NEWS photo Cindy Goudman

RARELY THIS still on a bike is North Vancouver's Alison Sydor who was ranked fourth in the world fast year by the French magazine Cyclisme International. Sydor, 25, took part in her first race in 1987 and since then Isas racked up a stack of impressive piacings in national and international women’s bike zacing. Her level of cycling proficiency has earned her a place on the Canadian Olympic Cycling tearm without having to go through the selection process that other cyclists must

undergo.

Mardyn leads Flicka team to victory

KRISTI MARDYN of the Flicka Gymnastics Club celebrated her 17th birthday in fine style by win- ning the all around title and leading the North Shore Team to victory at the North Shore Invita- tional held at Capilano College's Sportsplex this past weekend.

Following afl-around competi- tion on Saturday, Mardyn came back on Sunday to place first in finals on vault, bars and floor and second on beam. Her all-around score of 38.15 was a_ personal best.

The North Shore Team won the Invitational with a team total of 110.80. Flicka Team One placed second, closely followed by the

Northwest Aerials Team A from Kirkland, Washington.

Members of the North Shore Team inciuded Aparna Ray, Marlies Ernst and Laura Mazur.

Flicka Team One members were Teresa Pehar, Melanie Redilich, Christine Woo and Alana Webb.

Also competing for Flicka Teams Two and Three in the tn- vitational were Daphne O’Young, Raila Gutman, Catharine Shankel, Marie Shimizu, Lise Leveille, Blythe Hartley and Caroline Powell,

Ray placed third all around, while Pehar finished fourth.

In bars finals Ray and clubmate Jenny Campbell tied for second.

The beam competition was won by Ernst, and Ray was fifth. Ray was second on floor, Pehar fifth and Mazur sixth.

Mardyn also won the Maureen Chow Award for the top Cana- dian in the meet and the Anita Botnen Award for the most ar- tistic performance on the floor.

The Karen Kelsall Award for the most promising gymnast in the competition was won by Amy Chow of the West Valley Gym- nastics Se} 31 of California.

Ten teams participated in the event. Competitors were from California, Washington, Saskat- chewan, Winnipeg, Surrey and the North Shore.

CHANCES ARE if you have bicycle raced against North Vancouver’s Alison Sydor, she has passed you by.

By Anna Marie D’Angelo News Reporter

Now in her fifth year of serious cycling, Sydor’s huge list of latest accomplishments includes third in the 1991 World Championship Road Race in Stuttgart, Germany, and fifth in World Mountain Bike Championships in 0) Ciocco, Italy.

At the national level, Sydor has eclipsed all other female cyclists in history, placing first overall in numerous road-racing competi- tions including the 1991 Gastown Grand Prix. She is second now to Tour de France professiona! Steve Bauer as far as Canadian achievements in cycling.

And although few people here outside the cycling sport know about Sydor, the leading English- language journal on cycling Velo News named her test 1991 ail- around athlete; her accolade was included in a prestigious interna- tional list that contained mostly Europeans and no other Cana- dian.

In France (where cycling is almost equivalent to hackey’s popularity here), the prestigious magazine Cyclisme International ranks Sydor fourth in the world.

“Cycling is more than just sim- ply a race where there is just physical ability. {t’s how you use your head in the race as well as your physical abilities,’’ said Sydor who also describes herself as a good race sprinter.

Sydor entered her first race in 1987 while she was enrolled at the University of Victoria, studying towards a degree in biochemistry. Although she did ‘‘dreadful’’ dur- ing her first spin at competitive

wheels, Sydor quickly caught on.

to the mental chailenge.

**In bike races, you have a pack and if you are at the front, you are using 30% more energy than people drafting in the back,”’ said Sydor.

‘But at the front is where the action is — where people can try to break away. So if you are at the back conserving energy, you could miss a break away and it’s all over for you.”

Now at the ripe old age of 25, Sydor has been nominated for senior athlete of the year by Sport B.C. The winner will be announc- ed March 7.

Sydor, who was born in Ed- monton, raised in Calgary and has lived on the North Shore since 1986, said it was an honor to be nominated.

“B.C. has a history of really top athletes, obviously the climate really attracts top people,’’ said Sydor, who this year was finally **A”’ carded by Sports Canada, making her eligible to receive some financial support in her sport.

Sydor enters from 50 to 80 races a year with half of them held in Europe, mostly in France. Races include short circuit races in cities that consist of a 40-km route and take one hour to com- plete. She also competes in road races that consist of approximate- ly 150 kms and take about 3% hours to complete. Recentiy, Sydor has competed in mountain bike races too.

Sydor, who lists her occupation as full-time amateur cyclist, trains all year for the season that runs

from April to October. In most cycling races, cash prizes are awarded and the money has been Sydor’s main source of income.

“Road racing is a really big sport in Europe. Here we have about five to 10 women at the top level and 40 to 50 are at that level in Europe,”’ said Sydor.

“If you think you are hot over here, you go over there and realize that you are just one of the crowd,”’ she said.

But Sydor said over the five years she has been competing in her sport there have heen some dramatic changes in Canada.

She said the calibre of women

JN

44 In France (where cycling is almost equivalent

to hockey'’s popularity here),

the prestigious magazine Cyclisme

International

ranks Sydor

fourth in the world. 99

cyclists has improved, the numbers competing have shot up approximately five-fold, race organization has improved dramatically and women cyclists such as herself are being spon- sored by commercial companies.

Sydor, along with North Van- couver’s Lesley Tomlinson and three other cyclists, is part of the only Canadian women’s sponsored cycling team, known as Team Kahlua.

The advantage to the amateur athletes. receiving commercial sponsorship is that they no longer have to personally pay for travel, equipment (top-level race bikes that last one year cost $3,000) and maintenance of bicycles.

Because cf her bronze in the World Championship Jast year, Sydor has automatically qualified for the Olympic road race team. The other two athletes chosen for the team will have to compete in a selection process.

Although Sydor has never had an accident with a car while train- ing on the road, she admits to ‘‘a lot of close calls.’’

“I hope in the coming years car drivers and cyclists change a bit and each get more respect as it is getting pretty dangerous to be on the road today,’’ said Sydor.

Setting aside problems with motorists, Sydor said her sport is a@ great way to get in good shape at any age, as cycling itself is not an injury-prone activity.

Sydor is taking her sport ‘‘one year at a time’’ with the Olympics and World Championship moun- tain bike race in Quebec coming up soon,

“To an amateur athlete, this is your job. Anyone that has been an amateur athlete understands that and understands you are do- ing something you love,’’ said Sydor.