English
NORCO NEWS
OCTOBER 2006
OCTOBER 2006
I can't complain about travel or fatigue at all having just returned from the Vuelta Chihuahua in Mexico. I'd love to but Cooper Marsh takes the spoils. I believe today, while I relax here and type away, that Marsh is in a full on panic while packing, getting a new passport and a prescription for malaria pills. For young Marsh is leaving for Africa tomorrow for a month to do an aid program. We chided him as much as possible about how much the travel over there is going to crack him, but of course, we are all very impressed that Marsh is going to help some people that really do need it. I admit, signing up for an aid program to do crop cultivation in Africa, was the last thing on my mind when I thought about wrapping up my season. So kudos to Marsh; you've ruined my diary . . .
To read the rest of Jacob diary from Mexico check out: www.symmetricscycling.com
To read the rest of Jacob diary from Mexico check out: www.symmetricscycling.com
Bridgnorth, Shropshire didn't know what hit it today as the DH and 4X world showed up to race the 1st ever Down Town street race in the UK. The event was pretty cool for a first shot.
There were hundreds of spectators lining the tiny alleyways- some were even perched high on the walls above- as the race twisted and turned through the narrow streets. Locals seemed fairly supportive too as most crowded 2nd floor windows to watch the action below. The local shops were stoked as well recieving more business than expected on a Sunday afternoon!
Racing the track was a lot of fun, although the course was somewhat short. The organizers did a great job with the hill they had and there were plenty of smiling faces at the finish. However practice was a bit of a struggle. Most people only got in two practice runs due to the sheer number of riders (200) on the short track. Elite racing was as exciting as ever! Gee Atherton surprised no one winning the event and setting the fastest time. I won Elite Women, only 3 seconds back from Gee. My time was good enough for 12th in Elite men and 22nd overall! Coming in quick behind me was Rachel Atherton (less than a second back) and Helen Gaskell about 1.2 sec. behind me in 3rd. All-in-all it was a great event and an awesome way to finish out a successful season!
The event was huge for media here in the UK. BBC National television was out on the streets filming and MBUK photographers were all over the place. With all the media, fan and local support we will hopefully get to race more of these exciting events!
Once again, special thanks to my family that attended the event and to my sponsors: Norco, Zeal Optics, Fly Racing, Andrews Orme and Hinton, Rich-Art Concepts, 661, Joxwear, Marzocchi and Kenda.
Source: www.fionngriffiths.com
There were hundreds of spectators lining the tiny alleyways- some were even perched high on the walls above- as the race twisted and turned through the narrow streets. Locals seemed fairly supportive too as most crowded 2nd floor windows to watch the action below. The local shops were stoked as well recieving more business than expected on a Sunday afternoon!
Racing the track was a lot of fun, although the course was somewhat short. The organizers did a great job with the hill they had and there were plenty of smiling faces at the finish. However practice was a bit of a struggle. Most people only got in two practice runs due to the sheer number of riders (200) on the short track. Elite racing was as exciting as ever! Gee Atherton surprised no one winning the event and setting the fastest time. I won Elite Women, only 3 seconds back from Gee. My time was good enough for 12th in Elite men and 22nd overall! Coming in quick behind me was Rachel Atherton (less than a second back) and Helen Gaskell about 1.2 sec. behind me in 3rd. All-in-all it was a great event and an awesome way to finish out a successful season!
The event was huge for media here in the UK. BBC National television was out on the streets filming and MBUK photographers were all over the place. With all the media, fan and local support we will hopefully get to race more of these exciting events!
Once again, special thanks to my family that attended the event and to my sponsors: Norco, Zeal Optics, Fly Racing, Andrews Orme and Hinton, Rich-Art Concepts, 661, Joxwear, Marzocchi and Kenda.
Source: www.fionngriffiths.com
Norco Factory Team Racer, Catharine Pendrel (BC) won the silver medal in the elite women's 2006 Mountain Bike cross-country Pan American Championships competition in Camboriu, Brazil, on Sunday (October 15th). American Mary McConnelough took the gold medal and Argentina's Jimena Florit finished third.
The Penticton, BC rider, who was aiming for a top-five finish (which she had captured in the 2005 Pan Am Championships in Mexico), was full of joy after her race: 'I worked my way up and in the second lap already found myself in third position. I rode consistently and was feeling really good. Conditions were way better than the training conditions over the past few days, with lots of sunshine and the course much drier. Before the race, I said to Michel (Leblanc, CCA mountain bike coach): I'm going to medal today!'
'It's so exciting, when you imagine that Catharine just learned one week prior to the event that she was selected to replace Alison Sydor (who could not make it to Brazil from the Roc d'Azur in France ñ which she won - in such a short period of time),' added Michel Leblanc, Canadian National Team mountain bike coach.
Source: Canadian Cycling Association
The Penticton, BC rider, who was aiming for a top-five finish (which she had captured in the 2005 Pan Am Championships in Mexico), was full of joy after her race: 'I worked my way up and in the second lap already found myself in third position. I rode consistently and was feeling really good. Conditions were way better than the training conditions over the past few days, with lots of sunshine and the course much drier. Before the race, I said to Michel (Leblanc, CCA mountain bike coach): I'm going to medal today!'
'It's so exciting, when you imagine that Catharine just learned one week prior to the event that she was selected to replace Alison Sydor (who could not make it to Brazil from the Roc d'Azur in France ñ which she won - in such a short period of time),' added Michel Leblanc, Canadian National Team mountain bike coach.
Source: Canadian Cycling Association
This week, our enthusiastic website designers have brought us, yet another update with the addition of a 360 degree viewing option for the Six SE (Special Edition).
You can also view the Team DH, Ryde, Yorkville, Faze, Shore 1, 4X, Kokanee, and Deviant in all their 360 degree glory.
You can also view the Team DH, Ryde, Yorkville, Faze, Shore 1, 4X, Kokanee, and Deviant in all their 360 degree glory.
Expedition Canada team members Colin Angus and Julie Wafaei are travelling across Canada in a speaking tour and premiere of their film, “Beyond the Horizon”. The two-hour show will focus on their recent success in achieving the first circumnavigation of our planet entirely by human power, and highlight the power of self-propulsion as a means to curb greenhouse emissions.
Outside Magazine recently listed Angus alongside Al Gore in a compilation of “bold visionaries with world changing dreams” for his efforts in combating climate change. This expedition received national coverage through a bi-weekly series in the Globe and Mail and 26 interviews with CBC radio’s As it Happens from the field.
In May, 2006 Angus and Wafaei arrived in Vancouver completing a two year, 43,000 km expedition that involved rowing unsupported across two oceans, and trekking, skiing, canoeing and cycling through three continents. Angus became the first person to travel around our world without motors or sails, and Wafaei, who joined him for most of the journey, became the first woman to row across the Atlantic Ocean from mainland to mainland and the first Canadian woman to row across any ocean.
A human powered circumnavigation was dubbed as “one of the last great challenges” by Outside Magazine, and three teams, Britain, Canada and the USA, vied to be first. Canada received this honor after a two year struggle entailing more than the work of a marathon a day through some of the most remote and grueling corners of the planet. The team spent five months rowing 10,000 km across the Atlantic Ocean in the worst hurricane season in recorded history and seven months trekking across Siberia’s roadless frozen tundra – a distance the breadth of Antarctica but with temperatures colder than those faced by polar expeditions. Along the way they burned through 4,000 chocolate bars, 72 inner tubes, 250 kgs of freeze-dried foods, 31 dorado fish (caught from the sea), 2 offshore rowboats, 4 bicycles, and 80 kgs of clothing.
Colin and Julie have partnered with the Trans Canada Trail to help build the longest trail system in the world by fundraising and raising awareness throughout the tour. The trail stretches 18,000 km connecting all three oceans bordering our nation. “We realized that one of the most important elements in promoting zero emissions transportation is to have a safe route to travel,” said Angus.
From October 4th to December 16th, Angus and Wafaei will be sharing their adventures with audiences in 22 cities across Canada, from Vancouver Island to Halifax, through a speaking tour and film screening of “Beyond the Horizon”. Angus’ previous films have won eight awards at international film festivals and have been aired around the world on National Geographic Television.
This expedition has garnered international acclaim with selected excerpts offered below:
“He’s sailed across the Pacific, rafted the Amazon, and made the first decent of Asia’s 3,400 mile Yenisey River, but Colin Angus’s latest expedition is his wildest yet.” – Men’s Journal magazine
- “remarkable statement to inspire people to reconsider their lifestyles” - Outside magazine
Colin Angus: Filmmaker and bestselling author, Angus’ passion is exploring remote corners of the planet, and sharing these adventures to promote conservation. He has co-produced three films and penned three books. His latest book, Beyond the Horizon is scheduled to be released in March 2007 through Doubleday.
Julie Wafaei: Julie is a molecular biologist who spent over a decade studying and developing treatments for heart disease, cancer and genetic ailments, before focusing completely on examining the natural world through exploration, which she shares through film, photography and speaking presentations. She has investigated over 30 countries, cycled 15,000 km through more than half of those, trekked in various mountain ranges and rowed across the Atlantic Ocean.
The Expedition Canada Tour is presented by Helly Hansen with assistance from Norco Performance Bicycles, Mountain Equipment Co-op and Truestar Health.
Outside Magazine recently listed Angus alongside Al Gore in a compilation of “bold visionaries with world changing dreams” for his efforts in combating climate change. This expedition received national coverage through a bi-weekly series in the Globe and Mail and 26 interviews with CBC radio’s As it Happens from the field.
In May, 2006 Angus and Wafaei arrived in Vancouver completing a two year, 43,000 km expedition that involved rowing unsupported across two oceans, and trekking, skiing, canoeing and cycling through three continents. Angus became the first person to travel around our world without motors or sails, and Wafaei, who joined him for most of the journey, became the first woman to row across the Atlantic Ocean from mainland to mainland and the first Canadian woman to row across any ocean.
A human powered circumnavigation was dubbed as “one of the last great challenges” by Outside Magazine, and three teams, Britain, Canada and the USA, vied to be first. Canada received this honor after a two year struggle entailing more than the work of a marathon a day through some of the most remote and grueling corners of the planet. The team spent five months rowing 10,000 km across the Atlantic Ocean in the worst hurricane season in recorded history and seven months trekking across Siberia’s roadless frozen tundra – a distance the breadth of Antarctica but with temperatures colder than those faced by polar expeditions. Along the way they burned through 4,000 chocolate bars, 72 inner tubes, 250 kgs of freeze-dried foods, 31 dorado fish (caught from the sea), 2 offshore rowboats, 4 bicycles, and 80 kgs of clothing.
Colin and Julie have partnered with the Trans Canada Trail to help build the longest trail system in the world by fundraising and raising awareness throughout the tour. The trail stretches 18,000 km connecting all three oceans bordering our nation. “We realized that one of the most important elements in promoting zero emissions transportation is to have a safe route to travel,” said Angus.
From October 4th to December 16th, Angus and Wafaei will be sharing their adventures with audiences in 22 cities across Canada, from Vancouver Island to Halifax, through a speaking tour and film screening of “Beyond the Horizon”. Angus’ previous films have won eight awards at international film festivals and have been aired around the world on National Geographic Television.
This expedition has garnered international acclaim with selected excerpts offered below:
“He’s sailed across the Pacific, rafted the Amazon, and made the first decent of Asia’s 3,400 mile Yenisey River, but Colin Angus’s latest expedition is his wildest yet.” – Men’s Journal magazine
- “remarkable statement to inspire people to reconsider their lifestyles” - Outside magazine
Colin Angus: Filmmaker and bestselling author, Angus’ passion is exploring remote corners of the planet, and sharing these adventures to promote conservation. He has co-produced three films and penned three books. His latest book, Beyond the Horizon is scheduled to be released in March 2007 through Doubleday.
Julie Wafaei: Julie is a molecular biologist who spent over a decade studying and developing treatments for heart disease, cancer and genetic ailments, before focusing completely on examining the natural world through exploration, which she shares through film, photography and speaking presentations. She has investigated over 30 countries, cycled 15,000 km through more than half of those, trekked in various mountain ranges and rowed across the Atlantic Ocean.
The Expedition Canada Tour is presented by Helly Hansen with assistance from Norco Performance Bicycles, Mountain Equipment Co-op and Truestar Health.
I almost started this journal at 2 a.m., as I was wide-awake last night due to the time difference coming back from Japan. But then I found Star Trek on the boob tube and settled into a few hours of that instead. Today I walked the dog a bit and even managed to pull my bike out of the bag and piece it together. I figure that's a good start, so I better shut 'er down, activity-wise, until tomorrow.
The Tour de Hokkaido was a great success for team Symmetrics. Although we missed the final podium by just a few seconds, we did have three 3rd places on stages and finished up with Eric and I in the top 10. One of the nicest things about this year's race was that the weather held until the final 30km. We had all packed some serious wet weather gear in anticipation of what could have been. But I really wasn't disappointed to have lugged it all the way to Japan and not use it.
The prologue turned out to be on a bike path along a river in Asahikawa city. I wasn't too surprised, as Eric, Pinner and I had also raced a TT and a criterium with a bike path section in 2000. Now that was a strange course- race down a normal road, funnel onto a bike path up a hill and then basically hop off the curb at the top and go around again. Hey, I won that crit. so, 'You go Japan with your crazy bike paths!' Eric threw down a great ride for 3rd, Randers was 6th and Sherby was 14th. I personally thought I tore that river path a new one but only wound up 20th. But I did beat Cooper Marsh (as he's known in Japan) although it turned out that he had a slow leak that kicked in after, oh about 300 meters. I don't know where Pinfold got this line but Coop could only say to himself, 'Sometimes she goes, sometimes she don't go. She didn't go. That's how she goes'.
More...
The Tour de Hokkaido was a great success for team Symmetrics. Although we missed the final podium by just a few seconds, we did have three 3rd places on stages and finished up with Eric and I in the top 10. One of the nicest things about this year's race was that the weather held until the final 30km. We had all packed some serious wet weather gear in anticipation of what could have been. But I really wasn't disappointed to have lugged it all the way to Japan and not use it.
The prologue turned out to be on a bike path along a river in Asahikawa city. I wasn't too surprised, as Eric, Pinner and I had also raced a TT and a criterium with a bike path section in 2000. Now that was a strange course- race down a normal road, funnel onto a bike path up a hill and then basically hop off the curb at the top and go around again. Hey, I won that crit. so, 'You go Japan with your crazy bike paths!' Eric threw down a great ride for 3rd, Randers was 6th and Sherby was 14th. I personally thought I tore that river path a new one but only wound up 20th. But I did beat Cooper Marsh (as he's known in Japan) although it turned out that he had a slow leak that kicked in after, oh about 300 meters. I don't know where Pinfold got this line but Coop could only say to himself, 'Sometimes she goes, sometimes she don't go. She didn't go. That's how she goes'.
More...