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Sports Editor
Andrew McCredie

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O HEAR the reigning
women’s world cham-
x pion mountainbiker
teil it, the North Shore is a
fousy place to five and train.

By Andrew McCredie

Sports Editor

“IC rains too much and the trails
are way too crowded.” Alison
Sydor says.

“And we don't really have much
’ ofa ‘summer, what with’ all the

bugs.” adds fellow North
Vancouverite Lesley Tomlinson,
herself’ a world-ranked cross-coun-
try rider.

The two longtime friends com-

’ prise a loose-knit group called the
‘Canadian anti-tourist: bureau’, a
shudy global propaganda machine
that takes every opportunity to mis-
represent Canada’s true nature.
Indeed, en route to the pinnacles of
women's cycling Sydor (rhymes
with rider) and Tomlinson have tra-

“versed the globe spreading such
suspect Canadian. gospel for: the
past half-decade.

To thank them, just hang around
a local mountain-bike trail, They'll

* be by soon enough, no doubt full of
gloom and doom at the prospect of
another winter on the North Shore.

Don't let those grins fool, you,
though. Remember ‘the anti- tourist

~, bureau — they really hate it here.

However, like the ever-expand-
ing world of professional moun-
tain-biking, looks can be deceiving,

Fer .both’ the women and the
sport, 1995 has been a very good
year. And~ with ' cross-country
mountain-biking a full-blown
medal sport at next year’s Atlanta
Olympics, 1996 is shaping up to be
even better.

Last month Sydor won her séc- .
ond straight world championship,
dominating the field at Kirchzarten,

~ Germany, her closest competitor a
’ . full minute behiid. Tomlinson fin-
‘< ished aw strong sixth, a testament to
the 35-year-old’s full-time commit-
ment to the sport. In March,
“fomlinson accepted a ° two-year
sponsorship from Team Evian and
left a full-time management posi-
tion-“at North Vancouver-based
Earl’s Restaurants, marking the
first time since graduating from
SFU in 1983 that she has not bal-
anced elite athletics with a career.

Sydor's season-ending victory

“gives her odds-on status as the
favorite in Georgia next year. Not only i is Sydor the first-ever
Canadian woman to win the world crown, she’s also the first
woman to win the title twice in its six year history.

“Lesley and | have pretty much followed the same path,”
says Sydor, 29, of her seven-year cycling career with
Tomlinson. “fve been one year ahead of her in everything.”
‘Everything includes riding as members of national cycling
teams (road racing, time trials, and mountain-biking), com-
peting in international events like the Tour de France and
working full-time as riders for American-based teams, their
present vocation.

Sydor is sponsored by Volvo and Cannondale, Tomlinson
by Evian. Another in the long list of patriot-busting realities,
Canada's best mountain-bikers count on American teams for

‘ support. (Bruce Spicer, another North Vancouver rider, is an
exception: His full-time ride is from Canadian company
-Rocky Mountain Bikes.)

“Apart from the national team coach there is very little else

for the top athletes to receive from the national team, so all of

the top cyclists have all had to find ways to fund themselves,”

Sydor says of the talent-migration south, adding that Canada’s

_ national series, The Canada Cup, lacks the media exposure to

_ attract strong corporate sponsorship. (Raise your hand if you
knew Canada had a national series).

South of the border, the NORBA series is where the money
is. with deep-pocketed and image-savvy Coca-Cola and Jeep
on board #s corporate spotisors. Insomniacs may be funiliar
with the series, occasionally televised in the wee hours on
ESPN (via TSN).

“(The Canada Cup series) is so undeveloped that there are
very few oppertunities for Canadian mountain bikers, and
companies aren't going Co put money in becuase they aren't

" going to get the exposure out of 1” ‘Tontinson adits. “So
(Canadian) racers continue to go down to the States and the
World Cup for the exposure.” .

& gE Ul hada t won

at Vail and Germany, |
might be sitting here
right now telling vou
i’m going to win
the Olympics, but

I wouldn’t truly

believe it. g g

— Alison Sydor

“NORTH VANCOUVER cyclists
Alison Sydor (left) and Lesley
‘Tomlinson finished first and ~
sixth respectively at the
recent world mountain-bike
championships in Germany.

NEWS photo Paul McGrath

Cycling duo sets sights on 1996 Olympics

Exposure for Canadian riders in the NORBA series is,
however, not without its problems, Being the nationalists they
are, the U.S. series awards race points to-American riders
only. Canadian riders top races are never recorded and tabu-
lated. Sydor says matter-of-factly that she doesn’t blame the
system at all. If the foot was on the other pedal. she wouldn't
want a Canadian body to acknowledge non-Canadian riders.

Sul, points or not, the exposure in NORBA continues to
be a major element of landing a team sponsorship for up-and-
coming Canadian riders.

x ortunately for both Sydor and Tomlinson, the anxi-

sty of performing for a team is not an issue leading

ginto the 1996 season, Sydor is two-time world

champ, and ‘Tomlinson is uiming at nothing short of

4 podium appearance next summer in Atlanta, Barring injury

— # fact of her road-racing career that kept her from a possi-

tle Barcelona Olympic berth — the refocused Tomlinson’s

prospects are good. Both riders have nothing left to prove to
their team sponsors.

Of her departure from Earl's, Tomlinson says Evi
coincided with a crossroads in ber athlete/eareer li
fike T needed a break (from work), and [felt that Md achieved
in the sport Pwas really getang stretched in terms of going
further, Hthought “have the rest of my life to work, and it's a
goad time to take a break?”

For Tomlinson the Gming couldnt be better.

National team coach louri (pronounced Yuri") Kachirine
has teken particular interest in both women since he joined the
national program (Wo years ago, and for Tomfinson in partie-
ular, the input has been invatuable,

The 36-year-old Rachirine was a riember of the world and
Olynipie champion Kassin rodd-cociig tea, ated brings with
him amental focus both Sydor and Vonihinsen felt they were
lacking.

“For me he reinforces something we get told as athletes
throughout our careers and that's the proportionate value of
the mental aspects of training and racing.” ‘Tomlinson says.
“Once you get to the highest levels of the sports, the majority
of riders are equally trained and prepared. But mentally, the
differences can be huge. and louri’s even indicated that the
mental element is as much as eighty percent.”

For Sydor —- who Tomiinson says is “incredibly mentally
strong” — Kachirine’s past success as world champion gave
weight to his words of advice.

“L never had really been coached before. and [was just
waiting for someone to conte along who could really tell me
what it takes to be a world champion, what it takes to win the
Olympics.” Sydor says of fife before Kachirine. “He's been
there, and he has the ability to coach."

After winning the worlds last year in Vail, Colorado, Sydor
finally’ found what it took to be world champion.

Add in her defence of that world tide last: month in
Germany, and Sydor is a good het fora gold medal next year ‘
in Adanta,

“HE hada’t won at Vail and Germany, I might be sitting
here right now telling you v nm going to win the Olympics. but
i wouldn't truly believe it” she sis. “Now | do.”

Kachirine lives and works in Oluuwa, so both riders have
learned to take instruction via phone calls and taxes. though
‘Tomlinson says she hopes her team and Sydor’s can bring him
out for a few weeks this winter.

th brings us back to the weather on the loeal trails.

Wavering slightly. from: the anti-tourist bureau script,
Sydor adatits “dhe mountain biking here is probatty the best
of any city in the world, ust minutes atter leaving my house
Mion atau and wen'tsee anyone for the whote day.”

Scents only fing that the world’s best ntountain-biking
should produc e and nurture the workd’s best mountain-bikers.

Now if they could only do something about all those bugs.

ne vO SS ne