Plans change as Worlds' course sits under water
The course of the 2010 UCI Road World Championships in Geelong, Australia, is sitting under water after the Barwon River flooded. The race organizers are already looking at alternative routes in the case that the flooding hasn’t subsided in the affected sections by the time the cyclists arrive three weeks from now.
While Geelong sits under water, the build-up to the Worlds continues with developments in the French and Belgian teams, as well as some plans changing in light of the Vuelta a Espana, the second-biggest cycling tour, which is now half over.
With British-based Team Sky withdrawing from the tour to attend the funeral of staff-member Txema Gonzalez, who fell in to a coma and later died from the mysterious virus which swept through the team and caused numerous riders to abandon the Vuelta before the team withdrew.
"He was a really important part of the team and you realise how close everyone in the team is when something tragic like this happens," said cyclist Simon Gerrans.
Gerrans plans to ride for Australia in the Worlds, but had been using the Vuelta in his build-up to the event. He has been forced to change his plans and to take on a demanding training schedule to make up for a difficult season which included a broken arm during the Tour de France.
"It's hard to get back up when you keep getting knocked down like I have been this year; it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to race the world championships on home soil, so there was no way I was just going to put the feet up after this setback and call it a year.”
The withdrawal is a major blow to Gerrans’ bid at the Worlds, but he fully supports Team Sky principal David Brailsford’s decisions to withdraw. After the funeral, he will return to Australia to train with Dave Sanders, the head cycling coach at the Victorian Institute of Sport.
"To be honest, I really think I have to reassess my aspirations for the Worlds because I know how critical the Tour of Spain is for that preparation. It's definitely lowered my expectations of what I'll be able to achieve at the world championships."
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