Kathy Watt

had to laugh at this.... especially the urinating.... but I agree with the coach she does have one hell of a set of legs! 40 years old!

http://www.theage.com.au/news/Sport/Wood-ahead-by-wee-margin-Watt-in-hot-water/2005/02/22/1109046915847.html

I know those time trials are pretty close, could the handle bars make that much difference ??

my vote is Yes!

Jeez if you've got to go, you've got to go, so to speak. After all these years, Kathy still doing things _her way!

I think she could have done an Oppy and peed on the go. Had she done that,
the pack would have dropped further back than it was and the bars issue
would have been academic.
I reckon sour grapes. Charlie hated her and the rest don't like her much
because she rides her own style, beats the others and for that is seen as a
non team player.
If the 'stars' can take comfort from her virtual red card, sorry for them.
Jock

cfsmtb wrote:
>> MikeyOz Wrote:
>>> had to laugh at this.... especially the urinating.... but I agree
>>> with the coach she does have one hell of a set of legs! 40 years
>>> old!
>>>
>>>
http://www.theage.com.au/news/Sport/...046915847.html
>>>
>>> I know those time trials are pretty close, could the handle bars
>>> make that much difference ??
>>>
>>> my vote is Yes!
>>
>> Jeez if you've got to go, you've got to go, so to speak. After all
>> these years, Kathy still doing things _her way!
>>
>>
>> --
>> cfsmtb

That's a pisser... (geez I'm funny.... and clever)

Kathy still hasn't learnt how cycling works after 25 years of racing. Annoy people now, retribution comes much later, usually when it's hurts you more.

Shabby's first law: "For every action there is an equal and opposite overreaction".

MikeyOz wrote:
>
> had to laugh at this.... especially the urinating.... but I agree with
> the coach she does have one hell of a set of legs! 40 years old!
>
> http://www.theage.com.au/news/Sport/...046915847.html
>
> I know those time trials are pretty close, could the handle bars make
> that much difference ??
>
> my vote is Yes!

For those of us that don't want to register to The Age, care to share?

Notan

Here is the text off the article.
As far as I know, I read it without subscription.
Jock

'''''
Wood ahead by wee margin, Watt in hot water
By Melissa Ryan
Port Arlington
February 23, 2005


Riders in the Geelong Women's Tour in Portarlington yesterday.
Photo: Joe Armao

Oenone Wood yesterday gained control of the Geelong Women's Tour by the
smallest of margins on the first day of racing, while Barcelona Olympic gold
medallist Kathy Watt was the centre of controversy after she was relegated
to last place in the morning's time-trial and later fined for urinating in
public.

The 40-year-old Watt had won the first stage, an eight-kilometre time-trial
in Portarlington, from Natalie Bates and Alexis Rhodes, but a storm of
protest was unleashed against her when many riders and team managers took
exception to what they believed had been a "totally illegal" bike set-up by
having the handlebars too low.

Bates' team was clearly unhappy. Said her sister Kate, who was the Champion
of Champions at the recent Australian track cycling titles and fifth in
yesterday's time-trial: "The thing is, rules are rules and they're not made
to be broken in the cycling arena. I think it's actually a little bit
disrespectful to the rest of the peloton to even try and get away with it."

Nine teams lodged a protest with the race officials, who examined the bike
after the second stage - a 30-kilometre criterium - and photographs taken of
it on the start line of the time-trial as to how it was set up. Chief
commissaire Jinshan Zhao relegated Watt to last place - thrusting her from
0.18 seconds behind Wood overall to more than two-and-a-half minutes down -
for a non-regulation bike set-up, fined her 50 Swiss francs (more than $50)
for urinating behind a tree before the start of the second stage and gave
her an official warning for being late to the presentation.

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Her partner, Carey Hall, told officials the bike had not been set up out of
the ordinary and was later disappointed with the relegation, saying Watt had
been checked by Zhao at the start line to ensure she was using a standard
road bike. Hall said he had lowered the headstem for a time-trial just like
he would "raise the headstem up if it was hilly".

"It was me, not her. I was the mechanic. She just gets on and rides. That's
the bad thing about this, to have rules like this, they should have bike
checks for everyone. I asked how about the other 86 riders, was anyone else
checked? They said no. It's a bit unfair to blow things up six hours later,"
Hall said.

"I thought it was a good ride for a 40-year-old to beat everyone, and if
they reckon it's just because the handlebars are low, I think everyone knows
she's got the best legs to win a time-trial over eight kilometres."

The afternoon criterium was won by Wood in a photo finish from New Zealand's
Joanne Kiesanowski, storming up to catch her on the finish line.

Wood won both intermediate sprints (with three-second time bonuses) and her
victory gave her a 10-second bonus so that she slipped ahead of Kate Bates
by a mere 0.6 seconds, with Natalie Bates only two seconds back, ensuring an
enthralling battle for sprint points today and tomorrow.

Wood, the defending tour champion, anticipated hard racing. "Last year, it
was a race of intermediate sprints and I reckon that's what it's going to be
this year as well. I reckon I'm going to have a tough couple of days
fighting against Batesy for those sprints," she said.

The tour continues today with a 77.4-kilometre race at Barwon HeadsNotan
wrote:

''''''




>> MikeyOz wrote:
>>>
>>> had to laugh at this.... especially the urinating.... but I agree
>>> with the coach she does have one hell of a set of legs! 40 years
>>> old!
>>>
>>>
http://www.theage.com.au/news/Sport/...046915847.html
>>>
>>> I know those time trials are pretty close, could the handle bars
>>> make that much difference ??
>>>
>>> my vote is Yes!
>>
>> For those of us that don't want to register to The Age, care to
>> share?
>>
>> Notan

forgot about all that registering garbage.....

Quoted from The Age site,
"Oenone Wood yesterday gained control of the Geelong Women's Tour by the smallest of margins on the first day of racing, while Barcelona Olympic gold medallist Kathy Watt was the centre of controversy after she was relegated to last place in the morning's time-trial and later fined for urinating in public.

The 40-year-old Watt had won the first stage, an eight-kilometre time-trial in Portarlington, from Natalie Bates and Alexis Rhodes, but a storm of protest was unleashed against her when many riders and team managers took exception to what they believed had been a "totally illegal" bike set-up by having the handlebars too low.

Bates' team was clearly unhappy. Said her sister Kate, who was the Champion of Champions at the recent Australian track cycling titles and fifth in yesterday's time-trial: "The thing is, rules are rules and they're not made to be broken in the cycling arena. I think it's actually a little bit disrespectful to the rest of the peloton to even try and get away with it."

Nine teams lodged a protest with the race officials, who examined the bike after the second stage - a 30-kilometre criterium - and photographs taken of it on the start line of the time-trial as to how it was set up. Chief commissaire Jinshan Zhao relegated Watt to last place - thrusting her from 0.18 seconds behind Wood overall to more than two-and-a-half minutes down - for a non-regulation bike set-up, fined her 50 Swiss francs (more than $50) for urinating behind a tree before the start of the second stage and gave her an official warning for being late to the presentation.

Her partner, Carey Hall, told officials the bike had not been set up out of the ordinary and was later disappointed with the relegation, saying Watt had been checked by Zhao at the start line to ensure she was using a standard road bike. Hall said he had lowered the headstem for a time-trial just like he would "raise the headstem up if it was hilly".

"It was me, not her. I was the mechanic. She just gets on and rides. That's the bad thing about this, to have rules like this, they should have bike checks for everyone. I asked how about the other 86 riders, was anyone else checked? They said no. It's a bit unfair to blow things up six hours later," Hall said.

"I thought it was a good ride for a 40-year-old to beat everyone, and if they reckon it's just because the handlebars are low, I think everyone knows she's got the best legs to win a time-trial over eight kilometres.""

"Notan" <notan@ddress.com> wrote in message
news:421BEB1C.56EB7760@ddress.com...

>
> For those of us that don't want to register to The Age, care to share?

Registering to The Age is no big deal, no cost and I think you can choose
whether you want posts from them or not. Anyway, here it is.

Cheers
Peter

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------

Wood ahead by wee margin, Watt in hot water
By Melissa Ryan
Port Arlington
February 23, 2005
Oenone Wood yesterday gained control of the Geelong Women's Tour by the
smallest of margins on the first day of racing, while Barcelona Olympic gold
medallist Kathy Watt was the centre of controversy after she was relegated
to last place in the morning's time-trial and later fined for urinating in
public.

The 40-year-old Watt had won the first stage, an eight-kilometre time-trial
in Portarlington, from Natalie Bates and Alexis Rhodes, but a storm of
protest was unleashed against her when many riders and team managers took
exception to what they believed had been a "totally illegal" bike set-up by
having the handlebars too low.

Bates' team was clearly unhappy. Said her sister Kate, who was the Champion
of Champions at the recent Australian track cycling titles and fifth in
yesterday's time-trial: "The thing is, rules are rules and they're not made
to be broken in the cycling arena. I think it's actually a little bit
disrespectful to the rest of the peloton to even try and get away with it."

Nine teams lodged a protest with the race officials, who examined the bike
after the second stage - a 30-kilometre criterium - and photographs taken of
it on the start line of the time-trial as to how it was set up. Chief
commissaire Jinshan Zhao relegated Watt to last place - thrusting her from
0.18 seconds behind Wood overall to more than two-and-a-half minutes down -
for a non-regulation bike set-up, fined her 50 Swiss francs (more than $50)
for urinating behind a tree before the start of the second stage and gave
her an official warning for being late to the presentation.

Her partner, Carey Hall, told officials the bike had not been set up out of
the ordinary and was later disappointed with the relegation, saying Watt had
been checked by Zhao at the start line to ensure she was using a standard
road bike. Hall said he had lowered the headstem for a time-trial just like
he would "raise the headstem up if it was hilly".

"It was me, not her. I was the mechanic. She just gets on and rides. That's
the bad thing about this, to have rules like this, they should have bike
checks for everyone. I asked how about the other 86 riders, was anyone else
checked? They said no. It's a bit unfair to blow things up six hours later,"
Hall said.

"I thought it was a good ride for a 40-year-old to beat everyone, and if
they reckon it's just because the handlebars are low, I think everyone knows
she's got the best legs to win a time-trial over eight kilometres."

The afternoon criterium was won by Wood in a photo finish from New Zealand's
Joanne Kiesanowski, storming up to catch her on the finish line.

Wood won both intermediate sprints (with three-second time bonuses) and her
victory gave her a 10-second bonus so that she slipped ahead of Kate Bates
by a mere 0.6 seconds, with Natalie Bates only two seconds back, ensuring an
enthralling battle for sprint points today and tomorrow.

Wood, the defending tour champion, anticipated hard racing. "Last year, it
was a race of intermediate sprints and I reckon that's what it's going to be
this year as well. I reckon I'm going to have a tough couple of days
fighting against Batesy for those sprints," she said.

The tour continues today with a 77.4-kilometre race at Barwon Heads.

MikeyOz wrote:
> had to laugh at this.... especially the urinating.... but I agree with
> the coach she does have one hell of a set of legs! 40 years old!
>
> http://www.theage.com.au/news/Sport/...046915847.html
>
> I know those time trials are pretty close, could the handle bars make
> that much difference ??

Hmm.. rules are rules.. but like 'the mechanic' says, DID they check
anyone else's bikes? It seems like Watt is faster than the rest (again)
and the peloton is looking for any way to put her out of contention.

If they are going to scrutineer bikes, they need to check ALL bikes not
wait for a protest to be lodged after the race is run.

State Archery Titles many years ago now.. EVERY competitors equipment
must be checked by an official before they can place it on the shooting
line. If Watt's setup was so different from everyone else's it can't be
difficult to spot it during pre/post-race scrutineering..

hippy

Notan wrote:
>
> MikeyOz wrote:
> >
> > had to laugh at this.... especially the urinating.... but I agree with
> > the coach she does have one hell of a set of legs! 40 years old!
> >
> > http://www.theage.com.au/news/Sport/...046915847.html
> >
> > I know those time trials are pretty close, could the handle bars make
> > that much difference ??
> >
> > my vote is Yes!
>
> For those of us that don't want to register to The Age, care to share?

To all who responded, Thanks!

Notan

It's the riders responsibility to know the rules, these ones have been around for at least 5 years, longer than Kathy. I have no doubt she was aware that it was an illegal setup, given that she's a coach now as well as an athlete.

Yes, she is getting picked on. If you'd been involved in the sport longer you'd understand why. But if she thought someone else had an incorrect setup there was always the right to protest.

Hippy, if you want your bike to be checked (including whether your water bottle is full) go and race a tri. But I reckon you'll struggle with the run.

Shabby wrote -
>
> It's the riders responsibility to know the rules, these ones have been
> around for at least 5 years, longer than Kathy. I have no doubt she was
> aware that it was an illegal setup...
>

Where do you find the rules for a legal set up for a road race / time trial
etc?

best Andrew (who just turns up and hasn't been dq'd yet but would hate to
win something and then have to give it back!)

http://www.vic.cycling.org.au/Rules%20and%20Officials/2005ACFTechRegs-small.pdf

From the age article:
"Nine teams lodged a protest with the race officials,"


It is definitely about the history!

But wait, there's more:

http://www.vic.cycling.org.au/Rules%20and%20Officials/wheelregulations.htm
http://www.vic.cycling.org.au/Rules%20and%20Officials/ucihelmets.htm
http://www.vic.cycling.org.au/Rules%20and%20Officials/Junior%20Wheel%20regulations.htm
http://www.vic.cycling.org.au/Rules%20and%20Officials/Gear%20Limitations.htm