text:
Athlete memberships to the Australian Cycling Team for 2021
AusCycling is pleased to confirm the athletes who will receive memberships to the Australian Cycling Team for 2021
Significantly, the 2021 memberships are the first to be announced under the banner of AusCycling. Formed in November 2020, AusCycling represents all cycling disciplines and riders throughout Australia from club, recreational and commuter riders through to the Australian Cycling Team.
Memberships to the Team are limited and are only provided to athletes who have achieved, or have the potential to achieve, success at the highest level with 65 athletes confirmed across the disciplines of BMX Freestyle (3), BMX Racing (4), Mountain Bike Cross Country (1), Para-cycling (15), Road (13), Track Sprint and Endurance (15), and Podium Potential Academy (14).
Athletes are categorised as Podium, Podium Ready and Podium Potential based on their current level of performance, and their future potential to achieve Podium Performances in Olympic events at major championships. Support for the athletes varies according to the discipline. About the Australian Cycling Team Pathway.
Memberships are reviewed annually following the pinnacle event for the year, which for 2020 was to be the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. With the COVID-19 Pandemic causing significant disruptions and cancellations to the 2020 sporting calendar, the pinnacle event for 2021 will be the rescheduled Tokyo Games.
The Podium Potential Academy, now into its third year of operation, will focus on the long-term development of Track Sprint and Endurance athletes and success at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, the 2024 Olympic Games and beyond.
Also underpinning the Team is the national High-Performance Network of state institutes and academies which play a vital role in the athlete pathway by identifying and supporting a further crop of nearly 100 categorised Emerging and Developing athletes across Australia.
Simon Jones - Performance Director, Australian Cycling Team
"I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the selected athletes, as places in the Australian Cycling Team are limited and this often means making hard decisions. To the athletes not selected, we encourage you to keep pushing and be ready for opportunities as we do review the memberships annually."
"2020 showed us that we must take our opportunities when we can, to be agile, to be resilient, and that change is a certainty. While 2021 is likely to be very similar, we remain optimistic about the future."
"Looking ahead, 2022 will be very exciting as we will have a home Road World Championships in Wollongong and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Then in 2023, the first World Championships of cycling that integrates all disciplines of Para-cycling, BMX, Road, MTB and Track into a festival of cycling over two weeks."
The Australian Cycling Team (ACT) comprises athletes, coaches and performance support staff in Olympic and Paralympic cycling disciplines, underpinned by Australia's State and Territory High-Performance Network. Principal partners include the Australian Institute of Sport and Santini.
The ACT is part of AusCycling, the peak body for cycling in Australia. AusCycling is affiliated with the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and partners with the Australian Olympic Committee; Commonwealth Games Australia and Paralympics Australia.
A full list of partners and supporters can be found here.
Athlete Memberships 2020/2021
BMX Racing - Agreement Period: 1 May 2020 - 30 April 2021
Lauren Reynolds WA Podium Ready
Anthony Dean SA Podium Ready
Saya Sakakibara NSW Podium Ready
Isaac Kennedy QLD Podium Potential
BMX Freestyle - Agreement Period: 1 December 2020 - 30 November 2021
Logan Martin QLD Podium
Brandon Loupos NSW Podium
Natalya Diehm QLD Podium Potential
MTB Cross-country - Agreement Period: 1 January 2021 - 31 July 2021
Rebecca McConnell ACT Podium
Para-cycling - Agreement Period: 1 April 2020 - 31 March 2021
Carol Cooke (Road) VIC Podium
Alistair Donohoe (Road/Track) VIC Podium
David Nicholas (Track/Road) QLD Podium
Stuart Tripp (Road) VIC Podium Ready
Amanda Reid (Track) NSW Podium
Hannah Macdougall (Road) VIC Podium
Grant Allen (Road) SA Podium Ready
Paige Greco (Track/Road) SA Podium
Darren Hicks (Road/Track) SA Podium
Meg Lemon (Road/Track) SA Podium
Emily Petricola (Track/Road) VIC Podium
Emilie Miller (Road) NSW Podium
Gordon Allan (Track) NSW Podium
Stuart Jones (Road) NSW Podium
Kaitlyn Schurmann (Road) VIC Podium
Women's Road - Agreement Period: 1 January - 31 December 2021
Amanda Spratt NSW Podium
Brodie Chapman VIC Podium Ready
Grace Brown VIC Podium Ready
Sarah Roy NSW Podium Ready
Chloe Hosking ACT Podium Ready
Lucy Kennedy QLD Podium Ready
Sarah Gigante VIC Podium Potential
Men's Road - Agreement Period: 1 January - 31 December 2021
Rohan Dennis SA Podium
Michael Matthews ACT Podium
Caleb Ewan NSW Podium Ready
Jack Haig VIC Podium Ready
Simon Clarke VIC Podium Ready
Richie Porte TAS Podium Ready
Women's Track Endurance - Agreement Period: 1 May 2020 - 30 April 2021
Ashlee Ankudinoff NSW Podium
Georgia Baker TAS Podium
Annette Edmondson SA Podium
Alexandra Manly SA Podium
Maeve Plouffe SA Podium
Men's Track Endurance - Agreement Period: 1 May 2020 - 30 April 2021
Cameron Meyer WA Podium
Kelland O'Brien VIC Podium
Alexander Porter SA Podium
Leigh Howard VIC Podium
Samuel Welsford WA Podium
Lucas Plapp VIC Podium
Women's Track Sprint - Agreement Period: 1 May 2020 - 30 April 2021
Kaarle McCulloch NSW Podium
Men's Track Sprint - Agreement Period: 1 May 2020 - 30 April 2021
Matthew Glaetzer SA Podium
Nathan Hart ACT Podium
Matthew Richardson WA Podium
Podium Potential Academy - Agreement Period: 1 December 2020 - 30 November 2021
Alexandra Martin-Wallace QLD Podium Potential
Sophie Edwards SA Podium Potential
Ruby Roseman-Gannon VIC Podium Potential
Lauren Perry TAS Podium Potential
Chloe Moran SA Podium Potential
Conor Leahy WA Podium Potential
Joshua Duffy TAS Podium Potential
Graeme Frislie VIC Podium Potential
James Moriarty QLD Podium Potential
Jensen Plowright VIC Podium Potential
James Brister SA Podium Potential
Tom Cornish NSW Podium Potential
Leigh Hoffman SA Podium Potential
Kristina Clonan QLD Podium Potential
ROAD | Rory Sutherland appointed to Elite Road Coordinator role
Photo - Casey Gibson
The Australian Cycling Team is pleased to announce the appointment of Rory Sutherland to the new position of Elite Road Coordinator, a part-time role based in Europe.
Sutherland announced his retirement from racing last month, bringing an end to a professional career which spanned nearly twenty years on the UCI World Tour.
Riding for professional teams including Rabobank, UnitedHealthcare, Saxo-Bank, Movistar, UAE Team Emirates, and most recently Israel Start-Up Nation, Sutherland was one of the most valued domestiques in the peloton.
Based in Europe, Sutherland will work closely with Australia's professional riders, prioritising Australian Cycling Team Individual Athlete Performance Support (IAPS) members.
Sutherland will co-ordinate and provide technical direction to IAPS members, and assist identified National Team Road athletes as they prepare for elite international competition; with a focus on winning at the Olympic Games, World Championships, and Commonwealth Games.
The Elite Road Coordinator will provide a conduit between Australian professional riders, their key support, professional teams and management and performance support staff.
The role will require a combination of leadership and implementation of support to deliver world-leading outcomes through effective performance planning, athlete development, and evidence-based technical Australian Cycling Team programs for both women's and men's road events.
Rory Sutherland, Elite Road Coordinator
I am immensely proud to be joining Australian Cycling Team as Elite Road Coordinator. My new role will allow me to give back to the sport and program that showed me so much support the past twenty years and I look forward to working with everyone as Australia continues to reach new heights in cycling.
Simon Jones, Performance Director, Australian Cycling Team
With two decades of international experience, we believe Rory has a tremendous amount of knowledge and practical experience to bring to the team, and we are excited to be working with him. Rory's focus in the short term will be to focus on maximising our medal chances for Tokyo and secondly contributing to our longer-term plans to sustain road success at major championships in the future.
POSITIONS AVAILABLE: Elite Road Co-Ordinator(s) (European Based)
The Australian Cycling Team is seeking one or two contractor(s) to take on the role of Elite Road Co-Ordinator (Men's and Women's roles).
The successful applicant(s) will need to be based in Europe with the role to be on an interim basis for the period leading into the Tokyo Olympics.
These roles will provide a conduit between professional riders, their key support, professional teams and the Australian Cycling Team management and performance support staff in the lead up to the Tokyo Olympics.
It is anticipated that these roles will require a maximum commitment of 1-2 day per week.
We are seeking people who are highly connected and respected within the men's and women's elite road racing environment, who will ensure regular communication channels are in place, and support implementation of actions to support our objectives.
ROAD | Matthews seventh in World Championship road race
Australia's Michael Matthews (Team Sunweb) took seventh in the punishing men's road race at the 2020 UCI Road World Championships in Italy.
Julian Alaphilippe (France) won gold and the rainbow jersey after launching a solo attach on the penultimate lap, with Wout Van Aert (Belgium) and Marc Hirschi (Switzerland) rounding out the podium.
Matthews won the bunch sprint to take seventh, while Porte finished 25th.
"Really impressive ride by all of the boys, It was a super hard course and as a result, pretty much, there wasn't a whole lot of tactics and it was just a race of survival and attrition," said Simon Clarke (EF Pro Cycling)  after contesting his tenth World Championship road race. "In terms of execution, I think the team rode great. We had quite a young group with maybe less experienced than normal, but everyone stepped up and did a super great job."
#Imola2020 "I didn't think I would be at Worlds when it was in Switzerland, so it's a great opportunity to pull on the green and gold jersey again and be around all my Aussie friends and family." @blingmatthews □□□□ @Imola_Er2020 @CyclingCentral #auscyclingteam pic.twitter.com/WR0lxEen0e
— AusCyclingTeam (@AusCyclingTeam) September 27, 2020
One hundred seventy-seven riders set out in the 258km race which took in nine 28-kilometre passes of a circuit located around the motorsport track in Imola. The race was set to be decided on the tough climbs of Mazzolano and the Cima Gallisterna which punctuated the 5000m of elevation.
Dual career road race medalist Michael Matthews (Team Sunweb) and Richie Porte (Trek-Segafredo), fresh off his Tour de France podium celebration, would spearhead the Australian team.
Veterans Simon Clarke (EF Pro Cycling) and Luke Durbridge (Mitchelton-Scott), plus Chris Hamilton (Team Sunweb), Damien Howson (Mitchelton-Scott), Nicholas Schultz (Mitchelton-Scott) and debutant Jai Hindley (Team Sunweb) would support the pair.
A group of seven broke away at the start, and after establishing a lead of five minutes over the next five laps, they were caught by a surging peloton.
Superb team roles from Nick Schultz, Damian Howson and veteran Simon Clarke - in his tenth World Championship men's road race - delivered Matthews and Porte to the front group to contest the decisive final few laps.
#imola2020 □ "It is going to be harder to pick than a broken nose."
□□ @richie_porte gives us his thoughts on how the mens road race will unfold tonight! #auscyclingteam @CyclingCentral @UCI_cycling @Imola_Er2020 pic.twitter.com/hNgvxxd0My
On the penultimate lap, recently crowned Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar launched a solo attack which splintered the peloton across the circuit.
As the peloton chased the Slovenian on the final lap, numbers favoured the French, Belgian and Italian teams and they reeled in Pogacar with 20 kilometres remaining.
The pace continued to lift, and with peloton exploding up the final climb, Porte lost touch with the front group.
The rainbow jersey move came inside the final ten kilometres when Alaphilippe went clear, with Mathews unable to join the chasing group of five riders in the hunt for the medals.
"We looked after our leaders knowing that that the key to the race today was delivering them to the final lap and as fresh as possible," said Clarke. "Bling (Mathews) and Richie (Porte) really committed in that going into that last lap and came pretty close to getting over that last climb and really delivering, going close to winning at least a medal.
"Bling was kind of hoping for a little bit better considering he was so close to getting over the top for that last climb with the front guys.
"But in hindsight, it was a super ride what he was able to achieve nonetheless, and all the other guys from Durbo and Chris Hamilton in Schultzy and Damo and Jai were all super key in helping to deliver those two guys into the last lap as fresh as possible.
"That was the reason they (Mathews and Porte) were able to go so well," added Clarke.
□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□@blingmatthews & @richie_porte looking strong at the front □□#Imola2020 #AusCyclingTeam pic.twitter.com/1ZXI0K5sLB
ROAD | Women's Road Race Recap
Photo - Rob Jones
Lucy Kennedy was Australia's best place finisher in 28th overall in a tough women's road race at the 2020 UCI Road World Championships in Imola, Italy which was won by Dutch rider Anna Van Der Breggen.
On the eve of the Championships, two-time road race medallist Amanda Spratt (Mitchelton-Scott) was forced out after injuries sustained in a crash in the Giro Rosa earlier in the month.
Tiffany Cromwell (Canyon–SRAM) came in to replace Spratt and joined Grace Brown (Mitchelton-Scott), Brodie Chapman (FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope), Lucy Kennedy (Mitchelton-Scott), Shara Marche (nee Gillow) (FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope), Rachel Neylan (Cronos Casa Dorada Women Cycling) and Sarah Roy (Mitchelton-Scott).
145 riders set out on the 143km race featured five laps of an undulating 28.km circuit with two punishing climbs and 2,800m of elevation. The climbs up Mazzolano (2.8km at an average of 5.9%, with 13% slopes at the bottom) and Cima Gallisterna (2.7km at 6.4% and a maximum of 14%) quickly splintered the peloton.
The race tempo lifted in the third lap, with a move from Grace Brown followed by a group of nine riders which established a gap of over two minutes.
The challenging climbs splintered the peloton over the next few laps and on the penultimate lap, Van Der Breggen launched her winning attack. She rode the final 40km solo to win the rainbow jersey and become just the second woman to win both the time trial and road race in the same year.
Annemiek van Vleuten (Netherlands) outsprinted Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy) to take the silver medal and Marianne Vos finished 4th (+2'01'') to complete the Dutch domination.
It was a superb effort from Roy and Cromwell who set the pace at the front of the main bunch during the race as they attempted to protect key riders Kennedy and Chapman up the climbs.
Kennedy finished in the main bunch, three minutes behind Van Der Breggen, with Chapman in 32nd and Neylan 51st. Roy finished 68th and Brown 91st.
Full Results.
#Imola2020 34 World Championship women's road races between our team □□
□□ □ @tiffanycromwell
□□ 7⃣ @SharaGillow
□□ 5⃣ @rachneylan
□□ 4⃣ @Sar_Roy
□□ 3⃣ @Brodie_Mai
□□ 3⃣ @lucyjkenn
□□ 2⃣ @GLBrown321 #AusCyclingTeam pic.twitter.com/67kYs8vnqC
I'm content with my ride, being there still at the pointy end, but of course, left wanting more. This was my first time being a protected rider in a big one day race and I come away with mainly positive feelings about it. I was really calm throughout the race thanks to all my teammates, Roy and Tiff in particular, who are exceptional in navigating the bunch.
We were really cohesive as a team, often riding together and communicating well on a course that wasn't easy to do so. Brodie and I did our best to stay in the mix, but couldn't quite go with the pace up the second climb on each of the last two laps.
It was a very different approach to recent years and what we were expecting, with the late withdrawal of Spratty. Of course, we really missed her, but can be proud of how we conducted ourselves.
Sarah Roy
It's so great that Imola managed to pull this event off! The race was tough. We knew it would be but it was a particularly challenging course with the fairly narrow fast roads with all the twists and turns and two very steep climbs - it was difficult to do all the things: eat, drink, position well, communicate and ride with your team mates but on the whole, we managed to tick off most of our process goals as a team.
We definitely felt the absence of Spratty and I'm sad for her as this is a course well suited to her. I think for sure she would have been right in the mix again.
Tiffany and I rode hard on the front to reduce the gap by about one minute and then we were out the back of the race with Brodie and Lucy in good position for those last two laps. They did really well to work together and stay with the first group but just lost touch near the end. Super tough day out but we did our best.
Personally, I am satisfied with my ride for where I am at physically right now. I think I supported Lucy well as my person today, and It's always really nice when you can do your job plus a little bit more. I'm really happy my dig on the front during lap four had an impact on the race and helped the team.
Australian Cycling Team #AusCyclingTeam
australiancyclingteam.com
Facebook - @AustralianCyclingTeam
Instagram - @australiancyclingteam
Twitter - @AusCyclingTeam
Men's Road Race
The Men's Road Race will be contested on Sunday and will feature 5,000m of total climbing across 258.2km.
Simon Clarke (EF Pro Cycling) 10th elite road race
Michael Matthews (Team Sunweb) 7th elite road race
Luke Durbridge (Mitchelton-Scott) 5th elite road race
Richie Porte (Trek-Segafredo) 3rd elite road race
Chris Hamilton (Team Sunweb) 2nd elite road race
Damien Howson (Mitchelton-Scott) 2nd elite road race
Nicholas Schultz (Mitchelton-Scott) 2nd elite road race
Jai Hindley (Team Sunweb) Debut
Sunday 27 September
Men's Elite Road Race - 1750 AEST
SBS On Demand - switch to SBS VICELAND at 22:30
ROAD | Dennis fifth in World Championship Time Trial; Durbridge 15th
Two-time defending champion Rohan Dennis (Ineos Grenadiers) finished fifth and Luke Durbridge (Mitchelton-Scott) fifteenth in the men's time trial at the 2020 UCI Road World Championships in Italy on Friday.
The world's best set a fast pace over the 31.7-kilometre loop around the Imola Autodrome with four-time national champion Durbridge posting the second-fastest time of the day with his ride, despite the heavy wind and rain which battered the riders and the course early in the day.
Can Rohan Dennis □□ claim a third consecutive UCI ITT World Title? □#Imola2020 pic.twitter.com/aShCwcHX4O
— UCI (@UCI_cycling) September 25, 2020
Dennis, who claimed the crown in 2018 and 2019, was chasing a historic third consecutive crown and a place on the honour rolls next to Germany's Tony Martin (2011-12-13) and fellow Australian Michael Rogers (2003-04-05).
The final rider to take to the course, Dennis was second fastest after 14.9km, twenty seconds behind his Ineos Grenadiers teammate Filippo Ganna who blitzed his home track with the fastest time of 35 minutes 54.10 seconds.
Dennis fought to the line, but would eventually finish 39-seconds behind Ganna who became the first Italian to claim a time trial Road World Championships. Dennis was quick to congratulate Ganna on his achievement.
The podium was completed by Belgium's Wout van Aert and Switzerland's Stefan Küng.
#Imola2020 Great effort Durbo □
Wind and rain pelted the riders while @luke_durbridge1 was on course, but he powers through to post the second fastest time.
□□ Tune in to @SBS / @CyclingCentral to watch live #auscyclingteam pic.twitter.com/6bwl1czfAp
The Championships continue with the road races on the weekend.
2020 Australian Team
Saturday 26 September - Women's Road Race - Live on SBS from 2035 AEST
Grace Brown (Mitchelton-Scott)
Tiffany Cromwell (Canyon–SRAM)
Brodie Chapman (FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope)
Lucy Kennedy (Mitchelton-Scott)
Shara Marche (nee Gillow) (FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope)
Rachel Neylan (Cronos Casa Dorada Women Cycling)
Sarah Roy (Mitchelton-Scott)
Sunday 27 September - Men's Road Race - Live on SBS from 1750 AEST
Simon Clarke (EF Pro Cycling)
Luke Durbridge (Mitchelton-Scott)
Chris Hamilton (Team Sunweb)
Jai Hindley (Team Sunweb)
Damien Howson (Mitchelton-Scott)
Michael Matthews (Team Sunweb)
Richie Porte (Trek-Segafredo)
Nicholas Schultz (Mitchelton-Scott)
Saturday 26 September
Women's Elite Road Race - 2035 AEST
SBS On Demand - switch to SBS VICELAND at 22:30
ROAD | Brown bags fifth on Worlds TT debut
Photos - Rob Jones
Grace Brown (Mitchelton-Scott) produced a stunning ride to claim a top five finish in the time trial at the 2020 UCI Road World Championships in Imola, Italy.
"There's always that little hope hidden away that you can like win even if though it's your first World Champs, I was realistically aiming for top 10, so I'm really happy with the results," said Brown, 28, in her debut World Championship time trial. "This is pretty epic. It's sort of the first time that I've really been able to step up on my own accord and ride for myself and show where I stand against the best girls in the world.
"I always believed that I could be up there with them. But now I can show that with a result."
Brown launched from the start gate to cover the 31.7km course in a time of 41mins 21.3seconds, the fastest time of the day to put her in the hot seat.
However, Anna van der Breggen (NED) would eclipse the Australian's time and claim the rainbow jersey in a winning time of 40mins 20secs, 15 seconds ahead of Marlen Reusser (Switzerland), with Ellen van Dijk (Netherlands) a further 16 seconds behind.
#Imola2020 "I was just wanting to go out and ride my fastest race and not worry too much about everyone else. I think I managed to pace the race, to my strength and to the course. This is pretty epic. It's sort of the first time that I've really been able to step up on my own accord and show where I stand against the best girls in the world. I always believed that I could be up there with them. But now I can show that with a result." Grace Brown after finishing fifth in the Time Trial World Championships #AusCyclingTeam ? @cyclingaustralia / @canadiancyclist
A post shared by Australian Cycling Team (@australiancyclingteam) on Sep 24, 2020 at 7:35pm PDT
"I was just wanting to go out and ride my fastest race and not worry too much about everyone else," said Brown. "I only got the info that I was up once when Ellen van Dyk when I went through the final checkpoint. It was just a bit of a confidence boost going into the last five kilometres.
"I had a time in mind that I came in under and I really wanted to push super hard in the first half because it was into a headwind. And I believe that that's where the race was won or lost, really. I think I managed to pace the race, to my strength and to the course."
Brown, a former runner, began her cycling journey in 2015 when, after multiple Cycling Australia National Road Series victories and fifth overall at the 2018 Tour Down Under, Brown was awarded 2018 Amy Gillett Foundation Scholarship.
In 2018, Brown went on to make her Australian Team debut at the UCI Road World Championships and would contest a host of WorldTour events for Women's WorldTour pro team Mitchelton-Scott. In 2019, Brown claimed the Australian time trial title and a stage of the Santos Tour Down Under but was forced out of the 2019 World Championships due to injury.
"We're not here just to participate we're here to be the best and that's what we're trying to do," said Brown, who claimed dual medals at the 2020 Cycling Australia Road National Championships with time trial silver and road race bronze.
"I think it's a common thing amongst elite athletes to have that belief that you can do something special otherwise we wouldn't be here at all. I think you've got to have that belief to push yourself."
Brown will now take her place in Saturday's women's road race in an Australian team with Tiffany Cromwell (Canyon–SRAM), Brodie Chapman (FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope), Lucy Kennedy (Mitchelton-Scott), Shara Marche (nee Gillow) (FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope), Rachel Neylan (Cronos Casa Dorada Women Cycling) and Sarah Roy (Mitchelton-Scott).
Amanda Spratt (Mitchelton-Scott) was forced out after injuries sustained in a crash in the Giro Rosa.
"We've built up behind Spratty, and it always been the plan to read for her as our sole leader. So it's a bit of a shake-up to take her out of the equation. But, I think we can use all the strengths that we have amongst us to ride a really smart race.
"Personally, I haven't had the chance to like, go out around the road course get with the other girls. But I'll be looking at that tomorrow. I'm sure Gene's got to get a good plan in store for us."
#Imola2020 â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡
What a ride on her World Champs debut for @GLBrown321. She is into the hot seat with fastest time for the day at her finish (41:31.24). #auscyclingteam pic.twitter.com/BRMoWCmX3S
— AusCyclingTeam (@AusCyclingTeam) September 24, 2020
ROAD | watch the 2020 UCI Road World Championships on SBS
SBS will broadcast the elite women's and men's time trial and elite women's and men's road races in the 2020 world road race championships from Imola race circuit in Italy.
Women's Elite Time Trial - 2240 AEST
Friday 25 September
Men's Elite Time Trial - 2225 AEST
ROAD | Tuned in for time trial
The 2020 UCI Road World Championships will begin with the time trials in Imola with two-time defending champion Rohan Dennis (INEOS Grenadiers), Luke Durbridge (Mitchelton-Scott) and Grace Brown (Mitchelton-Scott) set to tackle the race against the clock.
Grace Brown (Mitchelton-Scott) is back on the team after missing the 2019 World Championships due to injury.
"It's super exciting. Being back on the Australian team and being able to put on the green and gold uniform again. Last year, I didn't get to line up due to a crash that happened close to the event. So this year, it's really special to be back and I'm excited to race for Australia.
"I've just come off nine days of racing at the Giro with Mitchelton-Scott. It was a bit of a roller coaster of a tour for us. We went in with high ambitions with our leaders, but unfortunately, they both had to abandon the race after a crash on stage seven. It was a super tough race. But I think it really put me in a good position in terms of my form. And I felt good throughout the whole race. I think for the World Championships, I should be in good shape.
"It's a pretty awesome time to course and it suits me a lot. We've got quite a flat, flat start a few corners, but nothing too technical. And then in the last couple of cases, there's three nice little pinches towards the end and a little bit more technical, but I think it's going to be a fast race, and I've got high hopes for how I'm going to perform in this race."
#Imola2020 After missing the 2019 Worlds due to injury, @_g_brown is back in the green and gold and will line up in the time trial. "It's super exciting. Being back on the Australian team and being able to put on the green and gold uniform again. Last year, I didn't get to line up due to a crash that happened close to the event. So this year, it's really special to be back and I'm excited to race for Australia. Yesterday I did my first run of the time trial course in Imola. It's a pretty awesome time to call us and it suits me a lot. I think it's going to be a fast race, and I've got high hopes for how I'm going to perform in this race. 2020 has been a really tough year, I think for all athletes and general people alike. But it's Yeah, it's also been a year where we've been able to work on different things that we don't usually get to as athletes when we're racing all the time. When I was back in Australia, I really focused on some of my weaknesses, and it helped me come back to Europe really ready to race." #auscyclingteam
A post shared by Australian Cycling Team (@australiancyclingteam) on Sep 22, 2020 at 6:13am PDT
Reigning national champion Luke Durbridge (Mitchelton-Scott) is a fan of the Imola course.
"I really like it, it is really fast. Quite short, but it has a lot of different aspects. I think it will be a nice spectacle, with a few nice rides that roll along the back straight with the vineyards along the side.
"I think it is a good course for myself, I'm liking it and looking forward to it."
#Imola2020 "I really like it, it is really fast. Quite short, but it has a lot of different aspects. I think it will be a nice spectacle a few nice rides that roll along the back straight with the vineyards along the side. "I think it is a good course for myself, I'm liking it and looking forward to it." Luke Durbridge ahead of Friday's Men's Time Trial in Imola. #auscyclingteam
Rohan Dennis (INEOS Grenadiers) is seeking a historic third straight crown.
"The Worlds has been on my mind throughout the lockdown. Regardless of the category it is always a great honour to race with the rainbow jersey. Every time I wear it I race to win.
"I am in good shape. It is always very special to participate in the most important race of the year, but to get a chance to fight for a win for the third time in a row and join an exclusive group of champions who have achieved this feat will be fantastic"
Start Times / Lists
Time Trial - Women - Thursday 24 September - Start List
Grace Brown (Mitchelton-Scott) 15:28:00 Local / 23:28 AEST
Time Trial - Men - Friday 25 September - Start List
Luke Durbridge (Mitchelton-Scott) 14:55:30 Local / 22:55:30 AEST
Rohan Dennis (Ineos Grenadiers) 15:54:00 Local / 23:54:00 AEST
SBS will broadcast the elite women's and men's time trial and elite women's and men's road races.
Thursday 24 September Women's Elite Time Trial - 2240 AEST SBS On Demand
Friday 25 September Men's Elite Time Trial - 2225 AEST SBS On Demand
Saturday 26 September Women's Elite Road Race - 2035 AEST SBS On Demand - switch to SBS VICELAND at 22:30
Sunday 27 September Men's Elite Road Race - 1750 AEST SBS On Demand - switch to SBS VICELAND at 22:30
ROAD | Changes to the Australian Team for 2020 UCI Road World Championships
Cycling Australia can confirm two changes have been made to the Australian National Team for the 2020 UCI Road World Championships in Imola, Italy from 24-27 September 2020.
Lucas Hamilton (Mitchelton-Scott) and Jack Haig (Mitchelton-Scott) have withdrawn from the team and will be replaced by Chris Hamilton (Team Sunweb) and Nicholas Schultz (Mitchelton-Scott).
The 2020 World Championships format will include the elite categories only. The Championships' challenging road race routes will see the men take on 5,000 metres of climbing on a 259.2km course, while the women will tackle 2,750 metres of climbing over their 144km course. The time trial course will feature a flat 32km circuit.
Women's Road Race
Amanda Spratt (Mitchelton-Scott)
Nick Schultz (Mitchelton-Scott)
Women's Time Trial
Men's Time Trial
Rohan Dennis (Ineos Grenadiers)
More #AusCyclingTeam
Web australiancyclingteam.com
Facebook @AustralianCyclingTeam
Instagram @australiancyclingteam
Twitter @AusCyclingTeam
2020 has been a challenging year for everyone and circumstances have made it even more important for us all to stay connected and be willing to support those around us.
Cycling Australia encourages all coaches, athletes and our cycling community to take time on Thursday 10 September to reflect on R U OK? Day and how we each make time in our relationships for asking R U OK? and remember, there is more to say after R U OK?
Australian Cycling Team staff and athletes will gather together on Thursday 10 September for a morning tea and walk two laps of the Adelaide Superdrome to highlight R U OK? Day and the importance of creating space for conversations.
#RUOKDay is on Thursday 10 September and is a reminder that a conversation could change a life. This year we are learning what to say after R U OK? so we can keep the conversation going when someone says "No, I'm not OK". Resources are available at www.ruok.org.au
#RUOK is an important question but there's more to say after R U OK? If someone says they're not OK, make time to listen, encourage action and check-in. That conversation could change, or even save, their life.
You don't have to be an expert to keep the conversation going when someone says they're not OK. By knowing what to say you can help someone feel supported and access appropriate help long before they're in crisis, which can make a really positive difference to their life
More on R U OK?
People are also encouraged to learn what to say after R U OK? and download R U OK? resources from ruok.org.au for tips and ideas to help them share the message in their community.
Useful contacts for someone who is not OK - Encourage them to talk to a trusted health professional or call on these Australian crisis lines and professionals:
Lifeline (24/7) 13 11 14 lifeline.org.au
Suicide Call Back Service (24/7) 1300 659 467 suicidecallbackservice.org.au
Beyond Blue (24/7) 1300 224 636 beyondblue.org.au
Kids Helpline (24/7) 1800 55 1800 kidshelpline.com.au
The Australian Cycling team is participating in R U OK? Day with support from AIS; and the Podium Potential Academy is proudly supported by Commonwealth Games Australia.
ROAD | Australian Team for 2020 UCI Road World Championships
Cycling Australia is pleased to announce the sixteen athletes selected to the Australian National Team to contest the 2020 UCI Road World Championships in Imola, Italy from 24-27 September 2020.
The team features two-time reigning time trial world champion Rohan Dennis (Ineos Grenadiers), dual career road race medallists Amanda Spratt (Mitchelton-Scott) and Michael Matthews (Team Sunweb), and Richie Porte (Trek-Segafredo) who on Sunday moved into eleventh overall on GC at the Tour de France.
Dennis, Luke Durbridge (Mitchelton-Scott) and Grace Brown (Mitchelton-Scott) have been selected to contest the individual time trial.
Lucas Hamilton (Mitchelton-Scott) and Jai Hindley (Team Sunweb) will make their Australian elite team debuts.
In response to the current world health situation due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the UCI relocated the 2020 World Championships from Switzerland to Italy while also reducing the competition format to the elite categories only.
The Championships' challenging road race routes will see the men take on 5,000 metres of climbing on a 259.2km course, while the women will tackle 2,750 metres of climbing during their 144km event.
The time trial will feature a flat 32km course set to favour specialists of the race against the clock.
"2020 has been a challenging year for everyone, and these World Championships will be nothing like we have seen before," Steve Drake, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Cycling Australia.
"We have selected two strong teams that will provide a number of options on race day on what will prove to be testing courses."
Jack Haig (Mitchelton-Scott)
Lucas Hamilton (Mitchelton-Scott)
Men's Time Trial
Cycling Australia Position Statement On International Activities
In response to the current global COVID-19 pandemic, Cycling Australia (CA) wish to make public its current position on its international competition activities.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) currently advises there is a ban on overseas travel from Australia. Australian citizens cannot leave Australia without an exemption from DFAT.
Our primary concern is the health of our athletes and staff. As such, CA will not be conducting any national team campaigns or projects outside of Australia before 1 January 2021 with the following possible exceptions:
CA's position may be reconsidered for activities in New Zealand in the event there is a government-endorsed Trans-Tasman travel bubble.
CA's position may be reconsidered for the 2020 UCI Road World Championships, the 2020 UCI MTB World Championships, the 2020 MTB Marathon World Championships, 2020 season Mountain Bike World Cups and remaining 2020 season BMX World Cups.
When considering its position in relation to the above events, CA will consider a range of factors including but not limited to the most up-to-date DFAT position, the current COVID-19 position of the host country, information from the UCI and Event Organisers, and the ability of CA to appropriately provide for the health and safety of the team and the community.
In respect of the 2020 UCI Road World Championships, CA will continue to monitor the situation. CA will only consider selecting and endorsing entries for Elite riders. Riders in these categories wishing to be considered will need to have been based in Europe for a minimum of two (2) weeks prior to the date of the start of the competition in question.
For the avoidance of doubt, CA will not enter any U19 (UCI Junior category) riders in any overseas events over which it has entry jurisdiction between now and 31 December 2020 (regardless of any potential exceptions listed above) and will not be selecting U23 riders for the 2020 UCI Road World Championships.
Decisions in relation to mountain bike events will be reached in conjunction with MTBA. Decisions in relation to BMX events will be reached in conjunction with BMXA.
CA will continue to monitor the global situation and reserves the right to modify its approach to its activities as the situation develops over the next few months.
Olympic & Paralympic Nominations Update & 2020 Junior World Championships Notice
Below is an update on the nomination processes for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, plus a notice regarding no Australian Team selection for the 2020 UCI Junior Track World Championships in August, in Egypt.
Olympic & Paralympic Nominations Update
Following the deferral of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games until 2021 and recent Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) announcements, Cycling Australia (CA) can make the following updates with regards to nomination processes for the following teams after the suspension of the qualification periods as of 3 March 2020.
For Mountain Bike, BMX Freestyle and BMX Race (Supercross), the Olympic qualification periods for which should have ended on 11 May 2020, 27 May 2020 and 1 June 2020 respectively, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) replied favourably to the following propositions from the UCI:
Mountain Bike Cross Country (XCO): The points awarded at two weekends of the UCI MTB XCO World Cup during the 2021 season will be added to those taken into account in the ranking of 3 March 2020. The weekends are still to be determined and will be communicated at a later date.
BMX Freestyle: The points awarded at two weekends of the UCI BMX Freestyle World Cup during the 2021 season will be added to those taken into account in the ranking of 3 March 2020. The weekends are still to be determined and will be communicated at a later date.
BMX Race: The points awarded at two weekends of the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup during the 2021 season and at the 2020 UCI BMX World Championships will be added to those taken into account in the ranking of 3 March 2020. The remaining UCI World Cup weekends are still to be determined and will be communicated at a later date. CA will also await further updates from UCI as to the rescheduled dates for the 2020 UCI World Championships and the 2021 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup schedule.
With regards to Para-cycling and Road:
Para-cycling: The UCI Management Committee has approved a modified qualification system based on the principles applied for the Olympic qualification process mentioned above. This is awaiting approval from the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). The points gained in the UCI combined nations ranking up until 3 March 2020 will remain valid and will see the addition of points earned in the first two rounds of the UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup for the 2021 season. The weekends are still to be confirmed and will be announced at a later date.
Road: Cycling Australia will add several races from the 2020 calendar to the Olympic nomination document but races in 2021 will be weighted with higher importance. The selection window will be frozen for the majority of the 2020 season and will resume before the 2020 UCI Road World Championships and will include events up until the end of April 2021.
"With specific regard to the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) nomination process, we will continue with our approach to nominate athletes with medal-winning potential as a priority," said Performance Director Simon Jones.
"These changes to the qualification window simply mean we have more time to get those nation quotas that will support our medal targets. With COVID-19 looking like it's under control in Australia, we will need to make the best of this situation and work towards 2021 goals."
No Cycling Australia National Team Selection for 2020 UCI Junior Track World Championships
Due to the Australian Government's international travel bans as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, CA will not be selecting a team to compete at the 2020 UCI Junior Track World Championships which are scheduled for 16 - 21 August 2020, in Egypt.
"It is unfortunate that we have had to make this decision, but the health and safety of our athletes and staff team is paramount," said Performance Director Simon Jones.
"As a high-performance network, we will continue to create domestic opportunities for developing athletes as we have done recently with the Under 19 Individual Time Trial camp and the High Performance Network (HPN) virtual camps in April."
Updates on the next camp will be communicated shortly.
National Volunteer Week - Thank you Muz - #NVW2020
Cycling Australia says thank you - National Volunteer Week
As the country celebrates National Volunteer Week, Cycling Australia would like to thank all our wonderful volunteers who give their time to keep the wheels of our great sport turning across Australia.
The contributions and sacrifices of thousands of volunteers across our hundreds of clubs, events and the Australian Cycling Team, ensure everyone can share in and enjoy our great sport.
The theme for National Volunteer Week 2020 is "Changing Communities. Changing Lives" and it is clear that we have many unsung heroes who are doing just that across the country.
At the Australian Cycling Team, one such person who has been changing communities and changing lives across three decades is Murray Lydeamore.
Murray began working with the Australian Cycling Team in the mid-1990s, and currently also volunteers with Paralympics Australia, Sports Chaplaincy Australia and other NGO projects in Asia.
Working in the areas of Pastoral Care and Welfare Coordination for athletes and staff, Murray knows the importance of being able to provide support during challenging and difficult times.
"Observing the way individuals address the challenges life throws at them and being available to offer encouragement and confidential support, that support is something I often wished I had as an athlete," said Lydeamore, who was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2004,
While not his guiding motive, Lydeamore believes he has gained so much from helping others through his volunteer roles.
"Volunteering in Australia and overseas has given me the opportunity to gain an insight into the highs and lows individuals face, and the privilege I have to be there to support them.
"It has also resulted in many lifelong friendships."
As he continues to held guide a host of Australia's elite cyclists chase their dreams, Murray encourages everyone to volunteer no matter the role or skills you have to offer.
"There are many clubs and organisations who need committed volunteers, it is a worthwhile pursuit."
To volunteer at Cycling Australia, please contact info@cycling.org.au
Australian Cycling Team Restructure
Following a review of the Australian Cycling Team's Performance Strategy and operations, Cycling Australia is undertaking an operational restructure of the Australian Cycling Team which will support its objectives for Tokyo 2021 while underpinning the athlete pathway and coach development through to 2024 and beyond.
A review was scheduled to take place after the completion of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020, however, the review was brought forward to ensure a smooth transition to new operations ahead of the rescheduled Games in 2021 and a shortened performance cycle through to Paris 2024.
This restructure does not represent a change of strategy, but rather a refinement of the way the current strategy is delivered. The objective of the restructure, which is primarily focused on the track and para programs, is to maximise performance by supporting and developing coaches to deliver and lead their programs with tighter performance support teams, meaning that communication, training, and preparation will be streamlined.
As a result of the changes detailed above, eleven roles will be restructured, resulting in seven staff members leaving the team, with a further four staff members being offered refocused roles. The Team will recruit a number of new roles including a Director of Coaching and Director of Performance Pathways.
Steve Drake, CEO, Cycling Australia: "I would like to thank the departing staff members for their significant contributions to the Australian Cycling Team during their tenures. While we are very conscious of the timing of these decisions, the deferral of the Olympic and Paralympic Games necessitated these changes being made now and is in the best interests of the athletes and the broader performance team."
Simon Jones, Performance Director, Australian Cycling Team: "With the delay of Tokyo 2020 and the interruption of normal performance activity due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, we believe that it is in the best interests of the entire program to complete a review and to implement this restructure now.
"The period post-Tokyo 2021 will see a condensed competition phase that includes the 2021 Road and Track Cycling World Championships, Paralympic and Olympic Nation / World Cups, followed shortly by Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022 which is a major objective for the team.
"We believe these changes increase our chance of success in 2021 with more focussed and strategically aligned teams, and at the same time we will look closely at our pathway strategies over the coming months to ensure we have a surplus of talent creating upward pressure in the pathway to meet Cycling's 2024 and 2028 medal potential."
Australian Cycling Team Athlete Memberships 2020/2021
The Australian Cycling Team is pleased to announce the Athlete Memberships across all disciplines for 2020/21.
In all, 62 athletes will feature across the Para-cycling Track and Road (15), Track Sprint and Endurance (17), BMX Race and Freestyle (7), Road (13), and Podium Potential Academy (10) programs after being classified in the Podium, Podium Ready and Podium Potential categories. About the Australian Cycling Team Pathway.
The Para-cycling (Track and Road) memberships include reigning Paralympic and world champions Carol Cooke and David Nicholas, plus Emily Petricola and Darren Hicks in a 15-athlete squad.
The Track program is highlighted by Matthew Glaetzer, Stephanie Morton, Annette Edmondson and Samuel Welsford and welcomes three new members in Matthew Richardson (Sprint), Maeve Plouffe and Lucas Plapp (Endurance) who have progressed through the Podium Potential Academy^ pathway.
In BMX, three athletes - Natalya Diehm (BMX Freestyle) and Lauren Reynolds and Izaac Kennedy (BMX Race) will receive Individual Athlete Performance Support (IAPS) memberships. The trio joins reigning world champion Brandon Loupos, 2017 world champion Logan Martin, plus Saya Sakakibara and Anthony Dean.
Amanda Spratt, Chloe Hosking, Rohan Dennis and Michael Matthews headline the Road IAPS memberships, with five new athlete memberships to be provided to Brodie Chapman, Grace Brown, Sarah Gigante, Jay McCarthy and Lucas Hamilton.
The Podium Potential Academy has inducted four new members in Leigh Hoffman (Sprint), Ruby Roseman-Gannon and Joshua Duffy (Endurance/Road), in addition to Kristina Clonan who will transition from the Podium Track Endurance to the Academy's Sprint program. Caitlin Ward (Sprint) will receive transitional support as she exits the program.
The Para-cycling (Track and Road) will see six riders exit the program in Kieran Murphy, Brad Henderson (retirement), Michael Shippley, Darcy Thompson, plus Tandem pilots Lachlan Glasspool and Luke Zaccaria. The latter four will transition to their respective High-Performance Network (HPN) state-based programs.
Macey Stewart and Cameron Scott will exit the Podium Track Endurance program, while in Road, Rachel Neylan, Gracie Elvin, Shara Gillow, Nathan Haas, Luke Durbridge, and Richie Porte exited in December 2019.
Caroline Buchanan (BMX Race) has not been offered a new BMX IAPS membership, however, she will receive transitional support until August 2020. Kai Sakakibara (BMX Race) is receiving support as he continues recovery and rehabilitation following a racing accident in February.
"As we continue to prepare for the resumption of racing, and ultimately the Olympics and Paralympics in 2021, the confirmation of athlete memberships gives everyone a chance to continue to sharpen their focus on their preparation and individual progress and development," said Simon Jones, Australian Cycling Team Performance Director.
"I would like to thank those team members exiting the program for their commitment to their own personal development and to the Australian Cycling Team program as a whole.
"Re-entry to the program for these athletes is possible. Sometimes, stepping back and taking time away from something can be a way to move forward if their ambition and desire remain."
^ About the Podium Potential Academy - Launched in November 2018 with an inaugural class of thirteen athletes across both endurance and sprint disciplines, the PPA programme, which is supported and partly funded by Commonwealth Games Australia, focuses on the long term development of athletes orientated around success at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and through to the 2024 Olympic Games and beyond.
Australian Cycling Team Athlete Membership 2020/2021 - Full list (PDF)
30 from 30 with the Australian Cycling Team
The #AusCyclingTeam's '30 from 30 Series' featured current and former Australian Cycling Team athletes, coaches and staff showing us the different, creative and unique ways they are keeping healthy and active both physically and mentally, and staying connected while in isolation or lockdown across Australia and the world.
Australian Cycling Team's 30 from 30
Welcome to the Australian Cycling Team's 30 from 30!
Across the month of April, a host of current Australian Cycling Team members, coaches and staff, plus former Australian Cycling Team athletes, will take you behind the scenes to show you some of the unique and different ways we are keeping healthy and active, keeping a routine and staying connected, and supporting our community by helping to inspire and motivate in your own endeavours at home.
Whether you're in isolation in Australia or across the world.
Follow the #AusCyclingTeam at Facebook @AustralianCyclingTeam, Instagram @AustralianCyclingTeam and Twitter @AusCyclingTeam
Australian Cycling Team COVID-19 Update
As we reported on 18 March, one of our Adelaide-based staff members tested positive to COVID-19 on Monday 16 March. The team member is receiving the right medical support and is in good spirits in hospital and making progress.
Government health authorities have undertaken tracking and tracing, as per their policies and processes.
In addition to these measures, we have chosen to test six additional team members - comprising three athletes and three staff - this decision was a precautionary measure only. Five have since returned negative results. We expect to receive the remaining test result over the next 24-48 hours and will provide an update when this is received.
Following a review of this situation, we are confident that staff and athlete exposure to the infected staff member was extremely low primarily due to a pre-planned staff and athlete break from the Adelaide training environment for the period of 7-15 March.
In responding to this situation, Cycling Australia and the Australian Cycling Team have activated its Critical Incident Management Team. This team convenes daily to facilitate rapid decision making and leadership.
Cycling Australia and the Australian Cycling Team have been proactive in implementing a range of measures aimed at reducing the potential impact of the infection over and above government public health recommendations and considerations.
Further to this, we have been proactive in implementing evidence-based hygiene practices and education as far back as 2018, and more recently we stepped up and reinforced hygiene practice for travel and training prior to the 2020 season. We are confident that we have taken and continue to take prudent measures to maximise athlete and staff health.
Recent measures that have been taken to reduce infection risk and protect staff and athletes:
Super-drome closures this week; 17-20 March
Additional cleaning of the training environment and office spaces
Social distancing measures such as reduced staff and athletes at the Super-drome, reduced working in closed spaces and reducing contact and face to face meetings, the closing of meeting spaces such as athlete lounge and kitchen areas will be implemented from 23 March
Podium Potential Academy athletes have returned to their families and home states
SASI Development athletes will train outdoors for the next four weeks, providing more space between people, and sessions in the venue
Continued vigilance on best practice hand hygiene and no handshaking
On the performance side, we have been proactive in short and medium-term planning with scenario and contingency planning for all high-performance competition and domestic racing and camps with a continuing priority focus on protecting the health of athletes and staff.
We are seeking to provide both a training purpose and appropriate objective setting but also being considerate of the broader global impact of this infection pandemic.
Simon Jones, Performance Director, Cycling Australia
More: The most up to date information on COVID-19 (Coronavirus) can be found at the Australian Government Department of Health website with advice and information relating to high-performance environments found at the AIS webpage.
GUIDE - Olympic Qualification and Selection Timings
Over the next few months, the athletes and teams that will represent Australia in the five cycling disciplines - Road, Track, Mountain Bike, BMX Racing and BMX Freestyle - at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will be announced.
Below is a summary of the Olympic Qualification and Selection Timing situation as it currently stands.
We understand this is ever-evolving and rapidly changing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and we will await further updates from the AOC over the coming days and weeks.
Table: Announcement Date, Events & Quota Places per cycling discipline
* Final number of Nation quota places are still to be confirmed in BMX and MTB.
In each discipline, quota places are set by the UCI, and are achieved on the basis of performances in each of the disciplines over set qualification periods. The periods vary by discipline and are in accordance with the Qualification System as set out by the International Cycling Union (UCI) Link to UCI Documents.
On 15 March, based on the assessment made by the World Health Organisation (WHO) of the current situation related to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the UCI announced they submitted a request to the IOC and the IPC for the qualification period to be stopped retroactively as of 3 March 2020. Read the official UCI announcement here.
This will not affect the qualification period for road, track and para-cycling track as they are complete. However as it is still ongoing for mountain bike, BMX Racing, BMX Freestyle and para-cycling road, nations will await updates from the UCI.
Once the qualification periods end in each discipline, as the national federation recognised by the UCI and the AOC, Cycling Australia (CA) nominates athletes to the AOC in accordance with the Nomination Criteria. The final selections are then made, and announced, by the AOC. Link to Nomination Criteria.
Australia has qualified the maximum quota places in Track (15) including starting spots in the Sprint and Keirin, and the Madison team entry, secured through the nation's qualification of the Team Sprint and Team Pursuit.
In Road, Australia secured four quota places in the men's road race, one below the maximum, while securing the maximum of four in the women's. Two places have been secured in both time trials, but these places must be filled by athletes who are nominated to ride the road race.
In BMX Freestyle, the nation that tops the rankings at the end of the qualification period will secure two athlete positions. Currently, Australia is tied on points with the USA but is ranked first in the men's Olympic Points Rankings. Australia is currently positioned to secure one female quota place in the discipline.
Australia is currently positioned to secure one male and two female quota places in BMX Racing, and one male and one female quota place in Mountain Bike. While the two qualification periods are currently scheduled to end in May and June, this date may be altered following the UCI's announcement regarding stopping the period in March due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
In other selection considerations, nations do have the option to add additional athletes to their track quota (maximum one male and one female). However, this can occur only if the athlete(s) has been nominated in another cycling discipline and has a minimum of 10 UCI points in an Olympic track cycling event.
"We set out an ambitious plan in 2018 to perform in Tokyo, and prioritise our time and effort to athletes and events where we have a greater chance of success. However, we are aiming to avoid a situation where we fill all quota positions and underperform, as we did in 2016. In summary, we have aimed high and stated that we want to win medals, and when we nominate riders to the AOC we will have that in mind." Simon Jones, Performance Director, Cycling Australia.
"I congratulate all of our Australian riders on their efforts to gain qualification and selection to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. I encourage all Cycling Australia members, family and friends to continue to share in their journey towards the Games," Steve Drake, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Cycling Australia.
Celebrate Team Australia with official Australian Olympic Team Cycling merchandise & accessories. Shop now at shop.olympics.com.au/sports/cycling
Follow the #AusCyclingTeam at australiancyclingteam.com and on social media via Facebook @AustralianCyclingTeam, Instagram @AustralianCyclingTeam and Twitter @AusCyclingTeam
Keep up to date with Team Australia via the www.olympics.com.au or on social media via @AusOlympicTeam and #TokyoTogether.
PP ACADEMY BLOG | Martin-Wallace WorldTour debut
For each Summer of Cycling, Cycling Australia prepares endurance development racing teams for the Santos Tour Down Under, Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race (CEGORR) including Race Torquay, and the Herald Sun Tour.
The development opportunity allows athletes within Australia's High-Performance Network and National Road Series teams to contest UCI events within Australia.
Sunshine Coast teenager Alexandra Martin-Wallace is a member of the Australian Cycling Team's Podium Potential Academy^ and in January, she switched from the track to the road when she lined up in the Team KordaMentha outfit for Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race (CEGORR) including Race Torquay.
A Junior Track World Championship medallist in 2018, Martin-Wallace joined the Academy in the same year, made her elite World Cup debut in Hong Kong a few months later, and also took part in a winter road racing program in Belgium.
Martin-Wallace penned her thoughts on her week at the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race below.
Heading into Race Torquay and Cadels Road Race I was very excited but also nervous. They were going to be by far the biggest races I've lined up for in my career.
Race Torquay was up first and it was a scorcher of a day. With temperatures up to 44 degrees, the whole team was trying to stay as cool as possible pre-race by stuffing ice down the fronts and backs of our jerseys.
The course was eight laps of a 13.3km loop with a few small climbs. The heat was detrimental in our race, especially on the main climb which was also the feed zone. While lots of girls picked up water bottles others were attacking which strung out the field. The highlight of the race was Ruby coming second in the bunch kick and sixth overall. Unfortunately, our team captain Rachel crashed after the line when a heat-affected rider accidentally ran into the back of her.
After lots of food and Netflix on the rest day, it was time for the Cadel Evans / Deakin University Great Ocean Road Race, the first Women's World Tour race in the Southern Hemisphere. Geelong put on a good demonstration of typical Victorian weather going from scorching hot to freezing cold and windy.
The aim of the race was to protect Ruby as much as possible and the most crucial moments of the race was in the crosswinds and before the first climb. We were really happy with how well we rode as a team, staying together and positioning well, which was something we had been working on all summer.
Unfortunately with about twenty kilometres to go there was a huge crash at the bottom of a descent (before the drag towards the final QOM) and Anya, Nicole and myself came down. Anya and I were lucky enough to get back up unscathed and finish the race. Nicole, unfortunately, crashed hard and was taken to hospital. Once again, just like Torquay, Ruby showed she's one of the best, pulling off an incredible twelfth in her first race against the World Tour Professionals.
Looking back on my week, it lived up to a lot of my expectations and I was pleasantly surprised with how I handled the hype of world tour racing. I was lucky enough to have some experienced girls around me and the incredible staff whose support I am very grateful to have.
I'm keen to take what I've learnt to the Herald Sun Tour with ARA Pro Racing Sunshine Coast!
^ About the Podium Potential Academy - Launched in November 2018 with an inaugural class of thirteen athletes across both endurance and sprint disciplines, the PPA programme, which is supported and partly funded by Commonwealth Games Australia, focuses on the long term development of athletes orientated around success at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and through to the 2024 Olympic Games and beyond
PP ACADEMY | Sophie Edwards #TeamUniSA Tour Down Under blog
The right pathway: Rising star Sophie Edwards has a lot to smile about.
The development opportunity for athletes within Australia's High Performance Network and National Road Series teams to contest UCI events within Australia.
One of the youngest to line up at the 2020 Santos Tour Down Under was Adelaide teenager Sophie Edwards who switched the green and gold of the Australian Cycling Team's Podium Potential Academy^ to take her place on the Team UniSA-Australia outfit.
A Junior Track World Championship medallist in 2018, Edwards joined the Academy in the same year, with a blend of track and road in 2019 resulting in two elite World Cup appearances in Hong Kong and Glasgow, while also taking part in a winter road racing program in Belgium.
Sophie penned her thoughts on her week at the Santos Tour Down Under for us below.
On the road: Edwards powers during a stage of the 2020 Santos Tour Down Under
Last week I was grateful to be given the opportunity to swap out the track bike and take part in the Santos Women's Tour Down Under. It has been a dream of mine to race the TDU, as I've not only watched it eagerly every year as a child in my hometown, but I also rode the family ride when I was seven, assisted at presentations and cleaned bikes in a valet service.
The Santos Women's Tour consisted of three hilly stages, all well over 100km with upwards of 1500m climbing. These challenging stages were followed by a technical street-circuit criterium in the heart of Adelaide, which preceded the men's Schwalbe Classic.
It all started in Hahndorf, a 115km stage with close to 1500m of climbing. The streets were decorated and there was a much larger crowd than I expected! It was a tough race, with the strong World Tour teams setting the tempo high up the climbs.
It was awesome to see a daring attack by Australian Brodie Chapman almost pay off before she was caught in a super technical finishing circuit with the sprint won by another Australian, Chloe Hosking. It was a massive learning experience for me as I couldn't just try and finish, I had to constantly be aware of where my team was and assist our GC rider as much as I could.
On the track: Edwards Sophie on the front of the team pursuit quartet at the Glasgow UCI Track World Cup in 2019.
Stage 2 and 3 passed through many of the bushfire affected towns, in particular, Woodside and Charleston. I could see the emotion it provoked in all of the riders, however despite the hardship, many locals lined the roads and cheered.
My highlight of the tour was the finish of stage 3 in Stirling. It was tough going up the long Aldgate Valley road climb three times, but as we went up the final steep pinch into Stirling we were greeted by crowds, similar in size to what the men will have on Wednesday. Thank you to all of my family and friends who came to cheer me on, I heard all of you!
Thank you to the organisers for the WTDU who designed such opportunistic, exciting courses and ran the event so smoothly. Also, a massive thanks to all of the sponsors of the women's race, which stepped it up another level and allowed all of the stages to be live-streamed for the first time!
Lastly, I am incredibly grateful to the team at Cycling Australia and the University of SA who have generously supported the 'up and coming' Australian national women's team for the last three editions of the race.
Watch out – we'll be back for Cadel's Great Ocean Road Race!
Photos by Hikari Media / University of South Australia / Guy Swarbrick


text:
Q: Tabularx can't center some column I'm trying to create a timetable using tabularx environment, but i can't find a way to center all columns.
Using this code:
\documentclass[11pt,oneside, landscape]{article}

\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}

\usepackage{geometry}
\geometry{a4paper}
\usepackage[osf]{mathpazo}
\linespread{1.05}\selectfont

\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage[dvipsnames]{xcolor}

\usepackage{booktabs}
\usepackage{array}

\usepackage{tabularx}

\usepackage{fancyhdr}
\pagestyle{empty}

\newcommand{\tit}[1]{\fontsize{15}{17}\color{darkgray}\usefont{T1}{pplj}{b}{it}\selectfont #1}

\begin{document}

\begin{center}
\renewcommand{\arraystretch}{1.5}

\begin{tabularx}{19cm}{r >{\centering}X >{\centering}X >{\centering}X >{\centering}X X}
                   & \tit{Lun} &  \tit{Mar} &  \tit{Mer} & \tit{Gio} & \tit{Ven} \\
\toprule
\color{gray}9-11  $||$ &  & Laboratorio III &  &  Metodi mat. per la fisica & Laboratorio III \\ \midrule
\color{gray}11-13  $||$& Meccanica Quantistica & Metodi mat. per la fisica &  & Meccanica Quantistica & Fisica dell'informazione \\ \midrule
\midrule
\color{gray}15-17  $||$ &  & Fisica dell'informazione & Laboratorio III &  & \\
\bottomrule

\end{tabularx}

\end{center}

\end{document}

i get this

where last column is not centered. If i try to change
\begin{tabularx}{19cm}{r >{\centering}X >{\centering}X >{\centering}X >{\centering}X X}

with
\begin{tabularx}{19cm}{r >{\centering}X >{\centering}X >{\centering}X >{\centering}X {\centering}X}

i get
! Misplaced \noalign.
\toprule ->\noalign
                    {\ifnum 0=`}\fi \@aboverulesep =\abovetopsep \global        \@b...
l.39 \end{tabularx}

A: Both the package arrayand the the package tabularxredefine \\ in a slightly different way. I refer to tabularx-can't-center-some-column for a more in depth explanation.
When defining the last column, you have to put in an \arraybackslash after the \centering-command, i.e.:
>{\centering\arraybackslash}X

Your table preamble will be:
\begin{tabularx}{19cm}{r >{\centering}X >{\centering}X%
>{\centering}X >{\centering}X >{\centering\arraybackslash}X}

Or you can use tabu:
\documentclass[11pt,oneside, landscape]{article}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage{geometry}
\geometry{a4paper}
\usepackage[osf]{mathpazo}
\linespread{1.05}\selectfont
\usepackage{graphicx,tabu}
\usepackage[dvipsnames]{xcolor}
\usepackage{booktabs}
\usepackage{array}
\usepackage{tabularx}
\usepackage{fancyhdr}
\pagestyle{empty}

\newcommand{\tit}[1]{\fontsize{15}{17}\color{darkgray}\usefont{T1}{pplj}{b}{it}\selectfont #1}

\begin{document}
\tabulinesep=4pt

\begin{tabu}to 19cm{r X[c] X[c] X[c] X[c] X[c]}
\rowfont{\tit} & Lun &  Mar &  Mer & Gio & Ven \strut\\
\toprule
\color{gray}9-11  $||$ &  & Laboratorio III &  &  Metodi mat. per la fisica & Laboratorio III \\ \midrule
\color{gray}11-13  $||$& Meccanica Quantistica & Metodi mat. per la fisica &  & Meccanica Quantistica & Fisica dell'informazione \\\midrule
\midrule
\color{gray}15-17  $||$ &  & Fisica dell'informazione & Laboratorio III &  & \\
\bottomrule
\end{tabu}
\end{document}

MWE with tabu:

A: in preamble define new column type, for example:
\newcolumntype{C}{>{\centering\arraybackslash}X}

and then instead >{\centering}X and >{\centering\arraybackslash}X just use for column type C.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: How to extract heading numbers from a document using python-docx? I'm using python-docx library to extract data from a docx document, however I also want the heading number/ paragraph number. I want to build a build a proof reading tool for which I need to know that information, however I can neither find that information in the text, nor the style of the paragraph. Is there some way to extract that information?
I can just loop through the tags of same heading number, but what if the user didn't use proper heading tags while writing the document?
Or what if they choose to not use the default word convention of 1, 1.1, 1.1.1, a and choose to use something of their own instead?

Basically I want a way to extract these numbers, 2, 2.1, 2.2.1, (a). How can I do it?

A: I tried a similar one but for multilanguage.
Firstly you have to observe the heading(1, 2, 3 ..) and subheading (2.1, 2.2 ..) and try to extract some common things. They might have some of the below unique patterns:

*

*Bold text

*Font, size

*Headings start with int(2) and subheadings with float (2.1)

*What is the delimiter ('\t' or 'space') before the text and after the number

Observe these things and try to frame the pattern. By using the regex, we can extract the required.
Here is the regex, which will satisfy your case. Even for multi-language.
headings = regex.search("\d+\.\t(\p{Lu}+([\s]+)?)+")
subHeadings =regex.search("\d+\.\d+\t\p{Lu}(\p{Ll}+)+")

The python regex ( re ) is not backward compatible. So use this [regex][1] especially if your text is multi-language.
import regex
from docx import Document
doc = Document("<<Your doc file name here>>")

# Iterate through paragraphs ( in a word everything is a paragraph)
# Even the blank lines are paragraphs
for index, para in enumerate(doc.paragraphs):

# Skipping the blank paragraphs
    if(para.text):
        headings = regex.search("\d+\.\t(\p{Lu}+([\s]+)?)+",para.text,regex.UNICODE)
        subHeadings = regex.search("\d+\.\d+\t\p{Lu}(\p{Ll}+)+",para.text,regex.UNICODE)
        if headings:
            if para.runs:
                for run in para.runs:
                    # At run level checking for bold or italic.
                    if run.bold:
                        print("Bold Heading :",headings.group(0))
                    if run.italic:
                        print("Italic Heading :",headings.group(0))
          if subHeadings :
            if para.runs:
                for run in para.runs:
                    # At run level checking for bold or italic.
                    if run.bold:
                        print("Bold subHeadings :",subHeadings .group(0))
                    if run.italic:
                        print("Italic subHeadings :",subHeadings .group(0))

Note: The Bold or Italic will not always be there at the run level. If you are not getting these parameters, you should check in style and para level.


text:
Submission to Attorney General: OAIC matters raised by ART – The evidence!
by jmsthornton | Dec 7, 2017 | Auditor General, Federal Government, Freedom of Information, Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, Open Government Partnership (OGP), Privacy
This submission was sent to the office of the Attorney general immediately after the letter sent by Tim Smith to George Brandis on OAIC and the OGP; Issues on Wednesday 6th December 2017 . That itself followed from a letter from George Brandis to Josh Frydenberg that...
Government talks big on transparency but….
by jmsthornton | Dec 3, 2017 | Auditor General, Federal Government, Freedom of Information, Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, Privacy, Reforms
Our ART members, Tim Smith, David Harper and Stephen Charles authored the following article, published in The Sydney Morning Herald and the Canberra Times. Turnbull government talks big on transparency, but keeps 'forgetting' to fund FOI Tim Smith, David...
Resourcing of the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner – Australian OGP Commitment 3.1 – Submission 2
by jmsthornton | Oct 17, 2017 | Auditor General, Federal Government, Freedom of Information, News, Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, Open Government Partnership (OGP)
On 31 May 2017 there was a discussion between members of Accountability Round Table and the Department of the Attorney-General concerning Australia's the OGP National Action Plan that resulted in our first submission on proper resourcing of the Office of the...
George Brandis to Josh Frydenberg on OAIC
by jmsthornton | Oct 12, 2017 | Auditor General, Federal Government, Freedom of Information, Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, Privacy
MC17-009951 The Hon Josh Frydenberg MP Minister for the Environment and Energy Parliament House CANBERRA ACT 2600 11 October 2017 Dear Minister (Title crossed out and amended by hand to "Josh" (ed) ) I refer to the email you received dated 3 July 2017 from...
by jmsthornton | Jun 11, 2017 | Auditor General, Federal Government, Freedom of Information, Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, Open Government Partnership (OGP)
Accountability Round Table has long held concerns about the protection of Freedom of Information given the abolition of the oversight body, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), followed by its restoration in a weakened and underfunded form....
Open Government Partnership – National Action Plan. ART Submission 4. Freedom of Information.
by jmsthornton | Nov 20, 2016 | Federal Government, Freedom of Information, Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, Open Government, Open Government Partnership (OGP), Public Trust, Reforms, Submissions
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION Open Government Australia in its Draft National Action Plan includes Commitment 3.1 – Information management and access laws for the 21st century. At present the draft commitment reads; "We will ensure our information access laws are...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Newsom looks to other states before reopening California theme parks
by: Los Angeles Times
Posted: Oct 12, 2020 / 08:41 PM PDT / Updated: Oct 12, 2020 / 08:41 PM PDT
Visitors and staff wearing protective face masks walk down the Main Street of Disneyland Paris on July 15, 2020.(AURELIA MOUSSLY/AFP via Getty Images)
Gov. Gavin Newsom, aiming for an eventual safe reopening of California theme parks, said Monday that he was sending a team of people to parks open in other states to learn what precautions they are taking to avoid the spread of COVID-19.
While the governor has yet to offer a timeline for when he will allow large theme parks such as Disneyland and SeaWorld to resume operations, he made clear Monday that he remains concerned about the potential for virus transmission from out-of-state visitors. At the same time, he said he wants to continue working with California parks on a plan for letting them reopen. They have been shut since mid-March.
Disneyland implements O.C. health agency's COVID-19 recommendations while awaiting state's reopening guidance
CA theme parks won't reopen 'in the immediate term,' Newsom says amid delay in guidelines
Theme park leaders oppose California's draft reopening rules
Although there have been news reports that parks outside California have not experienced outbreaks among workers or guests after reopening, Newsom said he wants an assessment from his own staff.
"We're doing our own stubborn research," he told reporters Monday. "Because this is serious…. We're entering not just the flu season but we're entering into a period of time where people are more likely to start congregating and mixing back indoors."
Read the full story on LATimes.com.


Sadie, Scooter and Trapper enjoying some alfalfa on 05/26/18.
Yeah, the corral needs to be cleaned, their feet need to be trimmed, and they've put on a few pounds.
If you find yourself spending a lot of time on the exercise bike, maybe get some land, adopt some horses, and take up the ranching lifestyle. Your biggest problems will be keeping weight on and getting enough sleep.
Your horses are not in stalls, right?
Next Post Best Place to Pick Up Chicks?


text:
Envirofit and Biolite selected to receive first funding from Clean Cooking Working Capital Fund
The Clean Cooking Working Capital Fund (Fund) has awarded its first round of funding to two social enterprise firms – Envirofit International and BioLite. The USD 4 million Fund is designed to accelerate development of the clean cooking supply chain in low-income communities by supporting enterprises that face difficulty accessing traditional sources of capital. Envirofit International and BioLite will use the financing for working capital to support expansion of localized production, distribution and customer support in existing and new markets in sub-Saharan Africa, India and Latin America.
Traditional sources of capital are out of reach for many early stage and relatively small clean cookstove and fuels businesses. To help fill this gap, the Fund was established by Deutsche Bank's Global Social Finance Group and the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves (Alliance), with several initial funders including the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO.nl), Royal Dutch Shell plc, the UN Foundation, the Osprey Foundation, the Montpelier Foundation, and the Hampshire Foundation.
"For enterprises in the clean cooking sector that are looking to expand, working capital can be difficult to secure," said Radha Muthiah, CEO of the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves. "This funding will help these companies grow their businesses, create jobs, boost local economies, and ultimately, drive adoption of cleaner, more efficient cookstoves and fuels."
A global market for clean cooking solutions is needed to reach the 3 billion people who still depend on cooking food with heavily-polluting solid fuels each day. When burned in open fires and traditional stoves, wood, coal, charcoal, and other solid fuels emit harmful smoke that claims 4 million lives annually – making household air pollution the fourth greatest health risk in the world, responsible for more deaths than HIV, Malaria and TB combined.
"This additional working capital will be targeted towards expanding local manufacturing in order to meet the high demand we've seen for our new SuperSaver Charcoal stove," said Ron Bills, Envirofit CEO. "The expanded production will create more local jobs and increase access to high quality cookstoves in the countries we work in."
Envirofit International, a social enterprise that innovates smart energy products that improve lives on a global scale has developed a global product line of smart clean cookstoves that cook faster while reducing fuel use, smoke, and toxic emissions. Serving more than 5 million people in energy poverty, Envirofit's smart stoves reduce climate change, create new jobs, and enable families to save money.
Brooklyn-based BioLite develops breakthrough technologies in three areas – cooking, charging and lighting – and delivers them through a market-based approach, empowering people to power themselves. Its cookstoves not only reduce carbon and smoke emissions, as well as fuel costs, but also have the ability to produce electricity.
The Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves is a public-private partnership hosted by the UN Foundation to save lives, improve livelihoods, empower women, and protect the environment by creating a thriving global market for clean and efficient household cooking solutions. The Alliance's 100 by '20 goal calls for 100 million households to gain access to clean and efficient cookstoves and fuels by 2020. The Alliance works with a strong network of public private and non-profit partners to accelerate the production, distribution and use of various clean and efficient technologies in developing countries.
clean cookstoves, GACC, Global Alliance for Clean Cooking, Social Enterprise, sustainable markets


Ideally situated on the west coast of Scotland, Ullapool is a well established port and has a long maritime history. It is renowned as one of the best natural harbours in the UK, with pier berths accessible to the majority of vessels at all states of the tide. We also have safe all weather anchorages, those having been used successfully by the Klondyking fleet for many years.
As the main ferry terminal to the Outer Hebrides, Ullapool has excellent road links to the train station and airport in Inverness and beyond. Inverness is approximately a one hour drive from Ullapool and Aberdeen takes 3 - 4 hours.
Ullapool is an ideal location for any vessels working on or around the North West coast that would require any equipment, supplies, provisions or crew changes.


text:
The Windows 10 Anniversary Update is officially coming August 2 - here's what's in it
By Rich Woods Senior Editor for North America Neowin @@TheRichWoods · Jun 29, 2016 09:44 EDT · Hot! with 76 comments
Microsoft has now officially confirmed that the Windows 10 Anniversary Update is coming on August 2. The news probably sounds familiar, as the company published a blog post with a similar title yesterday; however, at the time, it was only a title and the article had no body.
Since the offer for a free upgrade to Windows 10 will end on July 29, Microsoft is offering a number of deals:
Students can save $300 with the purchase of an Xbox One or Surface
Students can get a free TV with the purchase of a Dell PC costing over $699
$150 off select HP devices
$100 off select ASUS and Samsung devices
The Windows 10 Anniversary Update improves on almost every area of the OS, and Microsoft outlines six major areas where there are significant feature improvements.
There are new security features for both consumers and businesses. Here's what's coming for all individual consumers:
Over 90% of people have abandoned web sites instead of locating a forgotten password because security hasn't been easy enough to use. New Windows Hello features make it easy for you to use the same easy, yet strong, security of Windows Hello with Windows apps and Microsoft Edge, the first and only browser to natively support biometrics with supporting sites. The Anniversary Update also enables companion devices to use Windows Hello to unlock your PC, giving you more choices for quick, secured sign-ins.
Improvements to Windows Defender, our free anti-malware service, includes the option to automatically schedule periodic quick scans of your PC; as well as provide new notifications and summaries when scans are complete and threats are found.
Here's what's coming for enterprise customers:
Today's cyberattacks have gotten more brazen and more invasive, costing organizations an average of $12 million per incident – wreaking havoc on corporate networks, stealing data, breaching privacy, and destroying customer trust. Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection (WDATP) detects, investigates, and responds to advanced malicious attacks on networks by providing a more comprehensive threat intelligence and attack detection. This service is informed by the world's largest array of sensors and expert advanced threat protection, including a team of security researchers at Microsoft leveraging in-house and security partner intelligence. WDATP now covers more than 700,000 endpoints and is being used in pilots by more than 300 active enterprises participating in 70 countries around the world.
To help protect businesses from accidental data leaks – the biggest source of lost data – the Anniversary Update delivers Windows Information Protection, formerly referred to as enterprise data protection. Windows Information Protection enables businesses to separate personal and organizational data and helps protect corporate data where ever it goes.
Quickly and easily take a note, sketch on a screenshot, or draw an idea.
Smart Sticky Notes help you remember common tasks like reminding you of flight times or offering directions using Maps.
Key apps have new ink-specific features, like using handwriting in Office, ink annotations in Microsoft Edge or drawing custom routes in Maps.
New Cortana improvements
Cortana is now available above your lock screen so you can do things like ask questions, play music from your PC or set a reminder without unlocking your device.
Cortana can save and recall key information, like your frequent flier number or where you parked at the airport. You can also add photos to make your reminders visual, like a photo of a bottle of wine you enjoyed at a restaurant.
Cortana can give you notifications across all the devices you have with Cortana – like sharing directions across devices or from text or messaging services on your phone.
Microsoft Edge improvements, including extensions
Building on strong power efficiency already available in Microsoft Edge, the Anniversary Update includes even more power-saving improvements, using fewer CPU cycles, consuming less memory, and minimizing the impact of background activity and peripheral content. Microsoft Edge lasts three hours longer than Google Chrome—long enough to finish the final movie in your favorite trilogy.
Microsoft Edge Extensions, such as Pinterest's "Pin It Button," Amazon Assistant, AdBlock, AdBlock Plus and LastPass, will be available in the Windows Store with the Anniversary Update to add features to your browser and personalize your experience.
A new accessibility architecture for Microsoft Edge supports modern web standards, including HTML5, CSS3, and ARIA. With the Anniversary Update, page structure and content are now exposed more clearly with assistive technology. Visual presentation of web pages in high contrast mode is greatly improved to provide additional visual context, while preserving text contrast. Also, form entry when using keyboard navigation and screen readers improve in this update making the browsing experience for people of all abilities better.
Gaming improvements; playing across devices
With the Xbox Play Anywhere program, you can buy a game once and play on your Windows 10 PC and Xbox One with shared progress, shared game saves and shared achievements. Every new title published from Microsoft Studios will support Xbox Play Anywhere and will be easily accessible in the Windows Store.
Xbox Play Anywhere games will be offered within the new unified Windows Store on both Windows 10 and Xbox One. You'll be able to find the content you want faster and purchase game and app bundles, pre-orders, pre-downloads and subscriptions such as Xbox Live Gold.
On Xbox One, gamers will be able to use Cortana commands to find great new games, see what your friends are up to, start a party, accomplish common tasks and turn on your Xbox One by saying "Hey Cortana, Xbox On".
Top fan requested features for Xbox One, such as Language Region Independence (allowing gamers to choose any supported language, regardless of their location) and support for background music, will come with the Anniversary Update.
Gamers can enjoy the Windows 10 Anniversary Update on the new Xbox One S. Available starting at $299 USD this summer, with a limited 2TB Xbox One S launch edition available in August for $399 USD, it's the only console with support for HDR gaming and 4K Ultra HD video and Blu-ray.
Classroom improvements
The Anniversary Update simplifies the deployment process. Teachers can set up devices in three easy steps, even with no dedicated IT support. The all-new "Set up School PCs" app allows teachers to set up a 'Shared Cart of Devices' for their classroom.
For schools with dedicated IT support, the updated Windows Imaging and Configuration Designer tool enables them to set up shared devices, in bulk, in a matter of minutes.
Windows 10 is faster than ever, with an average first log-in of 26 seconds and subsequent log-ins of 6 seconds, helping classes with shared devices get productive quickly.
For high-stakes tests, the 'Take a Test' app creates a browser-based, locked-down environment for more secure, online assessments. This is ideal for tests that shouldn't have copy/paste privileges, access to files, or other distractions. For simple formative and quizzing needs, the app couples with a teacher's preferred assessment website to deliver digital assessments.
Since the free upgrade offer ends on July 29 - or four days before the Anniversary Update is released - you'll need to upgrade your PC to Windows 10 before this happens. Remember, you can also upgrade your PC and then roll back. Your computer will then be licensed for Windows 10, and you can upgrade again whenever you want - even after July 29.
You can read the full blog post here.
OnePlus warns of possible price increases for its handsets following Brexit
Save 98% off The Complete iOS 10 Developer Course - PRE-SALE get it for $29


ONE OF THE BIGGEST FLYING SHOWS IN THE WORLD!
This spectacular show with our birds of prey flying free around the arena is presented to you on horseback by Bernard Bailly, our master-falconer, and his team.
In this exceptional show you will see how a large snake-eating bird of prey hunts the most venomous reptiles.
This spectacular show will take place from Saturday 25th March to Sunday 5th November 2017 inclusive.
Our birds of prey need between 4 and 5 months rest in the winter months to grow their feathers.
Our birds of prey show is both fun and educational, showcasing the hunting techniques of the Falcon, the Harris Hawk and the Osprey. It encourages us to protect these magnificent predators and to respect their environment. The grand finale is breath-taking: more than 60 birds let loose simultaneously, and amongst these the biggest birds of prey in the world!


In 2011, ASRock made a huge push forward in the channel motherboard segment, allowing them to pull into third place behind market leaders ASUS and Gigabyte with 7.8 million units shipped. A major part of this improvement was a general move away from their oddball value oriented offerings of previous generations in order to focus upon a full range of LGA1155 products. Continuing down the enthusiast path in 2012, ASRock has a number of X79 boards with one of the key flagship models being the Extreme9 we will be looking at today.
The Extreme9 is an LGA2011 board based around Intel's latest Patsburg or X79 chipset. One of the strengths of the 40 PCI-E lane Patsburg chipset is its ability to run SLI or Crossfire with both GPUs at full x16 speed with some bandwidth left for other devices. The Extreme9 can run up to quad four GPUs at x8 or dual cards at x16 which is perfect for anyone looking for massive rendering potential.
In addition to the 3D capabilities, the Extreme9 comes with ASRock's so called "Game Blaster". The Game Blaster is essentially an external sound card and NIC which supports Creative Sound Core3D 7.1 CH HD audio and has an integrated Broadcom gigabit LAN. ASRock has also included a robust software suite with features such as XFast RAM, XFast LAN, and XFast USB technology. It is just important to note that unlike other motherboard manufacturers' 3 to 5 year warranties, ASRock only offers a single year of coverage on their products. EDIT: Please note that even though ASRock's website says differently at the time of this review, we are now told that all of their X79 boards have a 3 year warranty.
Surprisingly the Extreme9's price has a fair amount of variation between Canada and the US, something we don't see much of anymore. In Canada the board is priced at $429 while south of the border it can be found for as little as $345, a difference of $84. With that being said, the Canadian price puts the Extreme9 firmly into the premium price category alongside the big guns such as ASUS' Rampage IV Extreme and MSI's Big Bang Xpower II X79. Those are some tough boards to compete against and on top of that ASRock has dubbed its board the "Overclock King" which does everything but directly challenge the big boys to a benching contest. However, any Americans reading this will see the Extreme9 lining up against Gigabyte's UD5 and ASUS' P9X79 PRO so it should be interesting to see where it ultimately falls in terms of capabilities.


text:
Facebook Shuts Down Facial Recognition Technology
HMbiz	 2021-11-02 Categories Business, IT & Technology
Facebook says it is shutting down its facial recognition system.
Citing "growing societal concerns" about the technology that can automatically identify people in photos and videos, the company says it will continue to work on the technology to try to address issues.
"Regulators are still in the process of providing a clear set of rules governing its use," Jerome Pesenti, vice president of artificial intelligence at Facebook, said in a blog post. "Amid this ongoing uncertainty, we believe that limiting the use of facial recognition to a narrow set of use cases is appropriate."
The move will delete the "facial recognition templates" of more than 1 billion people, Reuters reported. Facebook said that one-third of its daily active users opted into the technology.
The deletions should be done by December, the company said.
The company also said that a tool that creates audible descriptions of photos for the visually impaired will function normally, but will no longer include the names of people in photos.
Facebook, which rebranded itself as Meta last week, doesn't appear to be shutting the door permanently on facial recognition.
"Looking ahead, we still see facial recognition technology as a powerful tool, for example, for people needing to verify their identity or to prevent fraud and impersonation," the company wrote, adding it will "continue working on these technologies and engaging outside experts."
Some information in this report came from Reuters.
Previous: China Makes No New Pledges but Calls on COP26 Countries to Act
Next: COP26: Will Vaccine Inequality Drive Distrust Between Rich, Poor Nations at Climate Summit?


I have become a huge fun of Polish cinema since I discovered some beautiful experimental short-films shot in the 70s and 80s. Even though my supreme masters remain the Russians A. Tarkovsky and A. Sokurov (will post something about them in the future) I believe Polish cinema has produced amazing movies over the past decades (everyone know the work of K. Kieślowski for example).
Pawel Pawlikowski's IDA is another fantastic movie from Poland. DOP Lukasz Zal's frame composition is impeccable and overall the cinematography is simply brilliant. I thought you might enjoy watching the trailer, the release of the DVD/Blu-Ray in UK is imminent.
This entry was posted in Uncategorised on 21st January 2015 by LVFX.