DUTCH CANCER FUNDRAISER

Each year the Dutch take over L'Alpe d`Huez and the road uphill is covered with a carpet of Cyclists intent on reaching 6 ascents in their day ! This year there were two days that were waem and sunny but with temperatures reaching 43C on some corners there were many suffering from the heat .

Most peolpe would be hard pressed to make this Cycle  ride once a year but there were even " Runners " and " Registered Walkers " to be seen in action . Obviously it takes a lot of commitment , to make the journey to France , and i saw many carrying Photos of those taken by that " SCOURGE : CANCER " ! Huge numbers are part of a team , with some like me making the visit alone .

My admiration rests with those that chose to visit with their " Handbikes " ! Can you imagine the effort required to wind these " Vehicles " up this slope ? Certainly they will not challenge the time records set by the " Pro Tour Racers but it takes commitment and courage to make ONE ascent let alone multiples , as  some did with helpers escorting them . My apologies to those i spoke with , i should have written down your names , as i made the photos , but my excuse is that my hands were shaking so much from my own exertions those days .

When talking with the Media i had joked that " I was there taking the part of Cadel Evans , since he was busy in the same area of France with the Dauphine Libere ! the photo above shows us in Morzine where he told me i make an unlikely " Body Double "!


Photos follow :

Met this group below last year when most also were at this event .

Time doesn`t allow me to finish this post today , so more photos later !

Additional photos

M.Le President of the French Republique

For the Personal Attention of :

M.Le President of the Republique of France ,Francois Hollande

Your Excellency ,

I should  like  to  congratulate  you  on  your  Election  to  this  office . As the leader of an important Nation such as France your voice will be heard  and be heeded by other Nations in the World  Forum !

During this past week i have been in various locations in the South East of France and seen the efforts to make the roads safer for Cyclists !  Indeed since my last visit to  the 2011 Tour de France i see evidence that there is a desire on the part of the French Authorities to tackle the growing problem of Cyclist Safety . In so many parts of the world , the cyclist is viewed as  `` Road Kill `‘ , an unfortunate set of statistics , that the  Motoring Lobby  would prefer overlooked  !

The TOUR DE FRANCE is a world renowned event  that is enjoyed BY ALL each year and would be the ideal venue to remind ALL ROAD USERS that there is a place on the roads for ALL USERS !

At the Arrivee in Rumilly last night , i had occasion to speak with Chris Prudhomme , Director of  the " TDF " and the " Face and Voice of the TDF " for some years now after the retirement of Jean Marie Leblanc . I first met Chris whilst he was working with France TV and i know that he listened then to my views on Cycling  and my efforts to assist „ " " Handisport " !

My suggestion to him last night , was that "  The LeTour " publicise the Campaign started by the " Times Newspaper of london " which appears to be gaining Worldwide notice and endorsement  " Cities fit for Cycling " !

This campaign was ignored at the „ Giro dÌtalia,  since it is being promoted in Italy , by a rival Newspaper Group . Can you imagine that an errant motorist stricking a Cyclist , cares which  " newspaper " the  Cyclist chooses to read ?

Over the years i have seen too many people become victims of the " ME FIRST " generation ! In these harsh economic times so many French People and other Nationals are having to consider the Cycle as a means of transport , so as to balance their familly budget ! So many people are too frightened to get on a bike because of their fear of the traffic . Indeed during the Giro i met many who have given up Cycling because it has now  become too hazardous , and their families rely on their income .

Victims of Cycling Tragedies come from all walks of life , The Surgeon Father of Cyclist , Tyler Farrar , the Founder of the Willier Cycles  Company , Paul Crake an Australian Cycle Racer , Amy Gillett  , an Olympic Rower turned Cycle Racer , not to forget Wouter Weylandt , who died in the 2011 Giro dÌtalia  . So many day to day Commuters are struck down but do not get a mention since they are part of life`s everyday fabric .

BY YOUR INTERCESSION  ´, The Organisation oft he Tour de France , COULD bring the WORLD MEDIA’s  attention to the plight of the everyday Cyclist , and ensure that the Governments of the World follow France’s efforts to ensure ALL Cyclists arrive home SAFE ,to their family each night !

Many Politicians mean well when they voice their concerns to their Constituents BUT it takes a World Leader to motivate them to act in Concert !

As a humble cyclist , i enjoy the hospitality that the French people of ALL persuasions offer me . I am known to trample on the feet of those who think that my few efforts on behalf of the " Sportive Adaptees " are not worthy of  consideration . I know i would not succeed as a Politician but will continue to turn the pedals at the next " Le Tour " , which is my 15th Tour de France , riding each etappe in full day by day !

PARALYMPICS 2012 in LONDON

With the Paralympic  Games tickets all but sold out , those making late enquiries will find it almost impossible to find any tickets for their first choice events ! Bodes well for future Paralympic Events , since people are now starting to realise that “ Adaptive Athletes “ can put on as good , if not a better event than Able Bodied Athletes .

Published below is a report released recently , concerning Allocation of the Participant Slots for Athletes at these Games :

http://www.paralympic.org/news/ipc-athletics-announces-slot-allocations-london-2012

IPC Athletics Announces Slot Allocations for London 2012
Record number of National Paralympic Committees will contest 170 medal events at the Games.
David Roos of South Africa (C) crosses the finish line ahead of Yohansson Nascimento of Brazil (L) and Godwin Joseph Mbakara of Nigeria during round one of the Men's 100M -T46 Athletics event at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games © • Getty Images

Related News
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Related Documents
London 2012 Athletics Slot Allocation
“It shows the growing strength and depth of the sport that a record 101 National Paralympic Committees will have athletes competing in track and field events at London 2012. “This is further underlined by the fact that we had 1,782 athletes who had achieved the A Qualification Standard for the Games, despite us only having 1,100 slots available."
A record 101 National Paralympic Committees (NPC) will have athletes taking part in track and field events at London 2012 after IPC Athletics, the international governing body of para-athletics, today (1 June) announced its slot allocation for the Paralympic Games.
In London a total of 1,100 athletes (740 male and 360 female) will compete in 170 medal events starting on 30 August and finishing on 9 September with the marathon which finishes in front of Buckingham Palace on The Mall.
China, who topped the medals table at last year’s IPC Athletics World Championships, will have the biggest delegation after it was awarded 80 slots, the maximum number an NPC could be awarded. This is followed by USA with 54 slots, Russia 53, whilst host nation Great Britain has been granted 52 slots.
Ed Warner, Chair of the IPC Athletics Sport Technical Committee, said: “It shows the growing strength and depth of the sport that a record 101 National Paralympic Committees will have athletes competing in track and field events at London 2012.
“This is further underlined by the fact that we had 1,782 athletes who had achieved the A Qualification Standard for the Games, despite us only having 1,100 slots available.
“As a result we had to rely on the London 2012 Paralympic Games Qualification Guide, published in January 2010, to determine how many slots each country received."
The first 239 slots (146 male and 93 female) for London were allocated to National Paralympic Committees whose athletes had placed first or second in any of the individual medal events on the London 2012 Paralympic Games programme at the 2011 IPC Athletics World Championships.
A further 830 slots were allocated via the AQS Allocation Method which is based on results from IPC Recognized competitions which took place between 1 December 2010 and 20 May 2012.
Finally, the remaining 31 slots have been reserved for Bipartite Invitation Qualification Slots, places awarded to top athletes who have not had the chance to qualify for London 2012. So far there have been more than 200 applications for these slots ahead of the 4 June deadline.
Of the 170 track medal events in London, there are 103 for male athletes and 67 for females.
The London 2012 Paralympic Games will be the biggest ever with a record 4,200 athletes from 165 countries competing in 20 sports.
For a full breakdown of the IPC Athletics Slot Allocation for London 2012, please click on the link to the left hand side.

AUSTRALIANS HEADING FOR LONDON

Yes , that is an interesting subject , since these are the young men and women who in August , will grab the attention of the world at the 2012 London Olympic Games ! Very few people recognise that each of these individuals are so close to being the “ Best that you can Be “ that they are unaware of the depth of talent in Oz that does not get to be selected .

Euphoria for some , with heartbreak for so many others , each of whom will have spent years training themselves to overreach those “ Lofty Heights “ that the Australian Institute of Sport laid out as the “ Minimum Criteria “ for Qualification for selection . Other Nations must drool at the talent pool that the AIS supervise and put through their training programs . Recently I had the opportunity to visit the AIS site in Varese and whilst I saw very little of the interior , it was apparent that this facility is Money Well Spent !

Whilst staying near Varese with an Italian Couple , met through my Cycling activities , I took time out to visit the lake in an effort to see the Aussie Rowers who regularly train there and on arriving at the Varese Rowing Club met some of the Dutch Rowing Squad . Having mentioned my interests in Paralympic Sport and the Dutch Cancer Fund Raiser at L’Alp du Huez ( got that right now George ? ) each June I then followed their directions along the waterfront to “ where the Australians “ stay . Those Guys camp out in Motorhomes when in Varese . Can you imagine my surprise to see such an imposing Structure which is now the AIS Centre in Europe ?

Being a wet and miserable day for Varese I did not think to take photos my camera .  I met within several of the Paralympian Cycling Athletes who were doing their daily routine training even though they had been in competition during the days before .

With this kind of dedication and these facilities it is going to be an interesting few months as Australian Paralympians and Olympians take on the world in London 2012 Events !

Following twitter sites for both persuasions I am getting constant updates on “ personalities “ and their activities . At 16 @Brittany_broben ( link : http://london2012.olympics.com.au/athlete/brittany-broben    ) is our youngest diver! Is part of one of the @AUSOlympicTeam tweets today .

As an Advocate for Para Sports i have been following the IPC Tweets , thus All Nations , on @Paralympic  , hope you will also !