The Coffee Ride #99, with Reece Homfray
AUSTRALIA’S greatest ever cyclist Cadel Evans is writing an autobiography to be released later this year.
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CADEL EVANS WRITING NEW BOOK
AUSTRALIA’S greatest ever cyclist Cadel Evans is writing an autobiography to be released later this year.
It’s understood the retired BMC star is currently working on the book which for the first time offers his insights into winning the 2011 Tour de France and 2009 world championship.
But the book is expected to be more than just his own story with Evans motivated to share the beauty of cycling and the sport to a growing audience.
Evans has previously released a book titled ‘Close to Flying’ but that was before he became the first Australian to win the biggest bike race in the world.
He still lives in Switzerland where he is a brand ambassador for BMC but has a number of business interests and partnerships in Australia which will see him return home throughout the year.
They of course include the burgeoning Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race which this year attracted a superstar field including Mark Cavendish, Caleb Ewan and Rohan Dennis.
It is not known when Evans’ new book will be released or what it will be titled but it will no doubt excite Australian cycling fans.
THE COFFEE RIDE TURNS 100
NEXT week marks a milestone of sorts for this column with the 100th edition hitting websites on Wednesday morning.
As such, 10 influential and iconic Australian cycling figures have listed their top 10 personal moments in the sport to form a list of 100 memorable moments in Australian cycling.
Contributors will remain under wraps until next week but there is plenty to look forward to.
PRE-SEASON PAYING OFF FOR BUCHANAN
CAROLINE Buchanan’s road to redemption in Rio is on track after the Australian star won the first round of the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup in Argentina on the weekend.
The 25-year-old was second in the time trial by just four-hundredths of a second before coming out to win every round from the motos to the final.
The win has given Buchanan confidence that her preparation for the world championships in Colombia and Rio Games if selected is well placed.
“It tells me that my preparation in the off season was on track,” she said.
“We all do strength training in the off season but you have to mix it up with sprints and I also did a lot of trails riding to keep my skills on the bike up.
“You have to approach each race believing in yourself and that you have done everything possible to achieve a podium.
“If you have worked hard and done your best off the track then you will feel confident on it going into a race.”
Buchanan, who is coached by Wade Bootes, is now preparing for the next world cup in Manchester starting on April 9.
“A month after that (there is) another world cup in The Netherlands and then world championships. They are all events that will earn qualifying points for Australia to hopefully send the maximum number of two female and three male athletes to Rio, and those races are also qualifiers for the Australian team for individual Olympic selection,” she said.
AUSSIES ON A ROLL
THERE were a few significant results from Australian cyclists on the other side of the world in the past week that didn’t perhaps get the attention they deserved back home.
But in the context of the upcoming Rio Paralympics, they were huge.
At the Para Cycling Track World Championships in Italy, 44-year-old Kieran Modra all but booked his ticket to an incredible eighth Paralympic Games by winning the world title in the tandem pursuit with Dave Edwards.
The vision impaired five-time Paralympic gold medallist is still riding as fast as ever and looks set to go around again in Rio in September.
Another major result at the para track worlds was gold to Jessica Gallagher and her pilot Madison Janssen in the women’s sprint.
Gallagher competed in athletics at the 2012 London Paralympics and in skiing at the 2014 Sochi Paralympics but has impressed cycling coaches with her power since switching to the velodrome.
CA STILL GOING FOR RIO RECONNISSAINCE
CYCLING Australia is still planning on sending a delegation to Rio next month despite Olympic organisers cancelling the planned test event on the velodrome.
Two days of racing on the new track were scheduled for April 30 and May 1 but that has been scrapped because of delays in construction. It has been replaced by a ‘training opportunity’ in June.
CA high performance manager Kevin Tabotta said yesterday officials were “working through it” and were still very much interested in going to Brazil.
“There is more to be gained than just looking at the track,” Tabotta said.
“We were doing some road reconnissaince as well and logistical planning so we’re working through it now and the difference being who goes and who doesn’t.”
ALLAN PEIPER ON CALLING BELGIUM HOME
IN CASE you missed this last week, Australian cycling figure Allan Peiper spoke of his affinity for Belgium where he has lived for the past 40 years.
Speaking in the wake of the attacks on Brussels, Peiper said Belgium was very much his home and he felt a real connection to the community.
Peiper’s personal opinion was that Dwars door Vlaanderen should have been cancelled after the attacks as the nation observed three days of mourning but he understood why it was also important for the sport to continue.
A big week of cycling in Belgium continues this weekend with the Tour of Flanders on Sunday.
You can read Peiper’s comments HERE.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK ...
“Of course I am disappointed to get caught so close to the finish line but I guess that is bike racing and I will keep trying to get a victory.”
- Cameron Meyer after being caught just 50m from the finish line in Stage 6 of the Tour of Catalunya.
“I think it was the perfect race at this time of the year. I didn’t really expect to hold onto the podium when Dan Martin was sprinting for bonus seconds but I think I showed that my form is good.”
- Richie Porte after finishing third in Catalunya.
“Today is the best I’ve felt in a long time, and it was great to feel such smoothness on the bike.”
- Daniel McConnell after defending his national mountain bike championship at Bright.
TWEET, TWEET ...
- Andre Greipel expresses the thoughts of many after a tragic week in Belgium.
Originally published as The Coffee Ride #99, with Reece Homfray
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