the Belgian cycling opening weekend

The Aussie Cup, finaly in Belgium! haha!
And the winner of this weekend is of course Chris Sutton (pic). He won in Kuurne, beating the other fast guys, Hutarovitch, Greipel and Farrar in a bunch kick. A surprise everybody says! Not for me tho. Didn't he win the G.P.Cholet 2006 beating Nico Eeckhout, not a slow one i would say. Another Sky rider who was in the picture the whole weekend (third in Ghent, just behind Langeveld and Flecha) was Matt Hayman. Matt scored only one point less then Chris.
And far away from the rain and cold, in South Africa, it was Fabio Calabria (Type 1) who took 13 points home and moved up to rank 30.
Top 5 at Feb 28th:
1. Matt Goss - 82 pts
2. Michael Matthews - 68 pts
3. Heinrich Haussler - 66 pts
4. Mark Renshaw - 57 pts
5. Nathan Earle - 49 pts (first continental rider)
13. Matt Hayman - 31 pts
16. Chris Sutton - 26 pts

This weekend we started also the women's Aussie Cup 2011.
One 1 days race (Omloop het Nieuwsblad) and one tour (Tour of New Zealand) finished on sunday.
Ruth Corset took over the lead of Alexis Rhodes. Alexis (national road champion) who didn't race in Kiwiland gathered her points in Qatar, while Ruth took no less then 32 points in New Zealand!
With the next races in Belgium, it will be hard to tell if some off the Aussie girls will take part of these competitions.
Top 5 at Feb 28th:
1. Ruth Corset - 43 pts
2. Joanna Hogan - 33 pts
3. Vicki Whitelaw - 28 pts
4. Alexis Rhodes - 27 pts
5. Rochelle Gilmore - 26 pts

the women's Aussie Cup is born!

the first ranking after the Nationals, Qatar, Het Nieuwsblad and New Zealand Tour:

CORSET Ruth	TOWNSVILLE CC	43
HOGAN Joanna	ST KILDA CC	33
WHITELAW Vicki	LOTTO	28
RHODES Alexis	GARMIN	27
GILMORE Rochelle	LOTTO	26
GILLOW Shara	SUNSHINE COAST	24
HOSKING Chloe	H.T.C.	22
NEYLAN Rachel	DIADORA	19
CROMWELL Tiffany	LOTTO	16
KITCHEN Lauren	PORT MACQUARIE	16
SPRATT Amanda	PENRITH CC	14
HODGES Kendelle		13
CARLE Alexandra	VIKINGS CC	10
RYAN Carla	GARMIN	9
TAYLOR Carlee	TIBCO	9
MC CONVILLE Chloe		9
MEADLEY Laura	CANBERRA CC	8
LOCKE Rebecca	COBURG	8
GOSS Belinda		7
BROUN Kirsty		6
ORLIC Nikolina	H.P.R.W.	6
O'DONNELL Bridie	FASSA BORTOLO	5
WATTERS Zoe		5
WILLIAMS Naomi		5
JACOBS Lisa		5
NITIS Shanice		5
BRADLEY Amy		5
TROTTER Ingrid		5
VIT Maddison		5
KAUFMANN Anna		5
ASTIER Delphine		5
WHITBURN Nicole		5
MACKIE Emma	TIBCO	4
VAN DER STRAATEN Trudy	BICISPORT	3
NOONAN Sinead	STURT HOLDFAST	3
MULLENS Peta	BENDIGO CC	3
MAC LEAN Jessie	CANBERRA CC	3
LUXFORD Annabel	LIFECYCLE CC	3
HEMSLEY Samantha	CANBERRA CC	3
HEATHER Taryn	MILDURA CC	3
HALLIDAY Amber	NORWOOD CC	3
ELVIN Gracie	CANBERRA CC	3
RILEY Sarah		3
MC CLURE Angela	KLEO LADIES	1
WIASAK Rebecca	CANBERRA CC	1
TURNER Caitlin	PELOTON SPORTS	1
SULZBERGER Grace	WEST TAMAR CC	1
O'SHEA Katherine	DIRT RIDERS	1
MC LEAN India	N.SYDNEY CC	1
LUXFORD Laura	LIFECYCLE CC	1
DALLAT Clare	CARNEGIE	1
TOMIC Josephine	LOTTO
SUMMERS Davina	BIZKAIA
BATES Katherine	ABUS

g'day all,
today the last cyclocross race was a fact. The last heat of the GVA trophee took place at Oostmalle, about 5km away from former Aussie pro David Harrigan's residence. To start the day Lieve (my wife) and i went for a nice Aussie "caffé latté" to Harro's place. Jess and Dash (his nearly 5 year old little cute daughter) welcomed us inside. Outside the snow came down and it was freezing cold. Chatting away and few new ideas for the Omnisport International "Aussie Cup"later, we hit the road again towards the race. The U23 race was won by the worldchampion Lars Van der Haar (NED) and the women's was also won by a Dutchie, Daphne Van Den Brande. At 3pm the elite riders, all ready to start and no more snowing. We saw a relaxed Stybar, Albert and Nys getting cold, while waiting for the startgun. Anyway, Kevin Pauwels only needed two points to win the GC of the GVA trophee. But then he had to beat Sven Nys. But the experienced Nys controlled the race and didn't even payed attention on Niels Albert when he rode away alone and won the race. No matter how hard Zdenek Stybar and Bart Wellens tried to help their teammate Pauwels, it was SvenNys who won the trophee! So once again a cyclo cross season was dominated by Sven Nys, together with world champion Stybar and Belgian champ Niels Albert.

In the meantime 3 road races finished where Australians could score lots of points for the Aussie Cup. Matthew Goss scored enough points in the Tour of Oman to stay leader in the OSI Aussie Cup, also Haussler rode well enough to keep his third place in GC. In Portugal, the Volta ao Algarve, the big winners were "Bling", Cookie, Gerrans and Allan Davis. The third race only saw 3 aussies at the start and Mitch Docker stopped in the second stage. The other two, Travis Meyer and Richie Porte only took 3 points each.
So, on GC, it means that Matt Goss is still in the lead with 82 pts, in second Michael Matthews with 67pts one more then Heinrich Haussler. Still two Continental riders in the top 10! Nathan Earle (49pts) of the Genesys team and Lachlan Norris, the Drapac rider with 36 pts.
Next weekend we're off to the opening classic in Belgium and the following day, Kuurne - Brussels - Kuurne. C'mon Aussies go for it!!!

omnisport international Aussie Cup

over the years i went to lots of races with Aussies. Almost every time on the way up to the race the boys argued who would be first Aussie today. (we talk about the 70s and 80s now, when it was not so commun that an Australian pro won a race as it is today).
After a while they start to call it the Aussie Cup, which means even if you finished 49th in the race and first Aussie, you won the cup!
Well this is what i like to introduce here:
RULES:
1) you must have Aussie nationality!
2) only races on UCI calendar count + Belgian pro kermesses (hahaha)
3) points system
first: 10pts, 2nd 9pts, 3th 8pts, 4th 7pts, 5th 6pts.
places 6 up to 10: 5pts
places 11 up to 20: 3pts
every finisher: 1 pt

the first ranking you see on my blog is the one after TDU / Vuelta San Luis / Tour of Wellington / Tour of Langkawi.
these are the only races with Australian riders at the start

		Langkawi
GOSS Matthew	H.T.C.	50
EARLE Nathan	GENESYS	44
MATTHEWS Michael	RABO	36
NORRIS Lachlan	DRAPAC	30
MC EWEN Robbie	R	30
DAVIS Allan	ASTANA	29
MEYER Cameron	GARMIN	29
LANE Patrick	JAYCO	25
ROBERTS Luke		23
MORTON Lachlan David	SLIPSTREAM	21
HILL Ben		21
CLARKE Hilton	UNITED	19
SEMPLE Adam	DRAPAC	19
VON HOFF Steele	GENESYS	18
BROWN Graeme	RABO	16
JORY Chris		15
DONATI Reuben		15
CANTWELL Jonathan		15
PALMER Thomas	DRAPAC	13
SHAW Stuart	DRAPAC	13
LANG Richard	JAYCO	13
GERRANS Simon	SKY	13
WILSON Matthew	GARMIN	13
COOKE Baden	SAXOBANK	13
LOCKE Deon	CHAMPION	11
PELL David	DRAPAC	11
POLLOCK Rhys	DRAPAC	11
MENZIES Karl	UNITED	11
RUDOLPH Malcolm	JAYCO	11
GRENFELL Phil		11
RENSHAW Mark	H.T.C.	11
OBST Ryan		10
WITMITZ Sam	LETUA	9
PHELAN Adam	DRAPAC	9
SUTTON Christopher	SKY	9
SULZBERGER Wesley	FDJ	9
PORTE Richie	SAXOBANK	9
O'GRADY Stuart	LEOPARD	9
SUTHERLAND Rory	UNITED	9
GRIMSEY Stuart	DRAPAC	7
AITKEN Nick	JAYCO	7
WURF Cameron	LIQUIGAS	7
TANNER David	SAXOBANK	7
ROGERS Michael	SKY	7
ROE Timothy	BMC	7
MEYER Travis	GARMIN	7
LANCASTER Brett	GARMIN	7
HEPBURN Michael	JAYCO	7
HAYMAN Matthew	SKY	7
HANSEN Adam	OMEGA	7
DURBRIDGE Luke	JAYCO	7
DOCKER Mitchell	SKIL	7
CLARKE William	LEOPARD	7
CLARKE Simon	ASTANA	7
BOBRIDGE Jack	GARMIN	7
LOVELOCK Jonathan	GENESYS	6
RUTHERFORD Sam		6
PHELAN Michael	DRAPAC	4
MARSHALL Matthew	GENESYS	4
MC CARTHY Jay	JAYCO	4
STRAUB Geoff		4
MC KENZIE Aidan		4
WALLIS Dylan		4
BOMBALL Stephen		4
WILLIAMS Marc		4
BAKER Michael		4
MALONE Alex		3
DONALD Tom		3
DEERY David		3
SULZBERGER Bernard		3
BROOKS Hayden	V AUS
DAVIES Zachary	V AUS
FREIBERG Michael	V AUS
MC DONALD Peter	V AUS
SHELDON Taylor	V AUS
SULLIVAN Sean	V AUS
WALKER Nick	V AUS
WINN Chris	V AUS
SANDERSON Nic	AMORE & VITA
EVANS Cadel	BMC
BENSON Matthew	BUD
COLE Brendan	BUD
CUPITT Michael	BUD
ENGLAND Michael	BUD
FRIEBERG John	BUD
HERZIG Peter John	BUD
MC LEOD Brian	BUD
WINDSOR Blair	BUD
WOOD Matt	BUD
WILLIAMS Christopher	CHAMPION
DRAPAC Patrick	DRAPAC
ANDERSON John	ENDURA
FLAKEMORE Campbell	GENESYS
GIACOPPO Anthony	GENESYS
HAAS Nathan	GENESYS
MARWOOD Kyle	GENESYS
RIGG Jason	GENESYS
WALKER Kane	GENESYS
WALKER Tim	GENESYS
HOWARD Leigh	H.T.C.
CARVER Alex	JAYCO
DONNELLY Aaron	JAYCO
HOWSON Damien	JAYCO
KERBY Jordan	JAYCO
LOVELOCK FAY Mitchell	JAYCO
DICKESON William	JELLY BELLY
LOUTIT Alistair	JELLY BELLY
HALL Stephen	JILUN
HARRIS Glen	JILUN
IRVINE Mathew	JILUN
ROBSON Brad	JILUN
MITCHELL Nick	MARCO POLO
LLOYD Matthew	OMEGA
PRETE Joshua	PSK
DEMPSTER Zakkari	RAPHA
MUNRO Casey	RAPHA
WINDSOR Dean	RAPHA
NANKERVIS Tommy	REALCYCLIST
O'BRIEN Mark	SP.TABLEWARE
LEWIS Joseph	TREK
CALABRIA Fabio	TYPE 1
KING Benjamin	TYPE 1
CLARKE Jonathan	UNITED
POOLE Liam	W.S.A.
KEMP David	WILLEMS