MILTON, Ont.
Sealver Siliga Seahawks Jersey . - Canadian cycling star Curt Harnett likens it to being out on the water in a canoe on a
calm day.When the water is like glass. . . just that feeling of no resistance,
sort of like floating on air, Harnett said.The feeling of racing on a
world-class track is unlike any other, said the three-time Olympic medallist,
who was one of the first cyclists to ride on the new Cisco Milton Pan Am/Parapan
Am Velodrome when construction was completed a few weeks ago.The gleaming
$56-million facility west of Toronto was built for this summers Pan American
Games, and is getting a test run at the Canadian track championships this week.
The event may have brought together many of Canadas top athletes, but the track
is truly the star of the show.Its a spectacular sensation, and when youre inside
like that, and the facility is giving you all of the elements of that
containment. . . spiritual is a strong word, but its a thrill, an adrenalin
rush, Harnett said. It was a pretty spectacular moment for me, it was hard to
believe that we would ever see something like this back in Canada.The Canadian
championships, a test event for the Pan Am Games, were originally scheduled for
October, but were postponed due to construction delays at the velodrome.The
three-storey facility features a 250-metre track made of Siberian spruce, that
Harnett described as being as smooth as Plexiglas. The cycling oval shares the
same builder as the track for the 2012 London Olympics.Its pretty amazing
actually to be here, said Allison Beveridge. Last year at nationals (on an
outdoor track in Dieppe, N.B.), we had rain delays. . . The facility itself here
is pretty amazing, and the track is as fast as anything you see around the
world.The 21-year-old from Calgary was the leader in the Omnium on Monday, after
five of six events. The final event — the points race — was scheduled for Monday
night.Beveridge trained early in her career on Calgarys outdoor 400-metre
concrete track. And along with her Canadian teammates, she spends a large chunk
of her season training in Los Angeles. Thats where the closest world-class track
was, until now.Remi Pelletier-Roy, who was second in the mens Omnium going into
the final event, said his trips south to train have cost his parents $10,000 a
year since he was 18.I think (the new track) will help kids get into the sport,
because its cheaper for parents, and its also more accessible — they can see it,
they can see us racing, and maybe think its cool, said Pelletier-Roy.For the
elite already in place, its a great facility to train and become even better on
the world level. And to get kids involved in sports, when you have to travel
3,000 kilometres to get to an indoor velodrome, youre less likely to have people
get into the sport. But a facility like this in Canada. . . we might see more
track cyclists the next few years.Montreal was home to the cycling velodrome
built for the 1976 Olympics, but it was torn down in 1989. There is a 150-metre
covered track in London, Ont., and one in Burnaby, B.C., that measures 200
metres. But neither is near the calibre of the oval in Milton. Jacques Landry,
Cycling Canadas high performance director, believes its the best track in the
Americas. Over the past few days, hes watched as one after another of his
athletes has stepped off the new track with high praise for the facility. This
is the first time weve been on the boards here, and everybody is pretty enthused
about it, Landry said. Its one of the worlds top facilities now for track
cycling, and its our home now, so thats great.Landry said Canadas track cyclists
will be based in Milton in the weeks leading up to both the Pan Am Games and the
Rio Olympics, whereas they would have held their final camps and Olympic staging
in Los Angeles.Olympic silver medallist Steve Bauer grew up training on the
indoor track in Montreal.Thats what spurred me into the world cycling scene with
the national team, Bauer said.Bauer capped his amateur career with a silver in
the road race at the 1984 Olympics, before a pro career that saw him race in 11
Tours de France. Now 55, Bauer won the Masters C scratch race Monday, for
athletes 50-and-over.Racing on the new track was a thrill, he said.Its such a
beautiful track, smooth and wide, and such a great venue, Bauer said. Everyone
talks about the word game-changer, which is absolutely true.Bauer is
spearheading the new Milton Cycling Academy as its head coach, and said Canadian
cycling has its work cut out in recruiting kids to the sport. I think that thats
an important mission, get more athletes on the track, working with the coaches,
and eventually were going to have some great champions in the future, Bauer
said. It will take time and patience, but with such a facility, you cant go
wrong.
Will Blackmon Seahawks Jersey . - Titans quarterback Jake Locker will miss the rest of the season with a Lisfranc injury
to his right foot, leaving Tennessee trying to rally with Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Michael Bennett Seahawks Jersey . If there is one club built to handle an off-field controversy, its the Bill Belichick era
Patriots. Even if New Englands offence stumbles a bit out of the gate, their
defence can help them stay in games, especially in the AFC East with the Buffalo
Bills and New York Jets in the first two weeks.CASABLANCA, Morocco --
Sixth-seeded Federico Delbonis of Argentina beat Gilles Simon of France 6-4, 6-4
in the first round of the Grand Prix Hassan II on Tuesday. Simon entered the
main draw as a qualifier and struggled on his serve, getting only 45 per cent of
his first serves in. Delbonis next plays another qualifier, Filip Peliwo, after
the Canadian won 7-6 (6), 6-3 against Italys Filippo Volandri. Inn other
first-round matches, Spains Roberto Carballes Baena downed fellow qualifier
David Goffin of Belgium 6-2, 7-5; Albert Ramos of Spain won 6-3, 2-6, 6-1
against Moroccan Lamine Ouahab, and big-serving Victor Hanescu of Romania
advanced by beating wild card Hicham Khaddari of Morocco 7-6 (3), 6-3.
Cortez Kennedy Seahawks Jersey. Hanescu faces top-seeded Kevin Anderson of South Africa in the second round.
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