Wednesday,

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October 7, 199:

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|Sydor doubie

trouble for
F petition

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HEWS photo Cindy Goodman

IN AUGUST of this year NV cyclist Alison Sydor won two stages of the prestigious road-race, the

Tour de France, and two months later claimed a silver medal at the World Mountain-Bike Cham-

pionships in Quebec.

1 NV cyclist succeeding at

top levels of both road
and mountain bike racing

MOST ATHLETES dream of success, fuelled by hope of
glory some day. The elusive goal is to reach the pinnacle of

their league, region or country.

By Brent Mudry

Contributing Writer

Alison Sydor has taken the
dream one step further.

The North Vancouver cyclist
has seized the international
spotlight with success in two
sports.

While most racers specialize in
either road or mountain-bike rac-
ing, Sydor combines success in
both.

In August, she won two road
stages of the women’s Tour de
France. And in September, Sydor
seized silver in the World Moun-
tain-Bike Championships in
Quebec.

Along the way, she’s blazed a
new path for both sports in
Canada. And she’s opened some
eves in the male-dominated world
of wheels.

In fact, this spring Sydor
founded Team Kahlua, Canada’s
first corporate-sponsored cycling
team for women.

The team, including North
Vancouver’s Lesley Tomlinson,
dominated the nationally televised
Canadian Tire Series.

Despite a hectic international
schedule, the tireless Sydor
bolstered the coast-to-coast series
by being the only woman to race
all six events.

But the road hasn’t been easy.

Sydor’s bronze medal at last
year’s World Road Cycling

44 This spring
Sydor founded
Team Kahlua,
Canada’s first
corporate- —
sponsored cycling
team for

women. FF

Championships became a mixed
blessing in the 1992 Olympic year.

Her spring campaign in Europe
was marked by a pair of moun-
tain-bike World Cup wins, but an
unexpected lack of Olympic
preparatory road races.

Suddenly everyone was getting
worried about Sydor’s Barcelona
form as the countdown drew near.

Everyone, that is, but the
athlete herself.

“You have to believe in
yourself, follow your plan, and
keep a firm focus on your goals,”’
she expiained.

Sydor silenced her critics in ear-
ly July, by winning two stages of
ihe Ore-Ida Women's Challenge

See Sydor page 14

Actions of reporter mar first-class golf tourney

1AM embarrassed.

Not personally, but | am em-
barrassed for the profession I
have proudly represented for the
past 30 years.

Media types have traditionally
been labelled as freeloading,
under-paid, mush puppy shoe-
wearing, low-life scoundrels who
you wouldn't have en your
Chrisimas card list.

It's allso wrong.

Jim Robson, Bernie Pascalt,
Steve Armitage, Jim Taylor, Kent
Gilchrist, Squire Barnes ... they
all insist on paying their way
through life.

They are really good peopte.

And then there are the others of
the media world.

Like the guy employed by a
local radio station. | think he rips
the wire and reads news touching
on weather and sports from time
to time.

Because he works for a radio

Station, the man has access to
media credentials.

Last week, the person in ques-
tion surfaced at the Capilano Golf
and Country Club allegedly cover-
ing the 18th Worid Amateur Golf
Team Championships.

As I’m told by media head-
quarter custodians Norman
Robert (Bud) Poile and Ken
Williams, this goof went into a
rage because a media guide wasn’t
readily available on the day before
the competition began.

“What a cheap, amateur
organization,’’ the jerk evidently
said. ‘I can’t believe you peo-
ple.”’

He then, apparently, asked
where the washroom facilities
were. Upon being directed to the
port-o-toilets outside the
clubhouse, he ranted, ‘*You think
'm going out there? Hell will
freeze over!"”

{n the presence of a reporter

GOAL LINES

from the Tucson Star — and his
wife — he berated the Royal Ca-
nadian Golf Association and the
Capilano volunteers with words,

foul words, that cannot be
repeated here,

Fortunately, [ wasn’t witness to
the man’s outrages. (Just as welt I
guess since the /ast thing i need is
another lawsuit).

Poile phoned me and asked,
upset as he was, who the hell this
guy was. Williams called and ask-
ed the same question.

My response was
plimentary.

Capilano put on a first-class
show this past week. One United
States golf official told me, ‘1
didn’t believe anything like this
could exist. We could hold the
U.S. Open here. The course, the
people, the organizing committee
... they’re wonderful!’

And a nerd with media creden-
tials representing a Vancouver
radio station has the gall to com-
plain?

I am sorry.

I am sorry because it reflects on

not com-

my profession.

Where did all this start? Where
does it say that media should be
given privileges others cannot en-
joy? Where does it say because
you have press credentials you can
make demands?

The pros don't abuse
system. They know their place.

Sadly, there are the ‘trounders**
who survace at times such as the
World Amateur Golf Team
Championships.

Mr. Poile, Mr. Williams ...
their behavior degrades our in-
dustry.

1 have been advised by my
lawyer, North Vancouver’s Ron
Pertick, not to identify the
aforementioned radio reporter by
name. Something about ‘‘defama-
tion of character,’”

{I asked, ‘‘What character?’’
This idiot doesn't have any.
I rest my case.

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