News Shorts - 10 October

Heffron Park Tuesday Criteriums @ 4 Oct - the first Heffron Park Tuesday night of the summer season and B grade holds off A grade & takes the win with Rolly Delaytz (BiciSport Happy Wheels) on the podium for second

Heffron Park Tuesday Criteriums @ 4 Oct - great finish throw by Rolly Delaytz # 1

Heffron Park Tuesday Criteriums @ 4 Oct - great finish throw by Rolly Delaytz # 2

Heffron Park Tuesday Criteriums @ 4 Oct - Rolly Delaytz on a charge

Heffron Park Tuesday Criteriums @ 4 Oct - Rolly Delaytz getting pinned up

Heffron Park Tuesday Criteriums @ 4 Oct - The Voice (Paul Craft) meets The King (John Sunde)

BiciSport Belgium @ 9 Oct - L to R … Koen VerHulst, Mike VerHulst (aka Mike Lawson) & Lies Van Uytvanck at the town of Diksmuide. The BiciSport team rode from the coastal town of Middelkirke to inland Diksmuide. Mike Lawson continues with the Belgian Cyclocross Series with races at Dienze on 15 Oct and Zolder on 16 Oct.

Lanterne Rouge Epic Ride Broome to Esperance @ 6 Oct - … looks more like a Hollywood movie set with Tom Cruise in the wings

Lanterne Rouge Epic Ride Broome to Esperance @ 6 Oct - the epic journey continues with the team arriving in Perth on 9 October.

Lanterne Rouge Epic Ride Broome to Esperance @ 6 Oct - the Lanterne Rouge peloton are hero’s all based on dedication, determination and true grit. Marty Wright (BiciSport) is third from the right

This week the feature is the bikes of the Lanterne Rouge peloton - how do these crusty old dudes keep upright in outback WA ?

Jeremy Lowes - Titanium Bossi T1 frame, Pirelli 32mm slick tyres @ 50 psi

Alf Picello - BMC URS carbon frame, tyres 35mm @ 50 psi

Boon Yeo - Mason alloy frame, tyres 32mm Continental 5000 tubeless @ 40psi

Peter Rau - Giant Revolt carbon frame, tyres 35mm Pirelli on Ali Hunt wheels

Mark McCorkindale - Ribble GCR - Ti frame with Shimano GRX 810, tyres Maxxis Refuse 40mm for first 2,000k but blistered when tubeless. Now on Specialised Sawtooth 38c, tubeless. Wheels are Mavic Allroad 700c, Shoes are Shimano sandals supported by Derm-Aid butt cream (way too much info !)

Marty Wright (BiciSport) - BMC URS One gravel bike. Groupset is SRAM Red Bluetooth 12 speed. Front single chainwheel is 38 with 52-10 rear cog range. Wheels are ENVE G23 with hookless rims Tyres are 32mm Michelin Power tubeless @ 50psi

Lanterne Rouge Epic Ride Broome to Esperance @ 6 Oct - another panoramic shot of very happy campers on a deserted sand dune out the middle of somewhere …

Lanterne Rouge Epic Ride Broome to Esperance @ 6 Oct - ok ok ok … we get it … you are a long way from home lads, nobody loves you, but this is a family show ….

BiciSport is taking a group to the Tour of Bright over 3-4 December. Details are in the Special Events section of this website and we’d like to see you there

NSW TEAMS TIME TRIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS - VENUE & DATE TO BE CONFIRMED 16 OCTOBER

  • It most certainly won’t be in Singleton (on 8 October) but a suggestion now is it will move to 26 November but both venue & date remains uncertain and both are confirmed on 16 October (subject to roadworks). Our sports administrators used to be indecisive, but now they are not so sure, and to be sure this club administrator is rapidly losing interest. …

RACE SEEKER - THIS WEEK

  • From 10 October (into Week Five of the Great Trek South are now in Perth)

    • Lanterne Rouge - Broome to Esperance with Marty Wright (BiciSport)

  • 15 Oct

    • Bowral Classic Criteriums

    • Belgian CycloCross - Dienze (BiciSport starter Mike Lawson)

  • 16 Oct

    • Belgian CycloCross - Zolder (BiciSport starter Mike Lawson)

    • Cyclosportive - Bowral Classic

    • Community Ride - Sydney Spring Cycle

    • Mt Ku Ring Gai Criteriums (Northern Sydney)

BICISORT TRAINING RIDES

  • Tues 11 Oct

    • Waratah Peloton @ pass the corner of Yulong Ave & McCarrs Creek Rd Terrey Hills @ 8.00am for Akuna Bay, top of McCarrs Creek Rd climb at 8.40am, then direction Duffys Forest, then return Terrey Hills shops @ 9.15am then to St Ives for coffee

    • Centennial Park Lower Loop from 5.30am to 7.45am

  • Thurs 13 Oct

    • Belgian Waffle Ride @ Centennial Park @ Spruce Goose Cafe @ 10.30am for Park laps

    • Waratah Peloton @ pass the corner of Yulong Ave & McCarrs Creek Rd Terrey Hills @ 8.00am for Akuna Bay, top of McCarrs Creek Rd climb at 8.40am, then direction Duffys Forest, then return Terrey Hills shops @ 9.15am then to St Ives for coffee

  • Sat 15 Oct

    • Coffee @ Sandstone Cafe Miramare Gardens @ 9.30am

Splendor Pro Cycling Team - Belgium (1936, 1945 …. then 1975-89)

An absolute mega team in Belgium … yes, the team existed in 1936 & 1945 (single years only) then from 1975 to 1985 it was Splendor then flipped to Hitachi sponsorship from 1985 to 1989. This review is the Splendor years only up to the end of 1984. Splendor was bikes and other associated sponsors were Wickes, Bouwmarkt, Euro Soap, Europ Decor (home furnishings), Euro Shop, Marc and Admiral (tv’s). The team jersey (see below) was made by Decca and Campagnolo the groupset of choice.

The team … geez …. every Belgian cycling legend worth a Duvel beer & frites got a start with this classy lot. Team focus being single day Classics & stage wins at major Tours. They won numerous races all over Europe. The team roster was just endless … Sean Kelly for starters (wow), then Claude Criquielion (only got better in the Hitachi years), Michel Pollentier (outright legend), Johan de Muynck (won the Giro), Etienne De Wilde (sprinter & 6 day track star), Ronan Onghena, Eddy & Walter Planckaert (legends again), Marc De Meyer (won Paris Roubaix), Rudy Dhaenens (future World Road Champion), Rudy Rogiers (cobbles specialist), Jean Marie Wampers (more cobbles), Dirk De Mol (future winner of Paris Roubaix), Freddy Maertens (another all time legend), Jean Phillip Van den Brande (best domestique on the planet & ultimate Belgian hard man) & Patrick Versluys (ditto hard man). If any team sharpened their teeth or fingernails on Belgian cobbles this was it.

Michel Pollentier (Splendor, right) another outright Belgian legend leads Jan Raas (World Road Champion, left) and Francesco Moser. Pollentier had a bent out of shape style on a bike (a pronounced side ways bias on the seat) and carried “The Crab” nickname.

Michel Pollentier (right) at the Tour of East Flanders (for Under 23 riders) in 2017.

At the Tour of East Flanders assisting BiciSport’s Peter Livingstone and the weather was cold and pouring with rain (utterly miserable). Am sitting on a brick fence freezing to death and along comes the one the only legend Michel P …. the inspiring conversation goes something like this ….

Are you Michel Pollentier ? … am a long time fan, am from Australia, you had a great career … (Michel - heavy blank stare … absolutely no comment, just stares at me) …. Michel, can I take a photo (again no comment - so took a photo anyway). Michel just walked off quietly into the pouring rain. Cheers mate, have a good day ! … gee, that went well …

A pensive Freddy Maertens on the start line … who nearly always looked like he wanted to be somewhere else than perched on top of a Splendor bike trying to make a living