Goodbye Hong Kong Hello China

Tomorrow I leave Hong Kong and head to China. I might not be able to update my blog while I'm in China as last time I was there Blogger was one of the many sites that was blocked along with facebook.

There has been a lot of rain in Asia recently so I will be happy to be able to train in an undercover facility and at normal hours. While I've been in Hong Kong and training with the Checker Sports club training usually only starts after 11pm and in the dark. Unfortunately they don't have a facility specifically for speed skating so they have till wait until the lights are switched of at the basketball/soccer courts and everyone goes home which is usually around 11.15pm.

Biel WIC & SIC Results

Yesterday the 7th stage of the Swiss Inline Cup and 10th stage of the World Inline Cup was held in Biel. The 6km circuit was held around the city streets in the heart of Biel with the skaters completing 6 laps in total.

I'm in Asia at the moment until the World Championships but the rest of the Bont Wheels Team were in Biel.

The ladies race was won in a breakaway. There were originally six skaters in the winning break, but one of the skaters dropped off and was caught by the pack before the finish. With more than two laps to go Giovanna and Alexandra broke away from this group and went on to take the first two placings. Kelly Martinez was the first to finish in the main pack coming in 6th place.

Womens Top 10

1. Giovanna Turciarelli

2. Alexandra Vivas (Bont Wheels)

3. Tina Struver

4. Laura Ghezzi

5. Valentina Cantu

6. Kelly Martinez (Bont Wheels)

7. Nathalie Barbotin

8. Cecilia Baena

9. Tamara Llorens (Bont Wheels)

10. Jokobine Wolf

Scene set for rugby sevens-skating showdown

Here is a good article from The New Zealand Herald by Peter Williams.

Peter Williams: Scene set for rugby sevens-skating showdown

It's August, a month of decision for the Lords (and one Lady) of the Rings.

In 11 days, the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee will meet at IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, to decide which two sports might be added to the Olympic Games in 2016.

The 15 members, 14 men and 1984 women's 400m hurdles gold medallist Nawal el Moutawakel, will recommend two of seven applicant sports to be part of 2016. The recommendations have to be approved by the full IOC session in October with a sport needing a two-thirds majority to make the final programme.

Cross off baseball and softball straight away. At Olympic level, they're single sex sports; they were played in Beijing last year; won't be in London and are unlikely to come back quickly. Major League Baseball's unwillingness to release the game's superstars for the Olympics doesn't help.

Karate's major problem is that Judo and Taekwondo are already in the Olympics. I doubt another martial arts sport will join them.

Despite my close affinity with golf, I can't see it making the cut. The format and eligibility criteria put up by the International Golf Federation are both too restrictive and non-inclusive. Fields of 60, based on world rankings and with an unlimited number of players from countries with two or more in the top 15, will lead to ridiculously unbalanced fields.

For instance, based on this week's world rankings, there'd be 24 Koreans and 19 Americans in the women's Olympic tournament, and competitors from just 12 countries. The men's field would have 25 Americans, 11 from Great Britain and only 16 countries represented. Despite the IOC's desire to have the world's sporting superstars, Tiger Woods will be 40 in 2016 and who knows what his star power will be by then.

Squash's big problem is its lack of televisual appeal. Huge progress has been made with glass courts and a coloured ball but the end result is it's a bit like ice hockey. It's darn hard to see the ball.

So that leaves rugby sevens and roller sports. I like the chances of both making it as medal sports. Sevens doesn't need a purpose-built facility. It can use the main stadium for two days between the opening ceremony and the start of the track and field programme.

It also offers real medal chances to smaller nations like Fiji and Samoa. This year's Sevens World Cup in Dubai was a huge success with big TV audiences, and the women's competition as popular as the men's. That's likely to be the most watched rugby event of the year.

Roller sports ticks all the boxes. A combination of speed skating and dancing events could do for the Summer Olympics what ice skating does for the Winter Games. There's tremendous TV appeal, young participants and, as with BMX racing and whitewater canoeing, there's a real sense of excitement about racing on in-line skates.

Of the 15 board members, only el Moutawakel and former Namibian sprint ace Frank Fredericks were born after 1960.

Despite the advanced middle age of most members, the IOC's recent decisions suggest they want sports with wide appeal to youth, a huge appeal on TV and the potential to improve the geographic spread of medals.

The 2016 host city won't be decided till October but I reckon we can get set to enjoy rugby sevens and roller sports at the 31st Olympiad.

AIC Putrajaya

Last Saturday I raced in what felt like my fist marathon ever. I haven't raced on the road, let alone a marathon since my accident back in the first week of May. So it's been a long time when you are used to racing a marathon nearly very weekend.

This was the first ever skating event of it's kind in Malaysia, a place where the sport is still developing. Although there were not a huge array of local skaters present there was definitely an international mix with skaters from Korea, Japan, Singapore, France, USA, Indonesia, Germany and myself of course from New Zealand.

The course was 7.5 km a lap around the very modern city of Putrajaya, Malaysia about 45 minutes out from Kuala Lumpur. The course was tough with a 350 meter hill each lap and a bridge that had to be climbed over twice in the lap. With not big numbers entered in the marathon the ladies and men started together and were allowed to mix. After the first hill climb the bunch split up and there were 3 of us left out infront. Kim Sik (Tiger) from Korea, Dimas Prasetya Putera from Indonesia and myself.

The three of us continued for the majority of the race with Tiger and Dimas battling it out for extra points on the hill climb prime and sprint prime every lap. The next skaters where Johannas Wihardja (Indonesia) and the second lady Eri Marina Yo (Indonesia). With the tough course everyone was spread out and for some it was a great challenge just to finish.

On the last lap I attacked over the bridge and broke away from the two other skaters and went on to win. Second in the ladies was Eri Marina and third Sylvia Setiwan also from Indonesia.

World Games Update

Last night I raced in my first race at the World Games and my first race since my accident in Heerde. It was the 10km points elimination race and I ended up finishing third. It started raining half way through the race and it was not called off by the officials so the track was very slippery. The winner Hyo Sook Woo and second place getter Marta Ramirez ended up breaking away when the rain started and gaining a lot of points. I was basically left solo at the front of the dwindled pack trying to chase them down and only caught Marta with a few laps to go.


This morning the 1000 meter heats took place inbetween the showers of rain. In the second heat of the ladies it started to rain with a few laps to go and skaters were slipping all over the track. It wasn't until Angeline Thomas from Australia crashed that they finally decided to call off the race. After the rain stopped the third heat started, which I was in and with two laps to go it started to rain again. The officials didn't call off the race and it was very slippery. When qualifying involves times this effects the outcome of the race. The officials didn't want to re run the heat until they spook to the corner referee's who agreed the skaters were slipping and had to slow down which affected the overall time. Once the track was dry the two heats were both re run and I ended up finishing second in the heat but was the fastest qualifier to go through to the semi finals.

The mens heat were then run and nearly immediately after the ladies semi's started. I won my semi final and am through to the final tonight along with Huang Yu Ting (Chinese Taipei and winner of the 300m Time Trial), Marta Ramirez (Colombia), Chiao Jen Hsu (Chinese Taipei and second in the 300m Time Trial), Jin Seon LimChiao (Korea and third in the 300m time trial) and Brigyte Mendez (Colombia).

Tonight the 1000 m final starts at 6pm and then I also have the 15 km elimination race at 7.20pm.

World Games TV Broadcast

This is the information I have received from the organization:

Public Television Service (PTS) is the host broadcaster of the Taiwan World Games 2009. PTS will form an alliance with other news and sport channels to maximize domestic coverage, and seek worldwide exposure via international channels. Opening and Closing Ceremonies will be live broad casted via one main domestic channel and two cable channels with at least 80% coverage.

Chunghwa Telecom will webcast live and/or highlight programs via its platforms of MOD (Movie on Demand), IPTV (Internet TV), HiChannel (Website) and 3G mobile phones.

Live broad casting sport events include - Dance Sport, Gymnastics and Roller Sport (Speed), and selective live programs from Korfball and Rugby Sevens.

I have since found online one of the sites mentioned that should have some sort of coverage once racing gets underway.
HiChannel - http://hichannel.hinet.net/2009wg/live.html
I was able to translate some of the web page and tomorrow there will be coverage of the 300 m time trials. It looks like it will be delayed coverage from 21.30 - 22.30.

World Games Coming to NZ TV

I found this press release from Triangle Television:

In keeping with its reputation for delivering New Zealanders significant international events they would not see on other New Zealand channels, Triangle and Stratos Television have secured the rights to screen the World Games starting July 17.

New Zealanders will be among nearly 5,000 athletes from around the world who will take part in 26 official sports and five invitational sports that are not included in the Olympic Games.

Triangle will screen the opening ceremony on Friday July 17 at 7:30pm. Stratos will screen a repeat of the ceremony on Saturday July 18 at 3pm.

Half hour daily highlights of the main events will screen on Triangle in the weekends at 6:30pm and weekdays at 7:30pm, except on Mondays when it will be at 9:30pm. On Stratos Television the highlights will screen daily at 8pm.

Triangle Auckland is on UHF Channels 41, 42 and 52 and in Christchurch via TelstraClear cable (Channel 50). Triangle’s sister channel, Stratos Television, broadcasts nationwide via Sky Digital (Channel 89), Freeview (Channel 21) and TelstraClear cable.

World Games Program

17th July
09:00 Ladies 300 m Time Trial Qualification
10:00 Mens 300 m Time Trial Qualification

18:00 Ladies 300 m Time Trial Final
18:30 Mens 300 m Time Trial Final
19:00 Award Ceremony 300 m Time Trials

20:00 Ladies 10,000 m Points/Elimination Final
20:30 Mens 10,000 m Points/Elimination Final
21:00 Award Ceremony 10,000 m Points/Elimination

18th July
09:00 Ladies 1,000 m Heats
09:30 Mens 1,000 m Heats
10:00 Ladies 1,000 m Semi Finals
10:20 Mens 1,000 m Semi Finals

18:00 Ladies 1,000 m Final
18:20 Mens 1,000 m Final
18:40 Award Ceremony 1,000 m

19:20 Ladies 15,000 m Elimination Final
20:00 Mens 15,000 m Elimination Final
20:40 Award Ceremony 15,000 m Elimination

19th July
09:00 Ladies 500 m Heats
09:30 Mens 500 m Heats
10:00 Ladies 500 m Quarter Final
10:20 Mens 500 m Quarter Final

19:00 Ladies 500 m Semi Final
19:15 Mens 500 m Semi Final
19:30 Ladies 500 m Final
19:45 Mens 500 m Final
20:00 Award Ceremony 500 m

World Games

The World Games are an international multi sport event held every four years for sports that are non Olympic. The first games were held in 1981 in Santa Clara, California and now 28 years on the 2009 World Games host city is Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Although I'm not sure of the exact number this year, typically between 25 to 35 different sports take part in the World Games. Inline speed skating is one of these sports and racing starts in a few days on the 17th and runs till the 19th.

The World Games are run by the International World Games Association under the patronage of the International Olympic Committee. In the past some of the sports that were in the World Games eventually made it as Olympic sports. So it's important for skating to showcase our sport to it's full potential for any hope of that Olympic dream.

The track in Kaohsiung is a 200 meter coated/painted flat banking track. The track is an odd shape with not the best surface and probably not the best track to showcase our sport on, but we have to make the best out of what we have. Hopefully the rain holds off and the IOC are able to see some exciting, fast and clean competition.

Skaters had to qualify for this years World Games at last years World Championships. The top 30 male and top 30 female skaters from the track overall get a place on the starting list. However once the skater has qualified the federation from that country can then switch that skaters place with a fellow country man/women. So this means each country is not limited to two skaters per event like the World Championships. This year in the womens competition Colombia can start 5 women per event, Korea 4, Chinese Taipei 3, Germany 3, Italy 3 etc. While other countries like Australia, Spain, Switzerland and France are in my situation and are alone.

A positive for skating is that nearly every sign I have seen around the city promoting the World Games has a skater on it. There are posters, flags, billboards and flyer's everywhere around Kaohsiung and I have seen quiet a few ads on the television. Here are a few pictures I took while I was out getting lunch, I would have only covered about 1km.

Bus Stop


These flags are everywhere


Another big poster


Big Billboard

Zug WIC Results

The Zug World Inline Cup was held on Saturday. Alexandra Vivas and Tamara Llorens were present from the Bont Wheels Team. Kelly Matinez is still in Colombia but will be back for the next race in Biel and I am in Taiwan for the World Games which start on the 17th.


Due to road works the course this year took another route. Some would call the diverted course dangerous, while others technical. I wasn't there but from watching the video of the new course it looked very tricky and there looked to be quiet a few dangerous sections if not taken with caution.

Both the ladies and mens race finished in a bunch sprint and from photos it looks like it was a dry race. Both of the Bont girls finished in the top 5 with Alexandra finishing 3rd and Tamara 4th.

Womens Top 10
1. Cecilia Baena
2. Jana Gegner
3. Alexandra Vivas (Bont Wheels)
4. Tamara Llorens (Bont Wheels)
5. Cindy Etonno
6. Andrea Hartichelar
7. Giovanna Turciarelli
8. Tina Struver
9. Laura Ghezzi
9. Katja Ulbrich

The Zug race is also the Swiss National Marathon Championships. The first Swiss skater in the womens race this year was Livia Meier from the World Inline Center Bont Team who is now the new Swiss National Marathon Champion.

Alexandra 2nd in Einsiedeln SIC

On Saturday Alexandra Vivas finished 2nd in the Einsiedeln Swiss Inline Cup race. Even though the clouds where looking very dark the rain held off until after the race. The race was only short, around 18km so there is not a lot of time to break up the field. So the ladies race ended with a pack sprint. Tamara Llorens lead out up the final small rise before the finish and Alexandra hit the lead with about 300 meters to go. There was a head wind up the final straight and it's a long drag to the finish line. Cecilia ended up passing Alexandra up the final straight, but Alexandra held on for 2nd place beating Tina who finished 3rd.

Top 10 Results
1. Cecilia Baena
2. Alexandra Vivas (Bont Wheels)
3.Tina Struver
4. Martina Taruscia
5. Andrea Hartichelar
6. Cinzia Ponzetti
7. Nadine Gloor
8. Tamara Llorens (Bont Wheels)
9. Flurina Heim
10. Karin Widmer

Evian Roller Babies

Bont Enduro 2nd at Le Mans

The Bont Enduro Team finished 2nd at the Le Mans 24 hr Race in France this weekend. In 24 hours the team skated a total of 845.37 km being beaten by the RPM Poli team who covered 849.55 km.

What's on this weekend

This is a busy and important weekend for most of the people that live in the Bont House in Weinfelden.

Tamara and Alexandra have both left today to head up to St Moritz for the Engadin World Inline Cup which is on Saturday. This is one of the most beautiful races in the World when the weathers good. It starts up at Maloja overlooking the lake which on a nice day is full of windsurfers and kite surfers. The fast course then snakes down the valley passing the inline village at half way and then going down a big steep hill which quite a few skaters dread. The last couple of years I have lead the pack down this fast down hill stretch. You have to be very confident to lead as you can hit speeds of 70-80+ km. If you make a mistake in the front it could be very dangerous for the whole pack. The only up hill section of the race is about 1km after the down hill. The race heads up towards Pontresina and it's a long up hill drag. In the ladies race this is usually where most of the attacks are launched, quite a few breakaways have stayed away from this point in the past. It's then predominately flat or slightly down hill all the way to the finish which is at S-chanf.

However when the weather turns, the wind picks up and the rain starts to fall it's not too beautiful. A couple of years back a storm passed through before the start of the race and everyone was left up at the start line freezing cold with no gear to keep warm. You get dropped up at the start line and then are left as the buses or team cars must leave before the roads get closed for the race. That year my zip also broke on my skin suit about 5 minutes before the start. I will never forget going down the hill with my skin suit held together by safety pins and the freezing cold wind hitting my bare skin between the gaps. It's also hard because the weather can change so quickly up there and it could be raining at the start but totally dry 42km down the road at the finish so it's always a gamble as to what to stick on your feet.

The weather forecast isn't looking too good at the moment for Engadin with about 60% chance of rain on Saturday. But we will just have to wait and see.

Everyone one else left early this morning to head to Le Mans, France for the Le Mans 24 Hour Race. It's held around the Le Mans car race track where the famous car race is held. Bont have a 10 man strong team entered with skaters from all over the World. The race starts at 4pm Saturday and ends on 4pm Sunday. The course is about 7km long and each team has one skater out on the track at a time. The skaters relay as they choose and the team that has covered the most distance in the 24 hours wins. This is a tough race and this year there are some very strong teams entered so all the best of luck to the Bont Team.

Wayne Begg (New Zealand)
Ben Alchin (New Zealand)
Willem Hut (Netherlands)
Ard Veneman (Netherlands)
Kert Keskpaik (Estonia)
Philippe Matter (France)
Guillermo Trinaroli (Argentina)
Ruben Martinez (Argentina)
Alfredo Moreno (Venezuela)
Livio Wenger (Switzerland)

Therapy

This morning I went back to St Gallen for more physiotherapy and rehabilitation. I also done a stabilization/balance test while I was there which was interesting. I had to balance on one leg while standing on a moving plate and try to keep my balance as centered as possible. The results were basically perfect and there is hardly any variation between my left and right side so that is great.

Stabilization/Balance Test

Today I also done a range of different exercises focusing on stabilizing my left foot and ankle. All of the activities involved balancing on different wobbly or unstable objects while doing a motion that would compliment skating movements. My ankle is definitely improving and I'm starting to get a better range of movement in it now.

My Injury Update

It's been just over seven and a half weeks since my accident in Heerde, Holland. I started skating again about 4 weeks ago and easing my way into it. Now I'm fully back training on my skates and not having to wear the brace at all. So things are definitely improving.

I have been on the medication for the thrombosis now for 7 weeks and I was hoping that once the clot went then I would be able to stop the medication and be able to race again. Yesterday I saw a doctor that deals with sports medicine and also thrombosis and was not given clearance to race this weekend in St Moritz or any races before the World Games. The good news is the ultrasound showed no sign of the clot so the medication is working and the clot has gone. But I cannot come off of the medication just yet because if their was a recurrence their is a risk of it going to my lungs. I can however stop the medication about a week out from the World Games, so I will be able to race without the risk of bleeding heavily if I was to fall.

After seeing the doctor at Diepoldsau which is about 1 hour from Weinfelden I then drove 30 min to St Gallen for physio and stabilization therapy. My ankle was massaged and it was amazing to see how much more range of motion I had after the treatment. I also worked with a trainer doing various exercises to help stabilize my ankle.


Each day things are improving and looking better, it's just something that takes time. Although it's frustrating not being able to race I'm still able to train for the World Games and World Championships and as they say it's not over until the fat lady sings.

WIC Zurich

The World Inline Cup last weekend was held in one of Switzerland's biggest cities, Zurich. The Zurich race is always full of excitement with the 6.3 km course snaking through the center and around the banks of Lake Zurich.

Nearly every year I have raced in Zurich it has been boiling hot and the largest obstacle is the sticky tar snakes on the road and trying to avoid them. This year that wasn't the only thing the skaters had to deal with.


The ladies 37.8 km race kicked off at 3pm followed by the men 2 minutes later. At this stage the sun was shining and it didn't look like it would rain. One lap into the race the wind started to pick up, the clouds closed in and the weather started turning. After two laps light rain started falling and by 3 laps the weather had done a 360 degree flip and it was pouring down with rain. With the race being held in the center of the city there were far more obstacles due to the rain. The roads which are usually full of cars became very slippery along with the dozens of painted white lines, pedestrian crossings, tight corners and tram tracks.


Even though skaters tried to escape in the ladies pack no one was able to stay away and the race ended in a bunch sprint. With only 2 skaters racing for the Bont Wheels Team it was a tough race and didn't go quiet as planned but Tamara and Alexandra both ended up finishing in the top 10.

Ladies Top 10
1. Baena Cecilia
2. Gegner Jana
3. Turciarelli Giovanna
4. Roosenboom Bianca
5. Vivas Alexandra (Bont Wheels)
6. Llorens Tamara (Bont Wheels)
7. Ghezzi Laura
8. Hartichelar Andrea
9. Strüver Tina
10. Halbout Justine

Men Top 5
1. Guyader Yann
2. Moreno Alfredo Leon (Bont South America)
3. Mantia Joey
4. Tobon Juan Nayib (Zepto/Bont)
5. Boucher Thomas

Dijon Video

There is a good video from the World Inline Cup in Dijon, France on the Roller EnLigne website. Click here to view the video.

WIC Dijon

The World Inline Cup visited Dijon last Sunday for the 6th stage. The team left Weinfelden Sunday morning to embark on the four hour drive to Dijon. The forecast was for hot temperatures and it was looking that way until fifteen minutes before the start of the race. Then the rain started to fall and never looked like stopping. The course was the same as previous years. A 2.21 km course straight up and down with a roundabout at each end. I have never raced Dijon in the rain but from what I've heard one of the corners was very, very slippery.

The ladies race was quiet tame to start off with. A few attacks were launched throughout the race but no one was able to stay away. Tamara Llorens and Alexandra Vivas tried to escape on a few occasions as our team has won a couple of races in breakaways this season. Unfortunately everyone else was watching them as well and they were quickly targeted and chased down.

The ladies race came down to a sprint finish in the end. With only two team members the Bont Wheels Team waited for someone else to start the sprint and then try to come over top of them. The Powerslide team started the sprint and with about 200 meters to go Tamara tried to pass but Cecilia saw her coming and quickly popped out and accelerated. Tamara finished in third and Alexandra fourth in a close finish.

WIC Dijon Results

Here are the results from the World Inline Cup in Dijon which was held on Sunday. It started to rain about 20 minutes before the start and stayed wet for the entire race. Tamara and Alexandra where the only skaters present from the Bont Wheels Team as Kelly is back in Colombia preparing for the selections for the World Games and World Championships.

1. Cécilia Baena
2. Jana Gegner
3. Tamara Llorens (Bont Wheels)
4. Alexandra Vivas (Bont Wheels)
5. Nadine Gloor
6. Laura Ghezzi
7. Justine Halbout
8. Livia Meier
9. Karin Widmer
10. Karine Talbourdet

WIC Pamplona Video

Here is a video from the Pamplona World Inline Cup thanks to Mundopatin.

World Inline Cup Ostrava

The first ever World Inline Cup in the Czech Republic was a successful outing for the Bont Wheels Team with Kelly Martinez taking the victory.

The 33km race was held around a fast and smooth 3.050 meter circuit. It was a straight forward circuit, up and down the same stretch of road with a U-turn at each end. There were plenty of spectators lining the streets of Ostrava and a great atmosphere for the race.


Just before the start of the ladies race it started to rain which caused skaters to panic and quickly change their choice of wheels. The rain didn't last long though, by the time the race started the rain had stopped. With it being so warm the roads ended up drying instantly. This didn't stop the Bont Wheels Team from sticking to their plan and attacking to try break up the field. The weekend before Kelly successfully broke away from the field in Pamplona and went on to win the race so the tactic was similar for Ostrava.

Tamara Llorens launched the first attack and Cecilia Baena didn't hesitate to chase it down. Once Tamara was caught Kelly Martinez then attacked with about 25 km to go. Only the Czech ice-speed skater Katarina Novotna was able to follow her. Katarina wasn't able to stick to Kelly for long and a 45 second gap grew between them. After four more laps the distance between Kelly and the main pack grew to 2:45 minutes.

Once Kelly was safely away the team started to attack again. With about 15km to go Tamara successfully broke away from the main pack.

Kelly proved too strong for the field and went on to win the race. Katarina held on for 2nd place and Tamara came in alone for 3rd. Alexandra was the only team member left in the dwindled down pack for the final sprint. Alexandra ended up coming 2nd in the pack sprint behind Cecilia Baena.

A great day for the team, with all the members finishing in the top 5.
Kelly 1st
Tamara 3rd
Alexandra 5th

WIC Ostrava Results

Here are the womens results from the World Inline Cup in Ostrava yesterday. The girls will be arriving back in Switzerland today so I will be able to get more details about the race later on.

1. Kelly Martinez (Bont Wheels)
2. Katerina Novotna (Benatky)
3. Tamara Llorens (Bont Wheels)
4. Cecilia Baena (Powerslide)
5. Alexandra Vivas (Bont Wheels)

What's on this Weekend

I am back on my skates training but still not allowed to race so I will miss out on the Ostrava World Inline Cup on this Sunday. It's the first time the World Inline Cup has ever been to the Czech Republic, so that is fantastic for skating in general. The weather forecast for Ostrava isn't looking too good at the moment with 40% chance of rain. Kelly, Alexandra and Tamara will be in Ostrava competing for the team.

Also on this weekend and starting today are the Swiss Bank Track Championships in Weinfelden. The time trials are supposed to start at 10am but it's raining here at the moment so that could be delayed. Even though the track has a roof the sides are exposed so if the rain is not falling straight the track does get wet. Last year I competed in the Swiss Champs as they are open to foreigners but this year I will just be a spectator.

Kelly Wins Pamplona WIC

Photo - Mundopatin.com

Kelly Martinez from the Bont Wheels Team took the victory this afternoon in the Pamplona World Inline Cup marathon. Alexandra Vivas who was the only other Bont Wheels Team member there finished in 5th place.

With just over 21km to go Kelly and Giovanna Turchiarelli ended up breaking away from the main pack. There were numerous attempts from skaters earlier on to try get away but none were successful. Kelly and Giovanna then went on to lap the field and take the first two placings.

Sabine Berg won the bunch sprint followed by Cecilia Baena. Alexandra Vivas came third in the bunch sprint and finished 5th in the race. With Kelly away on the break Alexandra was the only member of the team left for the sprint finish, so a great result.

Womens Top 10

1. Kelly Martinez (Bont Wheels)
2. Giovanna Turchiarelli
3. Sabine Berg
4. Cecilia Baena
5. Alexandra Vivas (Bont Wheels)
6. Brigyte Mendez
7. Jana Gegner
8. Rommy Munoz
9. Tina Struver
10. Nathalie Barbotin

My skates are back on my feet.

It's nearly four weeks since my crash in Heerde and this morning I went for my third skate since the accident. On Wednesday night I went for my first skate to see if it was actually possible to skate slowly without any pain. I was able to skate as long as I didn't put a lot of power down when I pushed or let my left foot fall on deep outside edges. On Thursday I went for another skate and just done a slow 10km. This morning it was a bit better and I could actually cross around the corners easier than on Wednesday and Thursday night. I still can't skate at 100% but it's only early days. Each day the movement in my foot is improving and looking back four weeks ago I couldn't even stand on it and now I'm actually skating so it's a huge improvement.

WIC and FIC This Weekend

Today the Pamplona Class 1 World Inline Cup marathon starts at 4.30 pm. Alexandra Vivas and Kelly Martinez are in Spain for this and Tamara Llorens will be racing tomorrow in the French Inline Cup marathon in Besancon. Alexandra and Kelly will also be racing tomorrow in Pamplona on the track.

The course for todays marathon in Pamplona is around a 1200 meter circuit, 600 meters one way then a turn and 600 meters back. So they will be completing 35 laps in total. A course like this can be quiet tough if the U-turns aren't very large because the pace stops and starts and you need to constantly accelerate. It will be interesting to see if any of the females are willing to make the race hard and attack because most of them are also racing on the track tomorrow.


I'm not too sure about the course for tomorrows French Inline Cup race but I do know that it's around a circuit and there are a few rises.

My Progress

It's been just over three weeks since my accident in Heerde and I'm not back on my skates yet but I am making progress and my foot is getting better. I have to wear the brace for another week but I can actually stand and walk on my foot now without the brace on and without any pain. The brace has been a lifesaver as I've been able to fit it into my cycling and running shoes so that means I've been able to train. My foot is still quiet swollen around the ankle and is lacking a normal range of movement at this stage.

I will not be able to race until I am off the medication for the thrombosis and today just confirmed that it's not worth the risk. I was peeling a mango when the peeler slipped and I just nipped the end of my finger. It was hardly even a cut but it bleed and bleed. I put a plaster around it and quiet a bit of pressure so that was at 12.30pm. I changed the plaster just before 5pm and as soon as I took the plaster off it started bleeding again. That was a big wake up call, I was warned by the doctors about bleeding but didn't think a tiny little cut could bleed for that long. So that put an end to any idea of racing before coming off of the medication, it's just too big a risk with very bad consequences if something was to go wrong.

In about three and a half weeks I will get another ultra sound to see if the thrombosis has gone. If it has then I will be able to come off of the medication, I don't want to even think of the "if not" because I think it's going to be good news.

SIC Sursee Results

I didn't go to Sursee to watch the race yesterday so instead I stayed in Weinfelden and trained.

I didn't go for a number of reasons:
1. The van was full so we would have to take another vehicle.
2. If you are not racing it becomes a long drawn out day. They didn't end up arriving home until midnight.
3. I would have only seen the skaters pass by twice.
4. It was really hot so I would have been out in the sun all day.
5. I was able to get a good training session in today because I was fresh.

Results

Womens Top 10
1. Alexandra Vivas (Bont Wheels)
2. Tina Struver
3. Tamara Llorens (Bont Wheels)
4. Kelly Martinez (Bont Wheels)
5. Andrea Hartichelar
6. Katja Ulbrich
7. Romy Munoz
8. Nadine Gloor
9. Karin Widmer
10. Flurina Heim

Womens Podium
Nadine Gloor (in place of Tina Struver), Alexandra Vivas & Tamara Llorens
Photo - Niki Neck

Mens Top 10
1. Janick Schalch
2. Victor Wilking
3. Alfredo Leon (Bont South America)
4. Stefano Galliazzo
5. Nicolas Iten
6. Severin Widmer
7. Stefano Chinaglia
8. Kalon Dobbin
9. Felix Rijhnen
10. Mathieu Grandgirard

Mens Podium
Photo - Niki Neck

SIC Sursee

This Saturday the second Swiss Inline Cup is being held in Sursee. There is also a World Inline Cup race on in Incheon, Korea on Sunday. I won't be racing as I'm not back on my skates yet but the rest of the Bont team will be racing in Sursee.

The men's race starts at 5.40pm and the women start 3 minutes after them. They will complete two 21km laps of the lake and then the only part of the course that has changed from last year is the finish.

The weather forecast for Sursee is looking good with a high of around 26 degrees.

Even though this is a beautiful race I'm not too sad to be missing it because I have bad memories from last year. This was the race I broke my jaw in so it's not beautiful skating for 27 km with a broken jaw and split chin.

Sursee

Photo - swiss-inline-cup.ch

SIC Mels/Heidiland Results

The Bont Wheels Team are in the lead for the team overall after the first race with Kelly Martinez finishing 2nd, Tamara Llorens 7th and Alexandra Vivas 8th.

Womens Top 10

1. Baena Cecilia  
2. Martinez Kelly (BONT Wheels Team) 
3. Ponzetti Cinzia
4. Turchiarelli Giovanna
5. Hartichelar Andrea
6. Strüver Tina 
7. Llorens Tamara (BONT Wheels Team)  
8. Vivas Alexandra (BONT Wheels Team)  
9. Ghezzi Laura 
10.Gloor Nadine

Mens Top 10

1. Arlidge Scott (ZEPTO)
2. Rosero Diego 
3. Diaz Granados Christian 
4. Saggiorato Luca 
5. Tobon Juan Nayib (ZEPTO)
6. Zangarini Francesco 
7. Galliazzo Stefano 
8. Iten Nicolas 
9. Presti Massimiliano
10.Francolini Fabio

SIC Mels/Heidiland

The first Swiss Inline Cup race of the season starts today at 5.30pm. Heidiland is a new event for the Swiss Inline Cup so it will be interesting to see the new course. Tamara Llorens, Kelly Martinez and Alexandra Vivas will be racing today for the team and I will be going but just as a spectator.

There has been a lot of talk about the weather forecast and the possibility of rain but the weather looks to be clearing, but we will have to wait and see.

Here is an article that featured in the Timaru Herald today about the upcoming South Canterbury Sports Awards. There are two skaters from the South Canterbury Club nominated, myself and Dahna Penty in the junior category.

Top sports stars battle for award

By STU PIDDINGTON - The Timaru Herald

The annual South Canterbury Sports Awards promise to be an intriguing night on Friday with world-class competitors vying for the main title.

The 12 nominated for the top award will not be easy to separate, with many having national honours and success at international level.

Marc Ryan's Olympic bronze medal in the individual pursuit at Beijing will be hard to beat.

He does, however, have hot competition from shooter Natalie Rooney, who took out the World "Down the Line" Championships in Ireland; and Nicole Begg, who won two silver medals at the World Inline Championships. Begg also finished second overall in the World Inline Cup marathon series.

Others nominated include national rally champion Hayden Paddon, New Zealand powerlifting representative Natasha Armstrong, New Zealand's blade shearer representative at the world championships William Michelle and New Zealand Heartland XV player Eric Smith.

National rowing under-21 quad titleholder Andrew Darling, footballer Kara Wilson, New Zealand track walk champion Nathaniel Shaw, White Ferns squad member Rowan Milburn and hockey player Amber Boyce are also in the running.

Michelle is the oldest nominated at 51 while the youngest is 18-year-old Wilson.

Young Sportsperson of the Year will also be a hotly contested award with eight of the 14 nominees having represented New Zealand and most of the rest having national titles.

Among the favourites are New Zealand Schools halfback Nick Annear, New Zealand tennis representative Emily Fanning, emerging junior Tall Fern Dallas Frederikson, along with New Zealand rowing representative Fin Scott and walking exponent Daniel Lord.

With each sport allowed to nominate only one person, Stephen Burt, who rowed at the World Junior Rowing Championships, missed out to Fin Scott.

Athlete Tom Walsh, who qualified for the World Junior Athletics Championships and broke both the under-16 discus and shotput records this season, missed out in favour of Daniel Lord.

Both could have been strong contenders to take out the young sportsperson title.

The Herald understands Sport South Canterbury is looking at allowing sports associations to nominate more than one athlete if they have two or more that have appeared internationally.

Others nominated in the Young Sportsperson of the Year category are New Zealand cyclist Tim Daly, national under-19 marathon mountainbike champion Rachel Richards and New Zealand secondary schools netball trialist Kelsi Patterson.

Joining them are New Zealand skier Tim Bowman, nationally ranked swimmer Daniel Hickey, football talent Amber Mulhall-Larsen, cricketer Tom Walsh, under-20 national bowls champion Sam Morton and national inline track and bank skating champion Dahna Penty.

The teams title looks to be between Timaru Rowing Club's men's club eight and Netball South Canterbury's under-19 team.

Coach of the Year will again be another fiercely competed category.

Basketball's Sean Fuller, rowing's Dan Kelly, powerlifting's Brian Armstrong and athletics coach Don Garland have all coached at elite levels overseas.

Jonathan Nelson is the only nominee in the Sportsperson with Disability category, so he will retain his title from last year.

The awards evening will feature a special award for a "homegrown" talent that has featured on the international stage.

The guest speakers for the night are twice Olympic double sculls champions Georgina Earl and Caroline Evers-Swindell.

The twin sisters beat their German rivals by one-hundredth of a second in Beijing to claim their second gold and have since retired.

Happy Mothers Day

Mum and I in 1987

21 years later


HAPPY MOTHERS DAY

Unive Skate Off Senior Ladies Elimination

The Skating Sisters Blog has video from some of the racing at the Unive Skate Off in Heerde last weekend. Here is the video from the Senior Ladies 10km track elimination.

Things are starting to look brighter.

Yesterday I went to St Gallen to see Dr Pierre Hofer who is one of the best orthopedic surgeons in Switzerland and also involved in sports medicine. He gave me a new brace for my foot which hospitals don't stock. I have to wear the brace for 4 weeks and keep it on even when I sleep. With a bit of a stretch the brace can fit into shoes so now I can actually walk and exercise as long as I am in a controlled environment. I should be back on my skates training in about 4 weeks. He said I could try skate a little after three weeks but just basic skating and not on edges. I'm not sure when I will be able to race though because there is always a risk with the medication I am on for the thrombosis. You never know whats going to happen in the races and you can't control the environment so if I was to crash and cut myself I could loose a lot of blood very quickly.

Tomorrow I will have my blood checked and if it is ok I will be able to come off of the injections. I am getting those twice a day at the moment so I have little bruises all over my legs from where I have been injected.

Things are looking brighter though each day and this morning I was able to do some training on the stationary bike.

It just keeps getting more complicated.

When I was at the hospital on Sunday the doctor gave me medication to prevent blood clots (thrombosis) as there could be a risk. But a blood clot wasn't likely to occur with the medication I had been given. Yesterday my calf started to feel tender and when thrombosis occurs it usually begins in the calf. Even though the pain wasn't bad and I didn't think it was a blood clot I thought it's better to be safe than sorry and just go to the hospital and get it checked.

So at midnight Wayne drove me to the hospital which is about 20 minutes away. A doctor took a look at my calf and said it wasn't likely to be a blood clot because my calf was hardly swollen. But the only way they could tell was to do an ultrasound. So I ended up leaving the hospital at 2 am and the doctor made an appointment for me this morning at 9 am to get an ultrasound.

The verdict is I have a small blood clot (thrombosis) in my left calf. Seeing I was already on the medication to prevent blood clots the only thing they could do is up the dosage. So for 3 days I have to have an injection twice a day so that means two trips a day to the doctors clinic. I have been put on medication which I must take for at least 3 months but it will slowly start coming down in dosage. I am also going to have to get regular blood checks for a while.

The doctors also took another look at my foot while I was there and seem to think that I have not torn just one of my ligaments but two.

Tomorrow morning I have an appointment in St Gallen which is about 45 minutes away. I will see a specialist who is considered one of the best in Switzerland. I am going to be in good hands as he has been involved with top athletes and also skating so he understands the movements skating involves. Tomorrow I should have a more realistic time line.

Another year & another bad crash.

On the weekend we raced at the Unive Skate Off in Heerde, Holland. The racing on Friday at the track started off great with Kelly winning the 10km elimination and myself coming in second. The next night we raced in the points race which was changed from a 5km to a 10km due to the weather. We were confident and could have taken the first three places but with three laps to go that all changed. I was well ahead on points and was about to come around to win some more when a skater tried to pass Kelly on the inside of the corner causing her to slide out and fall. I fell over Kelly and went index finger first into the barrier and somehow my left foot must have twisted or gone in a different direction. I got up as there were only three laps to go and tried to skate but I couldn't but any pressure on my left foot. I hobbled around and finished the race because no officials were pulling me off. Then only to loose all my points because I was lapped by the lead skaters on their last lap.

I left the track after the race and went to a hospital in the nearest city. I had x-rays taken of my ankle and finger. The results back were that my index finger on my right hand was broken and that there was no fracture in my ankle. The doctors didn't really know what was wrong with my ankle but just sent me home with a compression bandage around it. The doctor said it could be a little ligament damage but nothing too major and in a week or two I should start coming right. I arrived back at the track and everyone had gone, there was just my team waiting for me and a few organizers left. We drove back to Switzerland over night and arrived back to our base in Weinfelden at 6am.

After getting a few hours sleep in I woke up this morning and tried to put some pressure on my foot but the pain was unbearable. I took off the bandage and my foot was swollen and tender to touch. My finger also looked like a purple sausage. I went to the nearest hospital because I wanted to get some crutches to help me move around and get my ankle looked at again because it was getting worse.

The doctor had a good prod at my foot and finger while I was nearly jumping out of the wheel chair each time she touched a sore spot. She wasn't exactly gentle and my brother Wayne thought it was rather funny to watch. She decided to get some more x-rays of both my ankle and finger. The x-ray results were the same as the ones taken in Holland, broken finger but no fracture in my ankle.

The head doctor then came and took a look and done all sorts of things to my foot and ankle. The verdict is I have a torn ligament in my left foot along with some other strained ligaments. I have a brace on my leg to stabilize my foot at the moment and can't walk or put pressure on it. The healing time can vary and the doctor said anything from 4 to 6 weeks. In a week I should be able to move my foot up and down but not sideways or on edges so that rules out skating. I also have to be careful when I do get back on my skates that the ligaments are strong enough otherwise they could damage very easily again and I could have ongoing problems. Tomorrow I will go to the physio to see what he can do to help speed up the healing process. I may be able to start cycling on the stationary bike and swimming in a few weeks but I won't be able to skate for a while.

The doctor also decided to make a cast/brace for my finger because there is a fracture and also some ligament damage. I only have to wear it at night which was a sigh of relief because it's very awkward and I cant hold the crutches when it's on.

I didn't take a lot of skin off just a little off my knee and shoulder. I always seem to crash and hurt things that are complicated and don't heel quickly unlike grazed skin. It's frustrating because I felt so strong this year and had a really good base from my off season training in New Zealand. Then to start loosing that strength so easily after all that hard work is quiet disheartening. Last year I also had a nightmare at the start of the season when I broke my jaw. I lost a lot of strength and missed out on a lot of hard training but still managed to do well at the World Championships. I was looking forward to this year because I felt stronger than ever and was hoping to have a good season and a build up to the World Championships with no hiccups unlike last year. It's like I took two steps forward after last year but have now taken one back. But it's not over until the fat lady sings, and no one is singing yet.

On another note Kelly Martinez who also crashed is ok and has only lost a little bit of skin in various places. She managed to get up and keep skating without getting lapped and loosing her points so she also won the overall distance title. Alexandra Vivas our last member standing ended up coming through for our team and winning the points race. We were unable to compete in the Skate Off though which was a shame.

World on Wheels, Oldebroek

Last night we raced at Oldebroek and it was another World on Wheels race which was about 30km. It was a rough circuit with a couple of corners and it was about 1km per lap. Elma de Vries broke away after a few laps and I ended up going with her. The last lap she led into the final corner and I timed my run a little to late so I didn't have enough speed to cover the extra distance on the final straight which was curved. Alexandra won the bunch sprint and the other girls finished strong with Kelly 4th and Tamara 6th.

Today and tomorrow we are racing at Heerde on the bank track. Tamara will not be skating as she has an injury from the rain race in Rennes. No one from our team will contest the 300 meter time trial at Heerde today. The course in Rennes was very slippery in the rain so everyone's muscles are feeling strained and have not had time to recover as we have been traveling and racing.

World on Wheels, Emmeloord

Tonight the Bont Wheels Team raced at the World on Wheels event in Emmeloord, Holland. It was a 30km race around a 800 meter circuit along a canal, with long straights and two corners at each end. The course was quiet technical because the corners were tight and there were plenty of obstacles like a speed hump with cobbles and a traffic island. You had to be strong, fit, fast and skillful. There was a big womens field with 64 starters. It was also a high quality field with 5 World Champions present and European Champions and medalists.

The race was fast and hard with constant attacks being launched. There were also sprint primes throughout the race. None of the breakaways successfully stayed away but our team made sure we had someone in nearly every attack. We raced well as a team tonight and everybody played an important part throughout the race.

It came down to a sprint finish with about 22 skaters left in the main pack. Tamara led out the sprint for our team taking the lead with about 500 meters to go. I passed her just before the second to last corner with about 250 meters to go. I was able to gain a gap when I passed Tamara before the corner and went on to win the race. Kelly came in for a strong second, Alexandra 5th and Tamara 8th.

Womens Top 10 Results
1. Nicole Begg (Bont Wheels)
2. Kelly Martinez (Bont Wheels)
3. Brigitte Mendez (Valle, Colombia)
4. Bianca Roosenboom (CadoMotus)
5. Alexandra Vivas (Bont Wheels)
6. Liana Holguin (Valle, Colombia)
7. Elma de Vries (DSB)
8. Tamara Llorens (Bont Wheels)
9. Sara Bak (Denmark)
10. Laetitia le Bihan (Poli, France)

Roncalli College in Timaru are having an auction to raise funds for their rugby team to tour Australia. I donated two pictures for the auction and this is an article about the upcoming auction that featured in the Timaru Herald

Auction to help fund Roncalli trip

By STU PIDDINGTON - The Timaru Herald

Roncalli First XV is hoping an auction and fun evening on Saturday night will help boost its coffers for their tour to Australia.

Roncalli is taking 28 players and a management team of five for a 10-day tour, but need to raise around $75,000.

The evening, to be held at the Roncalli gym, will have a charity auction, entertainment, as well as guest speakers, including broadcaster John McBeth, Super 14 referee Vinny Munro and sports spin doctor John Durning, who has spent time with the Black Caps.

A video presentation will include an interview with All Black coach Steve Hansen and Crusader Isaac Ross.

Among the items going under the hammer is a signed Indian cricket bat, number one of 15 produced.

Other memorabilia includes framed, signed Crusaders jerseys, and a signed canvas of world champion speedskater Nicole Begg and a signed Sarah Ulmer top.

There is something for everyone, with 25 tonnes of lime up for grabs, weekends at holiday homes, tradesmen's services and even a cattle beast.

The team has worked hard, already having spent time chopping and delivering firewood, building retaining walls and running barbecues to help with the fundraising.

Anyone interested in attending on Saturday night, at a cost of $25, or leaving an absentee bid, can contact Carol Gallagher on (03) 688 5833.

Bont 1st & 2nd, WIC Rennes

Today I won the World Inline Cup class 1 race in Rennes and Tamara was second. It was fine all morning until about a minute before the womens start, the black clouds closed in and the rain started to fall. It was wet for basically all of the race but ended up drying up for most of the mens race.

Tomorrow we leave Rennes and drive to Holland. We will race at the two Unive World on Wheels events on Wednesday and Thursday and the Unive Skate Off in Heerde on Friday and Saturday.

This is an article that featured in the Timaru Herald this week.

Speedy Begg new face of Skins

By STU PIDDINGTON - The Timaru Herald

Timaru speedskater Nicole Begg is starting to find some traction in the corporate world of Kiwi advertising.

Begg is the new face of Skins marketing campaign in New Zealand.

Skins is body-moulded compression performance equipment engineered to provide support and muscle alignment. Up to now the most recognisable face of Skins has been Wallaby wing Lote Tuqiri, so Begg is in good company.

The 21-year-old former world champion has been used extensively to advertise speed skating equipment in Europe but this is her first big break in New Zealand.

Brandex outdoor general manager David Watt said they had backed Begg as they aimed to penetrate a full range of sports, not just mainstream sports such as rugby and netball.

"We feel it is important consumers see a variety of sports people in our gear. Nicole is reaching a world-class level in a non-mainstream sport which is great for New Zealand.

Begg, who is in Europe preparing for the World Inline Cup marathon series, said she was delighted with the exposure.

"It's great to be associated with such a top product."

Skins

Skins are one of my sponsors from New Zealand who provide me with compression clothing to aid my recovery. Skins™ BioAcceleration Technology™ has been developed over years of scientific research. Skins™ BioAcceleration Technology™ creates marked improvements in reducing the build-up of lactic acid immediately after periods of sustained exercise, and allows for more rapid return to normal levels. You experience less fatigue, minimize soreness and recover faster.

Skins are very popular in New Zealand and are sold throughout the country at most major sporting goods stores. Below is one of the posters featuring me, which has already been spotted at the Rebel Sports store in Timaru.

Quick Update

The internet has been down over the last few days so here is just a quick update. Last week I raced at the Trois Pistes, but we didn't end up skating on three tracks. The first day it rained and never looked like clearing so all the events at Pibrac were canceled. The rain continued into the second day and we ended up racing in the wet on the Valence D'Agen road circuit. The program was changed and instead of racing an elimination and a 3000m we only ended up racing the 3000m and a 2800m. The weather finally cleared for the third day and we got to race on the track but only done 2 x 5000m races. I ended up finishing 3rd overall.

Tomorrow and Sunday I am racing at the CGS in Sablé. It is around four hours away from Bordeaux so I have an early start in the morning. The racing is around a road circuit and apparently the weather forecast isn't looking too good.

Trophee des Trois Pistes

This weekend the famous Trois Pistes (Three Tracks) is taking place in France. This is a very popular race meet with races held on three different tracks in three different cities and over three days. On Saturday we will be racing at Pibrac, which is apparently a very slippery bank track. Sunday at Valence D'Agen which was the location for the 2001 World Championships. Valence D'Agen was also my first ever Junior World Championships. The last day of racing is on Monday at Gujan Mestras which was the location for the 1994 World Championships. I have had a chance to skate on the track at Gujan Mestras as it is only half an hour away from where I am staying in Bordeaux. I've never raced at the Trois Pistes but it should be very exciting with rumors of over 40 Senior Ladies competing. This truly is an International event with skaters from USA, China, Argentina, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, France, Belgium, Holland, Spain, Colombia and of course New Zealand. They are estimating that there will be 19 countries represented at this years Trois Pistes.

French Inline Cup, Nimes

Yesterday the first race of the French Inline Cup took place in Nimes. The French weather didn't disappoint this week. Nimes had one of the highest temperatures in France yesterday with a high of around 23 degrees. The marathon was held around a 2.6 km circuit, so we completed 16 laps in total. This was the first time I have every raced in Nimes but I really enjoyed the course. It was raced around 4 roundabouts so there were a lot of corners, a couple of small climbs over bridges but also long straight stretches. The road surface was a mixture of smooth and rough and the wind made it just a little bit tougher.


Tamara Llorens and myself were the only skaters present from the Bont Wheels Team, Alexandra and Kelly are still in Colombia and will arrive at the end of next week.

There wasn't a large ladies field but the pace was pretty fast from the start because I started attacking two laps into the race. I made numerous attacks throughout the race to test myself and the new Bont Wheels. Nathalie Barbotin came with me on most occasions. Tamara only arrived in Europe a few days ago so she stayed with the main group for most of the race and helped chase down any attacks that looked serious.


With the men and women racing on the course at the same time it was hard to make the breakaways stick. There were groups of men always passing women so some skaters were able to gain assistance. It was hard to control as the course was small and not very wide in certain areas. After seeing this I decided to change my tactics and just wait until the end sprint. Laetitia Lebihan made a couple of attacks with about three laps to go but she was quickly chased down by Tamara and Lucie.

On the last lap Lucie Peruzzetto was in the lead until about 300 meters to go when I made my move and passed her. There was a small rise, a left hand corner and then slightly down hill to the finish line. I wanted to be in front by the corner because the finish line was only about 100 meters after it. When I passed Lucie I accelerated and my eyes were set on making it first to the corner. I ended up winning the race with a few meters to spare. Tamara couldn't quiet stick on me when I accelerated but came 3rd, with Nathalie Barbotin just getting her on the line. Laetitia Lebihan came in for 4th and Lucie Peruzzetto 5th.

I found some good pictures from Nimes taken from a member of the SAMerignac Team, you can view more images on their Picasa Web Album by clicking here.

Start of the Finishing Straight
Photo - Appache (SAMerignac)

Womens Finish
Photo - Appache (SAMerignac)

Womens Finish
Photo - Appache (SAMerignac)

Womens Podium

SAMerignac

Last Wednesday night I coached a group of skaters from the SAMerignac Skating Club. This group of skaters come every Wednesday night to the CREPS to train around the fast 400 meter road circuit. There is an article in French on the RollerEnligne website and also on the SAMerignac Club website. They were a really fun group of skaters to work with.

Hong Kong Pictures

Here are some pictures from my trip to Hong Kong a couple of weeks ago. To view larger images click on the slide show or visit my Picasa Web Album.

Grenade

Last weekend I raced in Grenade, France about 2 1/2 hours from Bordeaux. This race meet was part of the French National Qualification. Racing was held around a 400 meter road circuit with tight corners and very long straights.

On Saturday the rain just wouldn't go away. It would rain then stop and just before the track was dry it would rain again, so most of the racing was held in wet or partly wet conditions. The first round of the 500 meters was held in the wet and three from each heat went through to the next round. For the semifinals the track was half dry and half wet and because there were two foreigners eight skaters qualified for the final. For the final all the skaters stepped up to the line and just before the gun went the officials called off the race. The track was deemed too wet to race on and then it started to pour down with rain again. The 500 meter final was held on Sunday morning with not a rain cloud in sight. I won, 2nd was Sara Bak and 3rd Pauline Jegouic.

The 10km points race was held Saturday night in wet conditions and a cool 6 degrees. I won a few early points and then broke away and Laetitia Lebihan came with me. We both ended up lapping the pack and I went on to win the race, Laetitia 2nd and Lucie Peruzzetto 3rd.


The 200 meter time trial was on Sunday morning before the 500 meter final. To be in contention for the overall title you had to start all the races. I stepped onto the start line even though I wasn't highly motivated, the 200 meter time trial is an event I'm not fond of. I ended up coming 4th, 1st was Sophie Beaujot, 2nd Ophelie Carrerr and 3rd Aude Sohier.

The last race was the 10km Elimination which was held at around 3pm on Sunday. It came down to a sprint finish at the end with all 5 skaters still together and I went on to win, Laetitia 2nd and Justine Halbout came in for 3rd.

I won the overall title, 2nd was Lucie Peruzzetto and 3rd Pauline Jegouic.