Kris Westwood gone...

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Well, technically, the position of High performance director has been eliminated. As well, the new Minister at the Gov't Level responsible for sport in Canada has NO experience with sports at all...

And just when you think it cannot get any worse.... it does.

Geez, who is going to write the CCA bullshit now?

Has Lorriane Lafreniere had time to learn how to do that?

At least she is still there and she will sure be a big help to High Performance!

Maybe somebosy can explain this to me, "The CCA announced today the decision to remove the position of High Performance Director as part of a realignment of the High Performance sector prior to Beijing."
http://www.canadian-cycling.com/cca/media/news/2007/0817_hp_director.shtml

So you are preparing for the Olympics next year and you ELIMINATE the position of High Performance Directors???? WTF does that mean??????

Are we now going to get a Director of Mediocrity? Oh, no, we already have plenty of those don't we....

And so you were warned and you continue to ignore and deny the obvious.

The legacy of Bill Kinash contines. He has just about driven Canadian Cycling completely into the ground.

Hey, Kris, do you want to tell me again how well things are going at the CCA!!!!!

Train Wreck rolls on: Westwood needs a job



The train wreck that is the Canadian Cycling Association (CCA) has dismissed its High Performance Director, Kris Westwood.



According to Canadian Cyclist, “The CCA has now seen the loss of three senior staff in the last 12 months - Chris Dodson (Director of Finance), Michel Leblanc (Mountain Bike Coach) and now Kris Westwood.” Rob Jones, the rose-colored, cheerleading Editor of CC seems to have forgotten the resignation of the Association’s last Chief Operating Officer Steve Lacelle less than a year ago and the firing/resignation of the Marketing Coordinator Kim Sebrango. And there was long-time coach Eric Van den Eynde just a few months before that.

http://www.canadiancyclist.com/default2.html



This latest cutback is amusing, ironic, sad and all too familiar.



The CCA is truly one phocked up organization. Before each important season it reduces its personnel, exactly what you do not want to be doing. This is similar to 2003 when the CCA lost its Marketing Coordinator at the time and left the post vacant for 18 months, all through the build up to the 2003 Road Worlds Championships in Hamilton and in its aftermath. Result: not one new sponsor.



Now we have the CCA getting rid of one of the few people who actually knows something about the sport in their organization. Director General Lorraine Lafreniere, like past President Bill Kinash, probably wants to get rid of anyone who knows more about cycling that she does. That’s means everybody at the CCA since Lafreniere knows nothing about the sport and may not have even seen a bike race before running the sport for the country. Only the CCA could pick such a person as its leader. Can you imagine Hockey Canada putting somebody in charge that had never been to a hockey game….? Lafreniere’s hiring is that stupid.



Here is Lafreniere trying to explain to Canadian Cyclist magazine her way out of this latest fiasco:

"It is yet another difficult decision that we have had to make." agreed Lafreniere "but the High Performance Director (position) is just not necessary to get us to Beijing. Kris was our technical expert, but that role is not needed at this point. We will be holding a full review after Beijing, and will determine our needs at that time."

"It is the coaches who will make or break us in Beijing, and you will see more technical involvement (from them)."

Lafreniere insists that this staff reduction is not about a shortage of funding, "it is not a budget consideration. Of course, it frees up some funds, but it is not about being able to afford the position."



Somebody please explain to me how canning a guy with 20 years or more experience in all facets of the sport and spreading his workload to three already busy coaches improves things for Beijing? Anybody??????



It is ridiculous!!!



Lorraine, do you think anybody is buying your bullshit?



All of this is amusing because only a month ago you had Westwood spewing about how on top of things the CCA is and how well things are going. He was a real team player! Now Lafreniere fires him.



You had a chance to do the right thing, Kris. You chose not to.



How long can this situation with the CCA continue?



How long can all the people with experience in the sport be sidelined while amateurs who know nothing about the sport continue to dismantle it?



Let’s hope Lorraine Lafreniere finds another job soon so she too can resign from the CCA as did her predecessor.



As for Kris Westwood, he has some training in journalism, can any of you newspaper guys find him a job…



Thanks.





08.17.07 - The CCA announced today the decision to remove the position of High Performance Director

Friday, August 17th, 2007 - The CCA announced today the decision to remove t he position of High Performance Director as part of a realignment of the High Performance sector prior to Beijing. Kris Westwood will therefore be leaving the association, effective September 30th, 2007.

“I am of course disappointed to be leaving the CCA, but I can look back with satisfaction on the progress we have made in building support systems for our elite athletes,” said Westwood. “A lot remains to be done, especially at the development level, but I’m confident that the coaches and staff in place will continue to progress in the right direction.”

The organization would like to recognize Kris for his contribution during the past few years and for his ongoing commitment to assist Canadian athletes to achieve international excellence.

His responsibilities will be transferred to the three national team coaches with the support of High Performance Manager, Sean O’Donnell. CCA’s coaches are Houshang Amiri, National Team Training Centre (West) in Victoria, BC; Vincent Jourdain, National Team Training Centre (East) in Bromont, Quebec; and, Tanya Dubnicoff, National BMX Coach, in Calgary, Alberta.



http://www.canadian-cycling.com/cca/media/news/2007/0817_hp_director.shtml

Gee...., where is "God Again"???

Is he looking for a new job????

Maybe Westwood being gone is a good thing, here is what the “Dead Man Walking" had to say at the Road Worlds about yet another Canadian disappointment. Westwood will be fired as High Performance Director shortly by the Canadian Cycling Association



"Kris Westwood, high performance director for the Canadian Cycling Association, wasn’t too disappointed that Samplonius didn’t reach her top-10 goal. ‘’Anne had a great race. She was in medal contention most of the way. The top-riders passed her at the end.’’



Maybe Kris should be disappointed.



I like Kris’ comment, "The top-riders passed her at the end.’’!!!! No shit!!! Funny how that happens.



Boy, I've had a lot of "great races" where the top guys passed me too. It sucks....., you know you're doing so well until the actual finish line....



Apparently ‘David Veilleux did OK as well even though he finished 34th out of 70 guys "He had a good race,’’ said Westwood. ‘’He probably started too fast because he seemed tired at the end."



Kris, I’ll bet a lot of guys were tired at the end. Jeesh....!! Does working for the CCA kill brain cells?



‘’I’m satisfied with 34th place. I had a good clocking,’’ said Veilleux who reached his goal to finish in the top half of the field (yup, he just made it 34 on 70..)



Notice how ingrained the mediocrity is now in Canadian cycling. Finished 34th on 70 is now considered satisfying. Nothing like raising the bar!!!!!



At the very least let’s get Lorraine Lafreniere at the CCA to give her athletes some PR tips. , after all, Lafreniere has been unable to accomplish anything else at the CCA in a year. She is supposed to have a PR background, maybe she can tell her riders that expressing satisfaction at finishing in the middle of the field is not why we are spending our taxes dollars to send them to the Worlds.



Sponsors will be real keen on supporting guys who shoot for the middle…….



Samplonius complained about riding the course in practice only once. Why was that the case? Did the CCA house their athletes 20 km. from the course and fly them in six hours before the event? What else was she doing? Sightseeing? Whose faults was it she didn’t she the course? I’ve been to a couple Worlds, we saw the course(s) a number of times. Why not this time?

Westwood again, Chief Apologist and Director of Mediocre performance:

09.27.07 - Road cycling – World championships - Wet conditions disadvantage Hesjedal and Tuft
‘’It’s not an improvement on last year’s showing but still I feel the guys had a good race,’’ said Kris Westwood, high performance director for the Canadian Cycling Association."

You gotta wonder if Kris ever sees a bad performance......

Westwoods adds, "Hesjedal was 13th at the halfway point and posted the 33rd fastest time in the second half which may explain why the last riders to start did so well."

Or it may explain nothing. How did the other riders who started before him do?

http://www.canadian-cycling.com/cca/media/news/2007/0927_road.shtml