Steve is Going for Gold, Again!
Athlete Steve Nyland has taken up the challenge once again and is heavily into his training programme, in preparation for this year’s edition of the British Transplant Games.
Steve's journey to the British Transplant Games was prompted by serious illness, providing him with the motivation to prove that, "It is amazing what you can achieve if you put your mind to it." Studying for his degree in Sports and Fitness Science, Steve began to experience the first signs of illness and tests confirmed that he had leukaemia. Requiring a bone marrow transplant in order to save his life, a suitable match was discovered in his sister Debbie and his treatment began in April 1998.
GOLD
During that same year, Steve took part in the 10 km cycle time trail at the British Transplant Games, reserved for those who have undergone organ transplant and following the same format as the Olympic Games, organised on behalf of TSUK (Transplant Sport UK). Steve said that in its earlier stages, the games were badly publicised, with limited administration and participation. However, it has now expanded to an action packed four day event, welcoming an average 500 competitors and over 1,000 supporters. Steve has claimed gold for the Birmingham team on numerous occasions, and having triumphed at the Edinburgh games last year is currently the British champion in the 15 km Sprint Cycling event. He went on to claim a bronze in the 5km running event only hours later; a great boost for the team's overall score.
WORLD GAMES
Winners of the British event qualify for the World Transplant Games, which take place every two years. Steve scooped gold in Nancy, France, during 2003, but was forced to surrender his place for the Thai event in 2005 while he was relocating to Spain. However, he is adamant that he will be among the competitors at the next world games on the Gold Coast in Australia, August 2009. He must first take gold at the British Transplant Games this year, from 7th to 10th August, at the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield. His current training regime entails cycling 7 hours per week, as well as working as a Personal Trainer and Spinning Instructor at OK Gym in Los Dolces, Villamartin. Steve devotes much of his time to his profession as a Sports Massage Therapist, with Total Body Fitness, and operates from the gym, specialising in the treatment of all manner of injuries and rehabilitation techniques. This gives him flexibility to manage his routine. Real Estate Company Ambasun International has pledged support for Steve for the second consecutive year, funding flights, accommodation, race entrance fees and a funky new look for his bike! Steve's commitment is stronger than ever. He said, "I passionately want to give hope and inspiration to others diagnosed with a life threatening disease like leukaemia, that luckily took only two years out of my life. Now with my wife Natalie and baby George, things are all back on track."
roundtownnews.co.uk
Jack's born to ride his bike
Tewantin two-wheeled wonder Jack Jude skipped to the chase - not long after he began to walk, he was riding his bike.
And at the ripe old age of two, Jack had made his trainer wheels redundant.
Little wonder then that 10 years on the newly crowned U13 Queensland cross country mountain bike champion has told new sponsor, Sunshine Bicycle Works, that "I have Olympic dreams".
Jack is on track to slipstream along on a dream ride first started by 2007 Tour de France runner-up Cadel Evans.
Evans is a former Aussie mountain bike champion who rode cross-country at the Sydney Olympics.
Jack is off that elite pace right now... but good judges think he has that certain something that is already setting him apart.
He has ridden through the BMX jumps stage and was issued with his mountain bike racing licence in January, lining up for the Coast's Bushrangers.
Despite just turning 12, commitment and Jack are a tandem act and he loves nothing better than a rugged 40km ride with his dad, Chris.
After class at Tewantin State School, rather than kick a footy or go to the local skate park, he will head off into the scrub with his trusty mobile phone to keep in contact with home.
Jack was a second away from winning his inaugural mountain bike series - despite entering just four of the five Sunshine Series races.
"We weren't aware of the first race at the time and he won the second, third and fourth races, coming in second in the fifth by just over a second," his mum, Jane, said.
Last weekend Jack lined up for the state cross-country titles - lapping contestants in the "fun" Saturday long-distance, six-hour ride.
Then he won the Sunday event by 33 seconds.
"Everyone out there was saying where did this kid come from," Jane said.
Jack is likely to contest next year's nationals in the under-15 division where his times are already competitive. By that time he should have had his first taste of road racing with the Sunshine Coast Cycling Club.
Should his star continue to rise Jane may well think back again to that first two-year-old treadle.
"He started with trainer wheels and was going so fast we took one off... and then the other and they just stayed off," she said.
Jane said Jack always had a look of quiet resolve when on a bike.
"On the weekend - he had a look on his face just before he raced that no one was going to beat him," she said.
(c) APN News & Media Ltd 2008
Gerolsteiner places Moletta on inactive status
Team Gerolsteiner has removed Andrea Moletta from the Giro d'Italia and placed him on inactive status, following his father's involvement in an anti-doping action. He did not start Wednesday's 11th Giro stage "for private reasons", it was said Wednesday morning.
Moletta, 29, informed the team Tuesday evening that his father was one of several passengers in a vehicle en route to the Giro, when he was controlled and questioned by the Italian Guardia Finanza (which is responsible for anti-doping enforcement).
Team manager Hans-Michael Holczer immediately got in touch with Italian authorities but was unable to obtain any further information. Moletta denied any involvement but agreed to being removed from the race.
"Even if the presence of Moletta senior is proved to be totally coincidental, we handled immediately as required by our strict Code of conduct," Holczer said in a press statement. "Andrea will not ride any further races until the circumstances are explained."
Copyright Future Publishing (Overseas) Limited, a Future plc group company, 1995-2007. All rights reserved.
Tobago cycling classic returns
The Tobago International Cycling Classic will return in 2008 as a five-stage race over four days from September 24-29 in Trinidad & Tobago. Last year's race featured a new and improved stage five including a new link road from Bloody Bay to L'Anse Fourmi then on to Charlotteville and Speyside with brutal climbs, undulating through the lush green rainforest reserve on one side and a steep decline down to the blue Caribbean Sea on the other side. The race drew 75 international competitors and was dominated in 2007 by German Andreas Henig.
Copyrigth Future Publishing (Overseas) Limited, a Future plc group company, 1995-2007. All rights reserved.
No boundaries for young cyclist
Muscular dystrophy sufferer gets set to ride across country
ANNE SUTHERLAND, The Gazette
Published: Saturday, May 03
It's the adventure of a lifetime, hopping on a bike and cycling from Vancouver Island to St. John's, N.L.
On May 13, Montrealer Keith Martin, 22, will begin the 8,000-kilometre cross-country trek with four friends.
An engineering student at University of British Columbia, Martin and his pals will leave Tofino, B.C., and endeavour to travel 100 kilometres a day, winding up in Newfoundland around July 31.
The physical challenge is daunting enough, but Martin has more on his plate than his friends: he suffers from muscular dystrophy.
"I wouldn't do this if I didn't think my body could handle it, and I checked with two doctors who both said I was physically able," Martin said from B.C. this week.
Martin was a sports fanatic before his diagnosis in 2005.
"I started noticing I was weaker; my right leg had no strength when I was running and I couldn't serve in tennis, I couldn't raise my arms over my head," he said.
Doctors initially mis-diagnosed his muscle weakness as nerve damage from a broken collarbone he suffered in 2000.
More tests were done and Martin was all alone in Vancouver, far from home, when a doctor diagnosed facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, a wasting condition of the muscles affecting his face, shoulders and arms.
His gait is also affected, giving him a peculiar walk, and he can't purse his lips to whistle.
"I drew a blank, it was a shock; I didn't know what to think or say so I just stared at the doctor," Martin recalled. "I knew a little bit about MD, I knew it was bad, but that's about it." As he left the doctor's office, he used his cellphone to call his mother, Judy, in Montreal.
Martin knew exercise would slow the ravages of the disease. "Keeping active is one way to fight this," he said. Physiotherapy, however, was not his bag. "I didn't like feeling like a patient." "I got a personal trainer and I took up biking in 2006 as a good way to exercise. In 2007, I had a part-time job at the student co-op and I would ride to work, 50 kilometres round trip, rain or shine." Martin and his friends tossed around the idea of a cross-Canada bike trip, and the idea of doing it to raise money and awareness for a charity sealed the deal.
The ride has been dubbed the Moving Muscles Ride 2008 by participants Martin, Pat Cuthbert, 23, and 21-year-olds Michael McDonald, Brian Sprague and Jonathan Taves.
They hope to raise $100,000 for Muscular Dystrophy Canada, and increase awareness of the disease, which has no cure. They courted corporate sponsors and canvassed friends and family for donations to Muscular Dystrophy. So far, they've raised $60,000.
"There are 8,500 people in Canada afflicted with muscular dystrophy. Keith is the first person with the disease to undertake a cross-country event," said Maggie Kissel, western regional director of Muscular Dystrophy Canada.
Martin has been cycling 50 kilometres three times a week, working out at the gym and doing several 100-kilometre bike rides to prepare for the trip.
The young men will stay with friends or camp along the way.
"My first reaction to his news was: 'Holy moley!' Not that he couldn't do it, but that's a big undertaking for anyone," said Martin's father, Michael. "My immediate concern was could five of them do this safely, and the muscular dystrophy factor. That's a very powerful combo for a parent to absorb, big time." "Lots of people have biked across Canada and told us it's doable," Martin said. "There will be challenges along the way - we'll have to be creative." For more information, go to www.movingmusclesride.ca asutherland@ thegazette.canwest.com
(c) The Gazette (Montreal) 2008
Burghardt is no couch potato
Marcus Burghardt of High Road had a very tough year so far. The 24 year-old was eager to defend his title at Gent-Wevelgem, which he won thanks to great team tactics (racing for High Road's predecessor, T-Mobile back then) and a gutsy last couple of kilometres, where he ended up beating Oscar Freire, among others. But a recurring knee injury has taken him out of the entire classics season.
Now, he is back and eager to race at the Henninger Turm event in Frankfurt. He really wanted it, too. "If I would have had to watch the race at home on my sofa, it would have been really tough. To watch it on TV would have been hard. I think I would have had to tie myself down!" At the sign-in he confirmed that "There is nothing better than having the comeback in Germany and especially here in Frankfurt." He echoed the sentiments of some of the other German riders when he said that "Frankfurt is one of my favourite races in Germany."
Burghardt had a knee surgery two and a half weeks ago. It is somewhat amazing that he is already back in the saddle. "I have been training for a week now," he revealed his quick recovery period.
And while he "really wants to win this race," he was realistic enough to say that "I won't be able to go for a win. My form is just not good enough." So he will try to help the team as much as he can. "We will try to control the field, and be represented in the breakaways. Then, if a bigger group goes with Gerald [Ciolek] in it, where he is the strongest sprinter, we should have a good chance."
Ciolek himself had the same sentiments. "Yes, if there is a bigger group getting to the finish, I would like to improve on my second place from 2006."
If Ciolek fails to deliver, High Road's hopes may shift to the other sprinter, André Greipel. But he, too, had some health problems recently and will have to see how well he is going. At any rate, High Road knew that Gerolsteiner and Milram will try to prevent a sprint at all costs and will try to use the hilly Taunus area to send riders in breakaways. Gerolsteiner has only Peter Wrolich for a potential sprint and Milram has to make do without Alessandro Petacchi and Erik Zabel, who are out with pneumonia and crash injuries, respectively.
It is unlikely that someone from Team High Road can slip out of the bunch unrecognised, but Burghardt certainly noticed a change in the public, riding for a different team this year. While the infrastructure evolved from T-Mobile, the jersey and the name are different and the team is now registered in the United States. "Yes, I think there is a difference. I think the team is not as recognised. Maybe part of the reason is ... that people don't really know what High Road is. But when there will be sponsor on the jersey soon, it may change," Burghardt noted a difference from the days when the fans in Germany would mob the "magenta troupe."
Copyright Future Publishing (Overseas) Limited, a Future plc group company, 1995-2007. All rights reserved.
WSB: Bayliss nearly crushed by cars on road
By Visordown News
Assen victor and championship leader escapes serious injury after close shave while cycling
HE MAY have done the double at Assen this weekend but Troy Bayliss narrowly escaped a fatal accident after being thrown from his cycle and into the path of traffic on Tuesday.
The Aussie, currently enjoying a massive 70 point lead in the series, crashed on his bicycle while training in Monte Carlo, and came away with cuts and grazes and a sore back in the process.
The Australian was out doing his regular cycling session with his personal trainer when he hit a manhole on a downhill stretch and was thrown off the bike, sliding down the road and narrowly being missed by following cars.
(c) 1999-2008 Magicalia Ltd.
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