Liz Randall's Cycling Blog - a life behind bars

"With ordinary talents and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable"



Saturday 20 October 2007

Post Worlds comments

This year's World Masters Track champs for me was more of a social occasion than a real attempt to win a jersey, although part of me was sorta expecting better results than I managed. However, really and honestly, I hadn't put in the work to deserve a good pursuit time. Either that or the dreaded "end of improvement/downward spiral" has hit and hit hard.

It was really great to get together with about 20 other women racers and work out a campaign, a plan of action to get the UCI to change its elitist, misogynistic attitudes to us and hopefully out of that meeting we will end up with a web page, a forum and a committed group of "pioneers" willing to help to drag women masters track racing into the future as equals with the men.

It was also good to put faces to names/nicknames on the Fixedgearfever forum and blogs. Hi Jeff!

There was an interesting issue WRT being dope tested after a world record and the lack of speed the UCI display in acknowledging the record. For instance, the UCI still hasn't ratified Darren King's record set in March 2007 and so when someone broke the *old* record this week (not Darren's), a long conversation ensued when he refused to have a test at the huge cost of ~$800, since unless Darren's test comes back positive it would be a total waste of money.

Women's World records can only be set in 10 year increments, so when Terry Roach set a 500m TT record in W55 it was/may be a non event..why pay for a record that may not be even acknowledged.

The women's 2 up team sprint has to have a min age of 60!!!!!!!!!!! which means a team of 2 young ones..is there any wonder few entered. The men's 3 up team sprint has a min age of 135, which equates to an ave age of 45..so why is ours 30? My suggestion is 80 or even 85..which gives you an older plus a younger woman or 2 middlies.

When changes were requested, the response by officials is "the UCI are running this now". But we all know that the UCI really don't see us as REAL competitors. Bring back the UCI Masters Commission I say. AND make sure we have a riders representative on the Sydney organising committee....bring back the victory circuit ride!!!

IS THERE ANY WONDER at our irritation at the UCI.

I only competed in the TT and Pursuit and then on Thursday did the Sydney Harbour Bridge climb...well worth the $179..although I would not have been so ecstatic about it had it been raining. Highly recommended.

I expected to be suffering in the legs the following day and was surprised not to be. The steps were not deep ones, so maybe that was why, I surmised. But today after sitting in the car for the 10 hour drive from Sydney to Melbourne, I am now creaking and the cold I've been fighting for 4 days, has taken hold.

I was glad to have been in an apartment rather than a hotel room or a cabin in the Tourist park..thanks Lorraine for pointing me in the right direction for that. The drive to and from Parramatta was longer than preferred but the luxury of the apartment made it well worth while.

So now I have 37 days until my hour attempt ...my lack of form over this last week has put a dint in my confidence and so I will see in about 3 weeks if I will go ahead with the attempt in November or wait until early next year.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

You are an inspiration. I was toying with the idea of doing the "hour" here in Canada as a male Masters 30-39. I have one last year before I turn 40, so we'll see. Good luck!

Liz said...

tnx mate...as you will have read there's "many a slip twixt cup and lip"! ...my feeling is that there'll be a delay... pride and an inflated ego wont let me do an embarrassingly crap distance and the thought of having to do it twice to improve....shudder(!)

Tuesday's test will tell me all..
If you do decide to make an attempt cld you blog it and link me to it? we idiots need all the support we can get!!!