilst a few wheels were exchanged ! This extra time has allowed Zabriskie and the other three to stay away , so far to the 15km mark where they enjoy a 15sec advantage . Dave Z. was alone in the last kilo but was swept up in the last metres , once again the other three lost confidence in their ability to work together , so Dave made use of his time trialling skills to see if he could stay the course .
At 25km before the finish , another collision brought down many of the principle racers including Frank Schleck and Al Valverde , but causing several casualties and two abandons , thus at 15km they are 2 1/2 mins in the rear , finishing 2 mins down on the day ! Several other notables such as Scarponi trailed in with this group . King Cav came in about 5 mins down on the day and must have been wondering how he was going to answer those demanding interviews . Peter Sagen in taking the victory in front of Greipel denied him the third in a row which was last achieved by Mario Cippolini . Matt Goss came in third after his train had dominated the last several kilometres before Big George led Cadel to the front for a short pull to close down the breakaway .
Eurosport Extra collared Dave Z. for an interview and then tried to raise the Lance subject with him which saw a quick termination of that interview . Stupid of them to think he wants to discuss Lance after all that has been going on these last few days
Yves is a Professor of Maths and had been involved in Cycle racing to the extent that his principle car was a retired team car , a Citroen Estate car with the roof mountings for team bikes still in place . Over the years since then , i would duck into Peltre and either stay overnight or leave a parcel of Bidons on his doorstep should he not be available . On one occasion i left with the bigger parcel , since his mother gave me a large parcel of fruit from their orchard , cherries that lasted many days . On occasion we have met up at the " Le Tour " in a variety of " Villes Depart " either by arrangement or by chance .
One occasion that i recall was in Sete , where he was holidaying , and another time was on the occasion that i once again met Laurent Fabius , currently the French Foreign Minister , when he was a guest of ASO at the Ville Depart Village in Perpignon ! M. Fabius has had a chequered political career in that he has been a Premier of France in the Mid 90's as well as the subject of " Political Backstabbing " when there was the " Blood Transfusion Scandal Case " ! Seems there is another Scandal in France about to erupt , as the home and office of former President Sarkozy was raided in the past week ! So far we have seen former Presidents such as Jacques Chirac and Giscard Estagne embroiled in controversy in recent years .
Whilst doing this post , instead of being in Metz , as planned , i am sitting in front of a TV , watching the last 60km of the " Le Tour " as it heads into Metz ! At the 60 km to go there was a cote de B. , which became such a choke point , that at that point , the breakaway was at 1 min 30secs and so with bikes colliding , ALL behind the " Maillot Jeune " , were standing around whilst a few wheels were exchanged ! This extra time has allowed Zabriskie and the other three to stay away , so far to the 15km mark where they enjoy a 15sec advantage . Dave Z. was alone in the last kilo but was swept up in the last metres , once again the other three lost confidence in their ability to work together , so Dave made use of his time trialling skills to see if he could stay the course .
At 25km before the finish , another collision brought down many of the principle racers including Frank Schleck and Al Valverde , but causing several casualties and two abandons , thus at 15km they are 2 1/2 mins in the rear , finishing 2 mins down on the day ! Several other notables such as Scarponi trailed in with this group . King Cav came in about 5 mins down on the day and must have been wondering how he was going to answer those demanding interviews . Peter Sagen in taking the victory in front of Greipel denied him the third in a row which was last achieved by Mario Cippolini . Matt Goss came in third after his train had dominated the last several kilometres before Big George led Cadel to the front for a short pull to close down the breakaway .
Eurosport Extra collared Dave Z. for an interview and then tried to raise the Lance subject with him which saw a quick termination of that interview . Stupid of them to think he wants to discuss Lance after all that has been going on these last few days
Sunday, July 1, 2012
ONLY TWO AUSSIES !
Living 41 km from Innsbruck i was delighted to arrive at the Rummerhof , that houses BMC , Movistar and other teams in under the hour ! Guess a following wind helps , but i hope it has turned after the 3 circuits of the course i plan to ride , amounting to a day of 200 +kms by the time i struggle home ! A circuit before the racers put in an appearance gave me the opportunity to select the vantage points for photos . As it turned out the local TV used the same vicinity , so i was told that the bike and Oz flag were televised . Following the racers over the route became quite hazardous since cars would pass me and then get stopped causing me to make emergency swerves ! One clown passed me as i was slowing for the stop sign , where was i supposed to go !
Yesterday i played tourist in that when i joined a trio of cyclists out of Innsbruck near Worgl , i decided to ride back to Innsbruck with them and scout out the course for today . Paceline was tight so we were averaging in the 40+kph , again with a following wind until the last 10km . At the main rail station there are new buildings so the old tourist office has dissappeared . Asking several taxi drivers the location proved to be a waste of time , god help the train passenger relying on them ! Next i tried the Old City and received the same attitude that " Georgethecyclist "referred to in Belgium ! The tourist Office had to go to the internet to find any info , then they still could not locate the start area . Tried the bike shop Z , next , it was a few minutes to 12 noon but they were uninterested since i was not buying ! Can you believe they want to sell bikes but cannot be bothered with the Tour of Austria ! Guess there will be fewer clients buying with that attitude .
Along the road was the Polizei so they referred me to another station where they showed me on the map the area they would be cordonimg on Sunday .
Having made two circuits i am now at the Ramada Inn having a short breaki before heading for the Ziel and no doubt will get to greet a few racers as they finish !
As it proved , the wind from the east turned into stormy conditions and the ride homeward turned into a nightmare . Even though there were flashes of lightning on the horizon i arrived home thanks to some help without getting a soaking . Salzburg area was reported to have been hit by " Golfball size Hailstones ", guess there will be a number of damaged cars on the market soon !
Saturday, June 16, 2012
BUSH FIRE BRIGADE memories
Today i became aware of the sorry way that USA treats it " Volunteer Fire Fighters "! Having lived in the " Bush / Outback " of Australia i was a member of a variety of the local township , Country Fire Authority , groups , joined in the training elsewhere , when away from home that Wagga Wagga and West Wyalong happened to be at various times in my younger years .
Recently i came across a bunch of DVD's , McLeod's Daughter , which contains footage of typical training scenario's . Can't say that i was impressed with the story line but it reminded me of many hilarious situations throughout the years . One benefit of being with the " Bushies " was that you got to meet the locals and the hospitality was amazing . Of course you also got to meet the Sisters and Daughters of your fellow volunteers , something that would not happen if you stayed in the local motel as you journeyed around the farms and stations selling the Steel Farm Buildings that Tulloch of Rhodes manufactured whilst they were trying to win orders for their " rattlers " that used to run around the railway system of Sydney . Tulloch even with diversification failed to make it into the 1970's so i joined Combined Insurance co of America . During those years i travelled throughout Victoria , Sth Australia and West Australia enjoying the scenery and the challenge that Selling Insurance to Farming Communities provided .
Being single i was footloose and fancy free and whilst " CIC " provided some structure to each day , in that we were in each area , to renew Policies and seek new business , Monday evenings invariably started with a visit to the local " Fire House " seeking the schedule of local events and thus entree to meeting the locals . Of course being a new face in town could be a challenge to the local lads but as soon as they realised that i was only filling in time until the next location things became easier . Luckily for me , i rarely found myself in an area where there was a dangerous fire threat to deal with but i recall being in the Wimmera of Victoria when " Armstrong " was walking on the moon and the local area was flooding so donning Overalls and joining the pumping out of homes filled the day whilst my Team colleagues sat around in front of the TV .
Back to today ! How disgusting it is to see Fire Fighters being treated like " TRASH " by the US Insurance companies , unworthy of being allowed even basic Health Insurance , even whilst risking their lives to save the Insurance Companies having to pay out for Property lost in the fires that rage through negligence of the insurance holders ! That you can start a fire as some " Insured Firebugs " will often do , but not be able to be " insured whilst containing these same Fires " strikes me as weird !
Where do Volunteers come from , "MR Insurance Company "? Rarely do small towns have the resources to have 24/7 Fire Fighters ! So locals step forward and give up their family time or other personal time to serve their community . Certainly they enjoy friendships and other perks that come from these activities , but there are some that are more dedicated than others and to be left " UNINSURED " because they enjoy serving their community is WRONG !
Whilst working in Oz i was always " Insured " , never ever gave a thought to what would happen " IF "! I was as said before " young and fancy free , and things are different in each country BUT fire is dangerous where ever you are in the World and the least ANY COMMUNITY can do is make sure their FIREFIGHTERS have " Basic Health Insurance Coverage " ?
Go to this link and offer your support :
http://www.change.org/petitions/give-health-care-to-firefighters-who-battle-wildfires?utm_source=action_alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=jqnLlliwJA&alert_id=jqnLlliwJA_utOqIehVOr
What is the saying : USA , land of the free , HOME OF THE BRAVE ? Time Obama did some " fence mending !
In another post , last year , i described the behaviour of some " firefighters " that sat by and watched the home of a " Non Contributing Local " , burn to the ground , hopefully those people have been censored by their community . Even more to the point , the people who lost their home , hopefully they are in a better situation these days ?
ADDED 6/07/12
Comment to Fatcyclist.com that hopefully will remind those with neighbours NOT INSURED , to act on their behalf !
Timely post since the summer with good weather also increases the hazards of living in the country !
Those who go in " harm's way " to protect their neighbours rarely get the recognition that is their rightful due !
Checkout and sign this petition :
http://www.change.org/petitions/give-health-care-to-firefighters-who-battle-wildfires?utm_source=action_alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=jqnLlliwJA&alert_id=jqnLlliwJA_utOqIehVOr
Last time i was in the Salt Lake area was after 12ft of snow , the Skiing was excellent through the great natural beauty BUT i returned to Oz in time to join efforts to fight Bushfires on the outskirts of Nth Sydney another area of Natural beauty ! What a contrast !
Whilst sitting in contra traffic whilst the roadside is being trimmed , remember that this is also a defence against the ravages of summer fires , some caused by the casual tossed fag end !
Visit the link above , perhaps act on their behalf AND review your OWN preparedness for the by products of others misfortunes . Often wondered about Fatty's gardening activities and those of his neighbours ?
Recently i came across a bunch of DVD's , McLeod's Daughter , which contains footage of typical training scenario's . Can't say that i was impressed with the story line but it reminded me of many hilarious situations throughout the years . One benefit of being with the " Bushies " was that you got to meet the locals and the hospitality was amazing . Of course you also got to meet the Sisters and Daughters of your fellow volunteers , something that would not happen if you stayed in the local motel as you journeyed around the farms and stations selling the Steel Farm Buildings that Tulloch of Rhodes manufactured whilst they were trying to win orders for their " rattlers " that used to run around the railway system of Sydney . Tulloch even with diversification failed to make it into the 1970's so i joined Combined Insurance co of America . During those years i travelled throughout Victoria , Sth Australia and West Australia enjoying the scenery and the challenge that Selling Insurance to Farming Communities provided .
Being single i was footloose and fancy free and whilst " CIC " provided some structure to each day , in that we were in each area , to renew Policies and seek new business , Monday evenings invariably started with a visit to the local " Fire House " seeking the schedule of local events and thus entree to meeting the locals . Of course being a new face in town could be a challenge to the local lads but as soon as they realised that i was only filling in time until the next location things became easier . Luckily for me , i rarely found myself in an area where there was a dangerous fire threat to deal with but i recall being in the Wimmera of Victoria when " Armstrong " was walking on the moon and the local area was flooding so donning Overalls and joining the pumping out of homes filled the day whilst my Team colleagues sat around in front of the TV .
Back to today ! How disgusting it is to see Fire Fighters being treated like " TRASH " by the US Insurance companies , unworthy of being allowed even basic Health Insurance , even whilst risking their lives to save the Insurance Companies having to pay out for Property lost in the fires that rage through negligence of the insurance holders ! That you can start a fire as some " Insured Firebugs " will often do , but not be able to be " insured whilst containing these same Fires " strikes me as weird !
Where do Volunteers come from , "MR Insurance Company "? Rarely do small towns have the resources to have 24/7 Fire Fighters ! So locals step forward and give up their family time or other personal time to serve their community . Certainly they enjoy friendships and other perks that come from these activities , but there are some that are more dedicated than others and to be left " UNINSURED " because they enjoy serving their community is WRONG !
Whilst working in Oz i was always " Insured " , never ever gave a thought to what would happen " IF "! I was as said before " young and fancy free , and things are different in each country BUT fire is dangerous where ever you are in the World and the least ANY COMMUNITY can do is make sure their FIREFIGHTERS have " Basic Health Insurance Coverage " ?
Go to this link and offer your support :
http://www.change.org/petitions/give-health-care-to-firefighters-who-battle-wildfires?utm_source=action_alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=jqnLlliwJA&alert_id=jqnLlliwJA_utOqIehVOr
What is the saying : USA , land of the free , HOME OF THE BRAVE ? Time Obama did some " fence mending !
In another post , last year , i described the behaviour of some " firefighters " that sat by and watched the home of a " Non Contributing Local " , burn to the ground , hopefully those people have been censored by their community . Even more to the point , the people who lost their home , hopefully they are in a better situation these days ?
ADDED 6/07/12
Comment to Fatcyclist.com that hopefully will remind those with neighbours NOT INSURED , to act on their behalf !
Timely post since the summer with good weather also increases the hazards of living in the country !
Those who go in " harm's way " to protect their neighbours rarely get the recognition that is their rightful due !
Checkout and sign this petition :
http://www.change.org/petitions/give-health-care-to-firefighters-who-battle-wildfires?utm_source=action_alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=jqnLlliwJA&alert_id=jqnLlliwJA_utOqIehVOr
Last time i was in the Salt Lake area was after 12ft of snow , the Skiing was excellent through the great natural beauty BUT i returned to Oz in time to join efforts to fight Bushfires on the outskirts of Nth Sydney another area of Natural beauty ! What a contrast !
Whilst sitting in contra traffic whilst the roadside is being trimmed , remember that this is also a defence against the ravages of summer fires , some caused by the casual tossed fag end !
Visit the link above , perhaps act on their behalf AND review your OWN preparedness for the by products of others misfortunes . Often wondered about Fatty's gardening activities and those of his neighbours ?
Sunday, June 10, 2012
CADEL EVANS
Cuddles never was my favourite Cycle Racer , but these past few days have shown why he is such a champion and so badly misunderstood by many !
When i caught up with him on Saturday , i mentioned that i had been at L'Alp d'Huez for a couple of days with the Dutch " Alpe HuSes Challenge " , that Cancer Research Project , that raises masses of money ! I heard 32 Million Euros has been raised todate , this year , but there is still the Mont Ventoux Event , in September , to top off this year's result !
Incredible to think that 5000 Dutch Cyclists ride for two days as many as 6 times the L'Alpe d'huez climb , for many the highlight of their cycling season , for others a challenge hard to resist . When interviewed on Dutch National TV i stated i was there , since Cadel Evans was busy winning the Dauphine Libere , wearing a BMC kit , supplied by " GRAN BIKES " in Torino , i hope i looked the part .
Anyway Cuddles , replied that i did not look much like a " body double " !
Sunday morning , today , i was awake early and with a misty rain falling decided to ride the day's etappe early , as rain was predicted by many ! Getting around the course and back to Morzine left me fairly soaked so i was glad i chose to wear the BMC kit once again .
In Morzine , once again , i found the BMC Team Pullman , parked at the centre of town near the start line , luckily for me i arrived at the same time as Cadel , hence the photo !
After the event i came across Cadel as he rode from the Podium back to the Team pullman with his young son , with him , on the bike , photos here !
In McDonalds at Martigny without power cable , preparing for the Tour de Suisse in the morning so will add more later !
Earlier i had come across Brad Wiggins near the Podium . I said to him regarding the " Tour de France " ,
" Be the best you CAN , everything else will be icing on the cake "!
In other Blog Posts i have stated that i expect that the Winner of this edition of the " Le Tour " will come out of the " Blue " ! Still believe this will be the case but hope that both Cadel and Brad will push the eventual Winner all the way to Paris !
Some of the French that are found at the Dauphine Libere :
When i caught up with him on Saturday , i mentioned that i had been at L'Alp d'Huez for a couple of days with the Dutch " Alpe HuSes Challenge " , that Cancer Research Project , that raises masses of money ! I heard 32 Million Euros has been raised todate , this year , but there is still the Mont Ventoux Event , in September , to top off this year's result !
Anyway Cuddles , replied that i did not look much like a " body double " !
Sunday morning , today , i was awake early and with a misty rain falling decided to ride the day's etappe early , as rain was predicted by many ! Getting around the course and back to Morzine left me fairly soaked so i was glad i chose to wear the BMC kit once again .
In Morzine , once again , i found the BMC Team Pullman , parked at the centre of town near the start line , luckily for me i arrived at the same time as Cadel , hence the photo !
After the event i came across Cadel as he rode from the Podium back to the Team pullman with his young son , with him , on the bike , photos here !
In McDonalds at Martigny without power cable , preparing for the Tour de Suisse in the morning so will add more later !
Earlier i had come across Brad Wiggins near the Podium . I said to him regarding the " Tour de France " ,
In other Blog Posts i have stated that i expect that the Winner of this edition of the " Le Tour " will come out of the " Blue " ! Still believe this will be the case but hope that both Cadel and Brad will push the eventual Winner all the way to Paris !
Some of the French that are found at the Dauphine Libere :
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
A THORN AMONGST THE ROSES
With the sun warming Varese i arrived at the lake to find the cream of Australian Rowing Talent hard at work well before office hours !
My camera was not working so Curtis , a coach , kindly helped out with the photos .
Miss Australia looks like she would run 2nd to these ladies !
Fuller report will follow later in the week !
OF COURSE the men were at work also .
My camera was not working so Curtis , a coach , kindly helped out with the photos .
Fuller report will follow later in the week !
OF COURSE the men were at work also .
Friday, May 18, 2012
HELMET USE
Whilst at the Giro d 'Italia i have little opportunity to access a computer so the photos are piling up and so is the frustration .
Those who follow Twitter and people like the GreenEDGE team and @Richie_porte will have seen recently a photo of me sitting on my butt !
Briefly , i should like to thank Matt White for getting out of the team car to check my health , a really generous thing to do whilst doing a difficult job . Also it should be said that whoever used his camera to take the photo is a quick thinker !
Please ask anyone who has seen this photo to email the links so that i can add the photo to this post !
SKIPPI@AUSI:COM
Having driven from Denmark in 15 hours to Kramsach where i currently live , i replaced the bikes used in Denmark with the recently resprayed Pink Bike . After a nights sleep i drove through to Verona area and parked at the Liquigas Hotel about 10km from Verona . Using the bike for the first time since testing after the rebuild i headed towards Verona looking for action . Travelling down a slight grade , i spotted a Squad heading my way . Saw a Petrol station on my left before the squad would arrive so headed in there quite quickly . Regretably the surface was gravelly so skidded to the amusement of the Guys .
Hit the head three times rapidly and sat up to find Matt White at my side . Knowing that i knew his name and where i was he accepted that i would survive so went back to work . After straightening the handlebars and checking ALL was working as it should i headed on into Verona and started mixing it up with the other Racers out training .
Luckily i had been to visit RUDY when i was with the Giro del Trentino so when i got back to the car i was releived to see the new helmet was there . Funnily enough before starting into Verona i had been talking to RUDY's man , Ivan , at the Camper he uses to entertain the Racers about the new helmet . I NEVER CYCLE until i put the helmet and glasses in place !
IF IT CAN HAPPEN TO ME let's hope it won't happen to YOU !
HELMET and Glasses are as necessary as Brakes , DO NOT LEAVE ANYWHERE until they are in place !
Yesterday i rode with a Lady Olympian , she nearly left the coffee break without her helmet . Like me she is so used to not taking it off , and so does not notice that it is in place , it is a fact of life for us both !
Helmets do not spoil your hair do BUT gravel rash or a more SERIOUS INJURY will do more that spoil your day !
SAFE CYCLING starts with the correct equipment and for 14 years RUDY PROJECT have made my life safer !
Those who follow Twitter and people like the GreenEDGE team and @Richie_porte will have seen recently a photo of me sitting on my butt !
Briefly , i should like to thank Matt White for getting out of the team car to check my health , a really generous thing to do whilst doing a difficult job . Also it should be said that whoever used his camera to take the photo is a quick thinker !
Please ask anyone who has seen this photo to email the links so that i can add the photo to this post !
SKIPPI@AUSI:COM
Having driven from Denmark in 15 hours to Kramsach where i currently live , i replaced the bikes used in Denmark with the recently resprayed Pink Bike . After a nights sleep i drove through to Verona area and parked at the Liquigas Hotel about 10km from Verona . Using the bike for the first time since testing after the rebuild i headed towards Verona looking for action . Travelling down a slight grade , i spotted a Squad heading my way . Saw a Petrol station on my left before the squad would arrive so headed in there quite quickly . Regretably the surface was gravelly so skidded to the amusement of the Guys .
Hit the head three times rapidly and sat up to find Matt White at my side . Knowing that i knew his name and where i was he accepted that i would survive so went back to work . After straightening the handlebars and checking ALL was working as it should i headed on into Verona and started mixing it up with the other Racers out training .
Luckily i had been to visit RUDY when i was with the Giro del Trentino so when i got back to the car i was releived to see the new helmet was there . Funnily enough before starting into Verona i had been talking to RUDY's man , Ivan , at the Camper he uses to entertain the Racers about the new helmet . I NEVER CYCLE until i put the helmet and glasses in place !
IF IT CAN HAPPEN TO ME let's hope it won't happen to YOU !
HELMET and Glasses are as necessary as Brakes , DO NOT LEAVE ANYWHERE until they are in place !
Yesterday i rode with a Lady Olympian , she nearly left the coffee break without her helmet . Like me she is so used to not taking it off , and so does not notice that it is in place , it is a fact of life for us both !
Helmets do not spoil your hair do BUT gravel rash or a more SERIOUS INJURY will do more that spoil your day !
SAFE CYCLING starts with the correct equipment and for 14 years RUDY PROJECT have made my life safer !
Saturday, March 31, 2012
MARGARET WHITLAM RIP
Copied from “ The Age Newspaper ”
" ST JAMES was never going to hold the crowd coming to farewell Margaret Whitlam. So they stopped the traffic around the old church in the middle of Sydney. Broadcast vans parked in Queens Square. Prime ministers rarely get such a send-off, let alone prime ministers' wives. But Margaret Whitlam bonded with this country a long time ago. She spoke her mind, at times with startling frankness. She was funny. She never claimed privilege. In the long run, such grace wins out. She seemed always a little amused by public life. And it was no betrayal of her bedrock loyalty that she didn't always hide the absurdities of living side by side with the Great Man. That loyalty was also a loyalty to Labor. This is the funeral of a Labor matriarch, perhaps the matriarch of the party. She didn't marry into Labor. Her grandfather was a Labor candidate. She cast her first vote in the 1940s for Labor's Jessie Street.  Gough Whitlam yesterday at the funeral at St James Church, Sydney, for his wife, Margaret, who died last Saturday at 92. Photo: Pool Some Tory at the coronation dinner in 1953 asked the wife of the new member for Werriwa what a nice girl like her was doing in the Labor Party. She replied: ''I belong to the party that cares about people.'' She loved people. She was endlessly curious. Margaret Whitlam was the old, wise, unshockable woman at the party locked in conversation with total strangers, listening and laughing, offering her brand of spare, no-nonsense advice. Her daughter, Catherine Dovey, told the crowd packed into and outside St James: ''She really felt she had been dealt a fortunate hand in life: loving parents, a compatible and loved younger brother, a good school and education; a perfect match with father that produced 'acceptable' children, and a stimulating and full life.'' Turning out to pay their respects to this distinguished woman were a Prime Minister, a Governor-General, a Governor, a High Court judge, several ministers of the Crown and senators - all women. But what would Margaret Whitlam have thought of this gathering and this ceremony? Hoo-ha, probably. Not to be countenanced. But because she isn't around to put her foot down any more, she got what she deserved."
Julia Gillard is currently Prime Minister of Australia and she will have a hard road to hoe as she strives to gain the same sort of respect that was Margaret Whitlam's due ! I was alerted to this story by a previous Prime Minister of OZ , that being Kevin Rudd , who recently tried to resume his service to Oz by stepping down as Foreign minister to seek re election to the post of PM !
Friday, February 10, 2012
INRNG COMMENT !
REad an interesting blog post by Inrng but when i compose a comment all i get is : Your request timed out. Please retry the request
Well i did that several times and even got " Duplicate Post " a couple of times !
I have tweeted asking him to read this blog and copy it into his comments !
My comment for what it was worth , composed on Word processor:
"It makes me laugh when I see people talk about the Penalties for Crime ! Whoever sets out to practice “ Sporting Fraud “ deserves the Harshest Penalties ! If the goal posts are moved whilst awaiting punishment , TOO BAD ! There should be uncertainty about Punishment since people “ Should NOT make an informed decision about , “ if I do this , the worst will be this “!
My personal POV is that the racers in the ProTour usually know they represent their country at some point so they can’t expect equal treatment to those in the lower ranks ! Nor should they think they are entitled to perform for their country after serving a suspension . Can they expect to have their Country’s Reputation besmirched to accommodate their desires ? My answer is a DEFINITE NO !
Those in the ProTour choosing to “ Cheat or unwittingly breaking limits of UCI /WADA proscribed Drugs ” should go before an International panel drawn from the various national Federations to have their case decided within a month ! With Internet and “ Teleconferencing “ available , it is quite easy to bring ALL parties together , and , without the need for Lawyers thrash out 95% of the disciplinary cases .
Justice needs to be done with celerity and using the National Federations only leads to the sort of problems in which Contador found himself . Rotating the membership of the panel will also mean that vested interests do not get involved .
This past week has seen several different cases with a variety of results and I hope that ALL will follow Jan Ulrich and leave matter as they stand .
Please support “ Cities fit for cycling on your blogs , here is the Html to put the logo there :
On blogger , open Design , go to add a gadget , look for +java , paste ! Simple !
Lets hope the roads will become SAFER and friendlier !
Of course he may not like me commenting a length , so be it !
On blogger , open Design , go to add a gadget , look for +java , paste ! Simple !
Lets hope the roads will become SAFER and friendlier !
Of course he may not like me commenting a length , so be it !
Monday, January 23, 2012
SPORTING Heroes ?
Celebrity does not allow assaulting a cyclist ! Seems that the more well known you are , the better chance you have of claiming public sympathy when you behave badly in public towards a cyclist !
Consider this scenario :
1. Celebrity ex sports person is driving and sees a cyclist and feels inadequate , jealous , scared , etc. because this cyclist can more easily pass through traffic , does not understand road rules relating to cyclist, etc.
2. All this and some adrenaline gets the better of the driver and he intimidates , abuses or attacks the cyclist.
3. As the driver calms down and realises that he just committed a crime and is a moron for doing it, he reports it to police, putting his side of the story first. Cops lap up the celebrity aura of the ex sports star as he adds lots of sauce to his story suggesting in some way that he was at risk from this cyclist despite being inside a car.
4. Whip up more of a storm on social media to get public sympathy, and hopefully also create lots pressure for police to drop any charges. Note that previously police involvement and pressure not to proceed with charges involved St.Kilda footballers.
5. Speak to an anti-cyclist shock jock on 3AW for more pressure and public sympathy.
6. Point to his Charity Foundation as a means of pretending what a great bloke he is (hoping the public will not realise the said charity does not disclose any financial information or proper evidence that a reasonable % of the donations actually go to the said causes, employs his family and others, etc.).
7. Distract from crime by creating hysteria about Rego for cycles and cars vs cyclists rubbish ("look over there, a unicorn!") !
Continually the media take the side of those that shout the loudest , since they have the connections they get more attention ! The victims are left to hope that the Police or CPS will weigh the evidence and decide that there is a case to answer .
Many times the official responsible for overseeing the case are pressured by their superiors to take no action . Difficult to be impartial when vested interests exert influence behind the scenes . One wonders why so many people are given free tickets to sporting events ?
Whilst Rex Hunt in Australia has had a narrow escape from a prison sentence for injuring a cyclist in a “ Road Rage incident “ there is no report in the media about any compensation to the injured cyclist . Perhaps the paper articles I have seen wish to discourage Cyclists from being recompensed for losses suffered as a result of the bad behaviour of their “ mates ” ?
http://www.theage.com.au/national/no-jail-for-hunt-over-roadrage-incident-20090513-b2xa.html
http://www.theage.com.au/national/rex-hunt-found-guilty-of-cyclist-attack-charge-20090508-axd5.html
Another recent incident has involved that well known Cricket personality , Shane Warne , who because of his retirement has been garnering “ headlines ” because of the new circles in which he has chosen to involve himself . Once again there are disparities in the accounts of the incident and using celebrity as a defence , Shane has aired his involvement in a way that reflects badly on him and dragging the “ Us v Cyclists ” debate back to centre stage .
Hopefully the cyclist will be fully compensated for the damage done to his bike and wouldn’t it be appropriate to give a fulsome apology and see the cyclist and his lady friend reimbursed for the lost time due to the incident and perhaps Court appearances ? Shane , you could even swing a few tickets their way in a gesture of goodwill , since you will want something positive to “ tweet ” after the magistrate has finished their say on your erratic ( being kind here ) behaviour ! Do it before the matter is heard and perhaps it will count in your favour .
Amongst the “ fish ” that Shane and his mates dragged across the trail was the suggestion , once again , that Bikes carry “ number plates ” ! I for one have difficulty getting down in writing a Car’s reg. plate when I see “ erratic behaviour ” whilst riding or driving on the road , so are we to carry on the front wheel and rear a similar sized object ? Switzerland has a sticker that goes on bikes for Insurance purposes ONLY , but your chances of discovering the info there are limited to when they are stationary and you know for what you are looking ! Too many other people have put forward their “ pros and cons ” so I have lifted the following from another blog :
“ I, and many other cyclists, would love for all cyclists to ride with the utmost consideration for drivers, and all drivers to drive with complete respect for cyclists. However, the poor behaviour of a minority of cyclists/drivers is often used as justification for a negative attitude towards the entire group, and no progress is going to be made when people think like this. Cyclists must ride with consideration for drivers, obey the road rules and show by example that they are respectable and law abiding road users. Drivers must drive with care and respect for cyclists, understanding the risk they pose to cyclists. Public figures must not promote antagonism towards cyclists (or drivers). And everybody should understand that mandatory registration and number plates for bikes are not an answer.”
Dave Johnstone has also commented about Shane on his blog as well as commenting to the blog ( Cycling tips ) where this story came to my attention . Seems like he knows a good deal about the “ trials and tribulations ” of an Aussie Cyclist !
http://davidjohnstone.net/blog/2012/01/shane-warne-vs-cyclists-registration-and-number-plates
Finally in relation to Oz , this comment to a blog is worth repeating :
“ registration is used to repair and rebuild roads. so if cyclists are made to pay it then maybe it should contain some sort of parity with other road users. Trucks/ buses have larger registration fees than cars, which in turn are larger than motorcycles. If cyclists pay it should be in line with the percentage of damage they do to roads. I'd estimate somewhere of the order of 0.01%. So, as a cyclist i'd be happy to pay 30c each 6 months to register my bike, along with the hundreds i spend on car registration. It can come out of the $5000 + i have saved my private health fund and taxpayers in surgery and physio/rehab from not having a knee reconstruction because I choose to ride as often as i can. ”
That comment provoked the following comment :
“ Actually thats not quite correct, car registration is split into 3 parts.
1. an administration fee by vicroads (about $120)
2. stamp duty (about $30)
3. TAC (about $450)
$$ amounts approx..
As you can see the vast majority goes to subsiding the TAC. The TAC pays for the huge medical costs associated with 1,500 road deaths and 30,000 serious injuries on our roads every year. Road funding is mostly provided by general revenue (income taxes, GST etc.)
Not many people realise but the TAC operates at a loss - the annual bill associated with the road toll every year is estimated at $18billion, a lot more than the $3.9billion raised. If we were to convert the registration system into a true "user pays" system then the cost of registering a motor vehicle would nearly triple overnight.
So the question for motorists is, do you want a true user pays regisration system?
Random fact:
Between 1925-2008, 185,256 people were killed on Australian roads.
Total Australian war dead 102,734
http://www.awm.gov.au/encyclop...
Bridie O'Donnell , the well known Australian Cycling champion , blogged this week about Warnie , and her article was picked up by many media outlets .
Essentially the item was quite knd to Warnie but id highlight the fact that so many " Sports Personalities " enjoy the limelight when it suits and then try to deflect it when they behave badly ! Bridie has written many interesting and thoughtful articles that i have enjoyed reading since meeting her at the Tour de Romandie one year , when there was a Women's Time Trial event using the same course as the men .
Over in the UK last week “ Thecyclingsilk ” managed to get the culprit into court , finally ! Result was a conviction and “ fines ” but I did not see any compensation in favour of the injured party ! Once again I am left wondering IF Cyclists are discouraged from pursuing those that cause them “ difficulties ”? Certainly we do not need the American “ Sue and be damned ” culture , but it is reasonable for the Cyclist to be reimbursed if the Guilty party has tried to create additional expenses by delaying or deferring their “ day of judgement ” , hoping the injured party will lose patience and give up ? Anyone seeing the “ video ” of the incident would conclude it was a “ slam dunk ” case but “ Innocent until proved Guilty ” is still the law of the land !
Congratulations to Martin Porter QC
for persisting and thus getting a result , which will help encourage other Cyclists in future cases to see a matter through to the conclusion !
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