2011 Archives
Solid performances by both teams in the relay Saturday, 27 August 2011
Middle final and another top 10 for Tom Friday, 26 August 2011
A couple of maps Friday, 26 August 2011
Middle Distance Start Times Thursday, 25 August 2011
Long Final - long, hot and hilly - and a 9th in the junior mens for Tom! Wednesday, 24 August 2011
Quick summary of the long qualification / prologe race. Tuesday, 23 August 2011
The commemorative monument Monday, 22 August 2011
Report from the team coach Sunday, 21 August 2011
Settled into WOC accommodation Sunday, 21 August 2011
Photos Saturday, 20 August 2011
Training Part 2 Friday, 19 August 2011
Training Part 1 Friday, 19 August 2011
Gearing up for Italy Thursday, 28 July 2011 Gearing up for Italy

Report from the team coach

Sunday, 21 August 2011

Just finding the training areas has proven a bit of an adventure at times, with sketchy information provided [and freqently leaving reading glasses elsewhere - that bit was a bit of editorial interpretation].   The new mapping symbol of orange stripe on yellow, indicating the only way to ride across open ground, has proven a bit dubious to identify on the ground.

Getting used to riding on small tracks through people’s backyards has been interesting.  Steve didn’t know what to say to the guy chopping wood with his axe, nor Marc to those having a picnic!  Many of the yellow areas are planted with corn, while figs and peaches also abound.

The event controller, Antje Bornhak (Germany) has volunteered 6  weeks to this one event.

Former Aussie WOC foot O competitor, Maurice Ongainia, is the national controller.

Many Italian shops close down for 2-4 weeks in August, so the locals can enjoy summer.  This includes bike shops, with only 2 of 6 or so in the vicinity being open.  We also struck a public holiday soon after our arrival meaning that the supermarkets were closed for 2 days.  We learnt this about 2 hours before they closed, and as we self cater, we had a very hurried major shopping expedition. Three “teams” were sent off with a list of goodies to find and the results were often a mystery as Italian labelling is not always what one would think.   The junior boys only realised that they had to weigh and price fruit and vege when they reached the check-out and had to do a return to base.

The Italian organisers are big on ceremony with 26 pages of welcome in the event booklet and 115 people listed on the committee of honour!  I don’t know how I will have time to coach the team!  Today “team officials” are expected to attend a stone laying ceremony in the heat of the day, and then there are the almost daily 12km Nordic walks to undertake, not to mention the golf event (with prizes) on the rest day, as well as the 3 hr tour of historic villas!  Then the night before the final event we have a concert on offer.   I could be busy, or not!

As established last year the juniors are keeping the elites entertained, wether it be their girlfriend liasing, breaking of gear, vocab bloomers etc.  The sight of them wearing the compulsory swimming hats at our training accommodation was not flattering.   Marc Gluskie has been eating heaps but claims to have lost 5 kilograms!  We have supporters in Rob, Jen and Hannah Goddard and David and Julie Firman all ready to cheer on our riders.  The ice vests (if we can find some ice!) will be in heavy demand, as the temperatures for race week evidently are set to break all time Italian records, being at least 38degrees every day.  Bring it on.

Kay Haarsma (coach)