We
drove from Denmark on 28 / 4, 200 km south from Paris, we drove to a
hotel rest and sleep .
We arrived in Bilbao 29 / 4 in the afternoon, and had the rest of the
day to relax and get use to the new environment.
An
exciting race with good results, three stage victories and overall winner
of the class T1.
We will be back in 2011."
2010
- April 30 : Tricycle
Racing in Britain 2010 : Early Season Events
2010
- April 14 : Czech
tricyclists in United Arab Emirates
2010
- April 6 : 2010 World Tricycle Championships
at Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England on October 3rd :
information
and entry form.
2010
- March 2 : Welcome
to the WTU in Welsh with thanks to
John Lewis of the Tricycle Association
2010
- February 18 : Special
trike gives Tredegar boy his independence, by
Ruth Mansfield
2010
- February 05 : T1 & T2 - No Tea For Two! by
WTU-Secretary André Van Bosbeke
Disregarding
other recent controversial UCI regulations that have to do with tricycles,
riders and tricycle sport within the paralympic movement, the newest
concerning the Paralympic Games in London 2012 may well come as quite
a shock to most para-cycling tricycle riders.
“More
participants, more medals and a greater percentage of women: these will
be the result of the new qualification criteria for the cycling events
at the 2012 London Paralympics”, the UCI states in its latest
news concerning the Paralympics (12 Dec. 2009). That is indeed a noble
cause, but the problem is that in the case of tricycle sport quite the
opposite is true : only two gold medals are to be awarded in the T1
& T2 categories (formerly CP1 & CP2) in London, one to the winner
in the road race and one for the winner in the time trial. Both races
will be mixed : T1 & T2 riders and men and women are to race together.
Regarding the time trial a time factor will be taken into consideration
to designate the winner.
This
means in fact that T1 men riders and T1 & T2 women riders may as
well forget the Paralympic road race in 2012. Without doubt T2 men riders
will decide the gold, silver and bronze medals, otherwise they would
logically not be classified in T2. The only hope T1 men riders and T1
& T2 women participants have is the time trial. Here however they
depend completely upon the time factor the UCI will allocate.
As
a whole, tricycle sport has been downgraded again, once more in a discriminatory
way to weaker riders and women.
On
a personal level, one cannot but feel shocked that CP1 (T1) riders such
as 2009 world champion Quentin Aubague and 2008 world champion Mark
Homan and others who live for the sport, are denied a fair chance, because
of the new rules, to try and go for gold in the coming Paralympics road
race, which must be like a dream already gone by. The only remaining
hope is a favorable time factor at the time trial. A cynical comment
would be that at least no costs are involved for a safety bar and disc
brakes since these are not mandatory at time trials. To end, here is
some advice to T1 men riders and T1 & T2 women riders : make sure
not to ride too fast at the international events where the time factor
will be calculated.
So
far for tricycle sport within the paralympic movement? “Fewer
participants, fewer medals and a lesser percentage of women: these will
be the result of the new qualification criteria for the cycling events
at the 2012 London Paralympics”. One could not be more truthful.
Click
here
for "2012 London Paralympic Games: New qualification criteria".
Please
send your comments.
2010
- February 02 : Events
udate - international T1 & T2 races in Montréal,
Canada 30/4-2/5
2010
- January 27 : Welcome
to the WTU in Afrikaans
2010
- January 21 : Events
2010 update with para-cycling Al Ain (11/3-15/3) & Louny races (3/7)
2010
- January 18 : The
Tricycle Association Gazette
2010
- January 13 : Para-cycling
World Champion Giorgio Farroni WTU Correspondent for Italy
2010
- January 11 : UCI
Regulations in force 01.01.10 for Para-cylists
2010
- January 1 : World Tricycle Union foundation press release.
There
are men and women all over the world, both able-bodied and disabled,
riding tricycles for sport, recreation and work. Some ride thousands
of kilometres a year. Some are pleased to be able to ride to the shops
and back. Until 1 January 2010, however, there was no international
organisation to bring them together in friendship and few sources of
help or advice.
2010
marks a new beginning. The World Tricycle Union (WTU) has been established
as an association of organisations and individuals whose interest is
in encouraging the use of tricycles world-wide for sporting, leisure
and domestic activities.
As
well as aiming to encourage tricycling for the able-bodied, the WTU
has a special interest in the use of tricycles for people with disabilities,
for rehabilitation, mobility and sport.
The
WTU is an international association. As a non-profit making association,
it has no links with any government or political organisation. It communicates
through the internet and is open to all interested groups and individuals
Two
tricycle organisations, The Tricycle Association in the United Kingdom
and 3wielweb in Belgium have committed their support to the World Tricycle
Union. Individuals outside these two organisations are invited to become
members of the WTU, through application to the WTU Committee. For the
first year (2010), as a provisional arrangement, the WTU Committee will
consist of two secretaries:
Roger
Alma (UK) (Rogeralma21@aol.com)
André Van Bosbeke (BEL) (info@3wielweb.be)
In
order to extend the network of interest world-wide, the WTU has now
Correspondents in Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Holland,
South Africa and the United Kingdom (see WTU website for contacts).
Tricycle riders outside these countries are invited to act as Correspondents
for their country.
Please
contact either of the Secretaries or the Correspondents if you would
like further information about the World Tricycle Union and tricycling
in general.
