Aust's 1st pro contintental team woohoo!

[warrwych]

warrwych wrote:


> i get your point now re: compared to all the footballers (all codes) ,
> cricketers etc in Australia, to have 5% of the field of the world's
> most famous bike race is quite a lot. I am not so sure. 10 out of a
> population of X thousands who ride is not so many (not talking straight
> CA membership numbers here, just to twist figures in my favour ).

There's not many Chinese riders at the TdF

> What is important about those riders is the regard with which they are
> held by their teams, and that they do very well against other riders
> from the local (northern) hemisphere.
>
> the Brits do have ready access to the Euro circuits, but I am not so
> sure road racing is as strong culturally for them as it is in
> Australia, due in part to climate.

I dunno, I read an interesting book on the history of British racing
cycling 'one more kilometer and we're in the showers', which did talk
about a tradition of road time trials a lot.

>
> Is Richard England that young? No way.. Seriously, I thought he was
> late 20's or so.

No, he was a kid when I started racing (which isn't all that long ago!)

>
> agree on all other points, nothing further to add
>
> except - didn't realise your name was such a heavy load

heh

Are you going to come and do a few of the BBN track races? Small
fields, well behaved .... even I manage to feel safe in the bunches!

not really sure of the relevence of the reference to Chinese riders.... but you are correct, there are not many Chinese, or Indonesian, or Alaskan or Icelandic or Indian riders competing in the TdF. Not many women, or Drapac Porsche riders either

Track racing on a Sat arvo after doing 100km in the morning doesn't really appeal. I am racing a few Xmas carnivals, does that count? I am currently running a book on myself as to how many laps it will take the "big girls" to lap me.

 

[Bleve]

Shane Stanley wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>,
> "Bleve" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > The *successful* teams of late have almost all been very mixed, with
^^^^^^^
what's that word?

> > team leaders often (except US-P/Disco with Lance) being from a
> > different country than the team registration etc. I'm not talking about
> > the alsorans (Euskatel, Bouyges telecom etc)
>
> So poor Tom Boonen is an also-ran...

Bettini is Belgian?!

 

[Bleve]

Shane Stanley wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>,
> "Bleve" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > The *successful* teams of late have almost all been very mixed, with
^^^^^^^
what's that word?

> > team leaders often (except US-P/Disco with Lance) being from a
> > different country than the team registration etc. I'm not talking about
> > the alsorans (Euskatel, Bouyges telecom etc)
>
> So poor Tom Boonen is an also-ran...

Bettini is Belgian?!

 

[cfsmtb]

not really sure of the relevence of the reference to Chinese riders.... but you are correct, there are not many Chinese, or Indonesian, or Alaskan or Icelandic or Indian riders competing in the TdF. Not many women, or Drapac Porsche riders either

Read about cycling at the 2006 Asian Games? At the moment there may well be no Asian cyclists in the European circuit, but doesn't mean there *won't* be.

 

[Bleve]

warrwych wrote:
> Bleve Wrote:
> > warrwych wrote:
> >
> >
> > > i get your point now re: compared to all the footballers (all codes)
> > ,
> > > cricketers etc in Australia, to have 5% of the field of the world's
> > > most famous bike race is quite a lot. I am not so sure. 10 out of a
> > > population of X thousands who ride is not so many (not talking
> > straight
> > > CA membership numbers here, just to twist figures in my favour
> > ).
> >
> > There's not many Chinese riders at the TdF
> >
> > > What is important about those riders is the regard with which they
> > are
> > > held by their teams, and that they do very well against other riders
> > > from the local (northern) hemisphere.
> > >
> > > the Brits do have ready access to the Euro circuits, but I am not so
> > > sure road racing is as strong culturally for them as it is in
> > > Australia, due in part to climate.
> >
> > I dunno, I read an interesting book on the history of British racing
> > cycling 'one more kilometer and we're in the showers', which did talk
> > about a tradition of road time trials a lot.
> >
> > >
> > > Is Richard England that young? No way.. Seriously, I thought he was
> > > late 20's or so.
> >
> > No, he was a kid when I started racing (which isn't all that long
> > ago!)
> >
> > >
> > > agree on all other points, nothing further to add
> > >
> > > except - didn't realise your name was such a heavy load
> >
> > heh
> >
> > Are you going to come and do a few of the BBN track races? Small
> > fields, well behaved .... even I manage to feel safe in the bunches!
>
> not really sure of the relevence of the reference to Chinese riders....

You inferred that the number of racing cyclists wasn't relevant (by
rejecting the CSV membership numbers), but rather, the number of
cyclists. China has rather a lot of cyclists


> but you are correct, there are not many Chinese, or Indonesian, or
> Alaskan or Icelandic or Indian riders competing in the TdF. Not many
> women, or Drapac Porsche riders either

Some have suggested that Petacci was a big girl (rough misquote of
Baden Cooke 'he's a bit soft' at the '04 TdF I think it was?)


> Track racing on a Sat arvo after doing 100km in the morning doesn't
> really appeal. I am racing a few Xmas carnivals, does that count?
> I am currently running a book on myself as to how many laps it will
> take the "big girls" to lap me.

 

[warrwych]

>snipsnipchoppitychop
>
> not really sure of the relevence of the reference to Chinese riders....[/color]

You inferred that the number of racing cyclists wasn't relevant (by
rejecting the CSV membership numbers), but rather, the number of
cyclists. China has rather a lot of cyclists


> but you are correct, there are not many Chinese, or Indonesian, or
> Alaskan or Icelandic or Indian riders competing in the TdF. Not many
> women, or Drapac Porsche riders either

Some have suggested that Petacci was a big girl (rough misquote of
Baden Cooke 'he's a bit soft' at the '04 TdF I think it was?)

ah! didn't reject the CSV numbers, but added to them to make 2k riders even more! But as there are no Chinese riders racing TdF, the reference is not relevent, cos I was talking number (%) of TdF riders compared to overall numbers of riders in the country of origin for the TdF riders. China = millions of riders, no Tdf riders, comparison to Aust numbers null.

Petacchi is a big girl sooky sprinter! hehehe But he is no woman!