AUSSIES cleaning up in Ponferrada !

Flying the Aussie Flag high repeatedly , on Sunday and Monday , as Aussie Cycle Racers scored Silvers in the Team Time Trials on Sunday , then Golds to Macey Stewart and Campbell Fakemore on Monday , meant the rest of the week was somewhat of a wait , until " Gerro " scored the Men's Elite Silver on Sunday minutes to finalise the Medal Tally , just before the heavens opened !

That week flashed past and now i am trying to recall all the high points . Surely there was more , as i seem to recall , that there was a Silver for Caleb Ewan and also another , then 2 Bronze for Oz , one to Anna-Leeza hill who Shared Macey's podium and one to Michael Storer , some where during the week ? Could be i have it wrong but i think 2 Gold , 3 Silver and 2 Bronze was a pretty handsome haul ?  ( Still working on it ) !

With the Sunday Team Time Trials , it is a shame that the World will not recognise that BMC , winner of the Mens is the Team of Cadel Evans and Lulumon , winners of the Ladies event is the work of that Aussie Powerhouse , Kristy Scrimageour , who led by example when an aussie Champ. !

With this in mind , i sent @briancooksonobe , a tweet , after trawling the " UCI.ch website " to discover a " National Medals " List !  After wasting time and 32Mb on all those pretty pictures , i came up empty handed . Of course Brian has not replied ! Guess he was overdoing it when he smiled on the Sunday , after i called " Smile " to get that photo . Not sure i have seen too many other photos with a smiling President ?

Will be back with more for this post after a trawl through a few more sites .

On the Sunday after the Elite Men's race , i was looking to find the 2 Austrians from Schwaz , at their Hotel , but , instead found a bruised and deflated Dan Martin . He showed off the damage from the crash during the race . Met his Father also , who said he would bounce back .

Sunday's Victory at the " Lombardia " , where he accelerated from the back of the pack , certainly demonstrated that fact !

Good on you Dan !

BANNED

Posted this to SCA , earlier today :

  " Contador is TOO Busy to be at " StopKillingCyclists Event " etc

Having had to restart my computer due to loading the latest " Updates " , i found the entry removed . Now i know that i am hard to get along with , but WHEN i am trying to HELP a UK Based " Cycling Safety Org. " you would think the Guy would realise that it was in the INTERESTS OF ALL , to Highlight the event ?  Not so as the next effort from me was :

  " SEEMS that HELPING OTHER CYCLING SAFETY ORG:s is NOT on YOUR AGENDA !

" StopKillingCyclists " deserves better of YOU , since they give YOU a mention !

YOU make me feel ASHAMED of being an Aussie !

Email me with YOUR Issues at skippi@ausi.com IF you are Big enough !"

this brought about a fairly prompt reply :

" DO NOT COMMENT ON OUR PAGE AGAIN "!

Now i realise that there is a time difference beetween Oz and the UK , but i am in the house due to the pouring rain on a cold Saturday arvo in Austria , whilst the Facebook Page monitor is presumably at home on a Saturday night , perhaps looking for a " dispute "!  It sappears from reading the latest refresh that he has a stouch going with some one else currently , but ALL sign of these items have disappeared . As i keep copy of everything i post , it matters not !

Over the years of watching SCA , i seem to recall a bunch of other " Cycling Safety Org.s " getting the rough edge of his digits . In the past i was happy to assist since Europe is a 1 1/2M Safe Pass area , but when i pass through Queensland , i doubt i will bother with a visit .

UNTIL ALL Cycling Safety Org.s in ALL parts of the World , work together on a COMMON AGENDA , we Cyclists will continue to be disregarded as of NO ACCOUNT !   I can understand that the Pro Cyclists , when at a race , fail to do more for their Cycling Fans , BUT , since members of THEIR Profession are regularly reported as VICTIMS , they have to convince the Media to assist in their SAFETY on the roads , wherever THEY LIVE !

Enjoy the pics , these are just a few that support my efforts !

7th April 2014 , a CHANGE of Driving Attitude ?

Queensland Drivers will be reminded in the next weeks , that the " Highway Code " that they learnt , in order to gain their " Driver Permit " , had behaviours towards Cyclists as part of those items that they had to absorb " Parrot Fashion "!  That they promptly set about driving in a way , that was contrary to the manner expected of them , is apparent from the " Punishment Passes "  many inflict on Cyclists , daily !

On 7th April 2014 , those that continue to treat Cyclists as a " nuisance " , will find that there are Penalties that will hurt their Pocket , as well as earn them DEMERIT Points , that can/will lead to them finding other means of Transport , as their vehicle sits at home . Perhaps they will be humble enough to use a BIKE , to continue their daily activities ?

European Law forms some of the Basis of the Australian Highway Code , but it is principally a copy of the UK " Highway Code " , with it's many defects !  Whereas EU Law has " Strict Liability " , the UK Law does not , thus the DEAD Victim has NO RIGHTS ! They are not there to PROVE that the perpetrator was not compliant with Road Rules that require a Standard of Behaviour to others ?  SMIDSY ( sorry mate i didn't see you ) is trotted out , when the incident is in the midday sun and with as much as a kilometre of straight road in front of them !  Indeed the UK has an " AA org. " whose latest survey of members found that 93% of respondents do not see Cyclists as they drive ! Wonder why Opticians have to advertise when they have so many in need of their services ?

https://www.facebook.com/pages/93-of-Motorists-cant-see-Cyclists/515855331868315

When travelling in Europe , the motorist will find that most countries have the 1 1/2M Safe Pass of Cyclists sign VISIBLE , mainly at the exit of a City and the start of an uphill section . France has these signs at the bottom of just about every " Col " in the Alps , Jura & Pyrennees !

What it ALL comes down to , is that the MEDIA class CYCLISTS as a " subhuman Species " ! Pull on a Lycra outfit and YOU , are no longer a Father/Mother , Son/Daughter , Grandparent , Friend/Colleague ! I wear Lycra each day , except on days like today , when snow is falling , almost the whole day . Lycra does not make me any different to any other Blogger , yet as soon as i get on the Bike , the Media regard me as WHAT ?

Tony Abbott on the Sunday of Election Weekend was shown WORLDWIDE , riding his bike ! Since then there has been plenty of time for him to make his views known on Cycling Issues , yet , even though i trawl Aussie websites also , there has been NOTHING , that i have found ! Nor has there been links by others !

" Show Tony " has been visible recently with a variety of issues , but even though they demand plenty of his time , it is inconceivable that he has given up riding the bike , even if only in the Gym ?

What " show tony " needs to do , if he is MAN ENOUGH , is to see that :

1/  Strict Liability is introduced to Federal Parliament in the form of an Urgent Bill .

2/  Australia adopts the 1 1/2M Safe Pass Laws introduced in Queensland on 7th April 2014.

TWO very simple measures that can be treated with urgency , YET , which politician has the GUTS ?