Junior Track Cycling

The U.S. team for the upcoming World Cup track event at the ADT center in Los Angeles (actually Carson) California includes two juniors. Ryan Nelman will join Giddeon Massie and Christian Stahl in the team sprint. Aaron Kacala will ride the kilo.

The event will be December 10th to 12th, 2004. For tickets: http://www.aeggrouptickets.com/default.aspx?c=EventDetails&eid=110

Updated November 28, 2004.

I’ll list the first time from each event, junior or not, and then just the juniors. Thanks to Coach Roach for sending this information out, since there doesn’t seem to be a web site for this information.

I don’t have times for Fridays events.

Men flying 200m

Women flying 200m

Women 3k pursuit

Men 4k pursuit

Men standing 250m

Men standing kilo

Women standing 500m

* Not a junior.

Aaron Kacala had the fastest kilo time at the L.A. Time Trials, with a 1:07.00. This isn’t fast enough to earn him an automatic berth in the “national talent pool”, but as the fastest rider at this event, his chances have got to be good.

Don’t worry juniors - he’ll only be in your category for another 6 weeks.

Let’s start with the assumption that no reader here would knowingly take a banned substance, performance-enhancing or otherwise. There are just too many reasons not to, including health risks, the chance of being banned, reflecting badly on your team and country, and possibly driving sponsors away from the sport. Not to mention the fact that it’s cheating.

So given that, what else is there to say?

Today the news came out that Shane Perkins has received a six-month ban due to a positive test for amphetamines at junior worlds. Why would he take such an obviously illegal drug? According to the ruling, he got it from a medicine he bought in the US which has different ingredients in the US even though it is the same brand sold in Australia. Ouch. Under the rules there are no excuses, so he’ll lose the gold medal he won in the Keirin on the night of the test. The CAS does take circumstances into account, so he will not lose the medals he won on subsequent nights and his ban will be only six months.

It’s easier than you may think to get a banned substance into your system, and under the rules an accident is still a violation. Potentially anything could have a small amount of a banned substance in it, but there are a few things to watch for:

1. Nutritional supplements. Even if you are just taking some herb or mineral that is claimed to help you recover faster, remember that the supplement industry is mostly unregulated. Some things which are illegal from a sporting point of view are sitting right there on the shelf. No one is checking whether they clean the equipment between packaging the banned items and their other products. Remember also that supplements do not need to be proven effective before they go on the shelf, and they are not tested for harmful side effects.
2. Medicines. Many legitimate medicines are banned. Start by letting your doctor know that you are an athlete and must be careful, but do not stop there. Your doctor is probably not up on the latest rules, and getting bad advice is no excuse. Refer to the UCI rules and your country’s anti-doping agency. If it turns out that your prescribed medicine is banned, work with your doctor to find a non-banned medicine which is effective.
3. Changes in things you take. As today’s news shows, active ingredients in over-the-counter products can change. They may be different in different countries, or just because of product changes. One medicine may be banned, another claiming the same effects may be fine.

The bottom line? Get your nutrition from a balanced diet rather than a bottle, unless you have a good reason to do otherwise. If you need medicines, check out the rules. For US athletes, the starting point is the United States Anti-Doping Agency. They have lists of banned substances, forms required for use of certain substances, a phone number you can call with questions, and a link to UCI information.

By the way, the new medal list for the Keirin will be:
Gold: Daniel Thorsen (Australia)
Silver: Francesco Kanda (Italy)
Bronze: Ryan Nelman (USA)

Another new record for attendance. We had 11 riders today, and 16 different riders to date. We have photos this time, thanks to Ted Shaffer. As always, click for a larger version.

Steve and Steven (coach/organizers), Vance (mentor), and some of the Juniors

We did some low-key races for the first time, after some bumping drills and a little talk about sportsmanship. Perhaps the one I enjoyed most was a “team pursuit”, boys against girls. This was interesting because each team was the opposite of what you normally want - abilities varied widely. The goal was for the fast riders to work on communication and holding a smoothly controlled speed, while the slower riders worked on riding efficiently in the paceline. Because all riders were required to finish, the key was protecting the smaller kids in your group.

More pictures…

At the rail

Pulling off

Chariot Race Start

It's Not All Hard Work

Paceline