DUTCH A1 FANS GET LOYALTY REWARD

The Dutch fans have proved the most loyal to their team in the A1 Grand Prix series and this has been rewarded with a race on home turf as the opener for the 2006/07 season will be at the Zandvoort seaside circuit.

After a 21 year absence, Grand Prix racing will return to Zandvoort on 30 September – 1 October 2006, kicking off A1 Grand Prix’s second season. The event, organised by A1 Grand Prix, in close co-operation with Circuit Park Zandvoort and A1 Team Netherlands, will be the first time A1 Grand Prix has raced in the Netherlands.

A1 Team Netherlands’ seat holder, Jan Lammers, who was born in Zandvoort and began his racing career at the circuit under the guidance of the late Rob Slotemaker, is excited to secure a home race for himself and his team. For Lammers A1 Grand Prix is the best thing that has ever happened to motorsport. ‘Unlike all other motor sports, A1 Grand Prix is not solely about the individual driver but all about team effort and the honour of representing your country. It’s also a real family event and gives all the fans, young and old, the best in entertainment and value for money.’

Hans Ernst, director of Circuit Park Zandvoort, welcomed the opportunity to host an A1 Grand Prix event. ‘It is very special that A1 Grand Prix will come to Zandvoort. We expect it to attract huge crowds and it’s also a big boost for the Zandvoort economy in a period where the regular tourist season has ended. The race will attract millions of television viewers from all over the world and it is excellent promotion for the track, Zandvoort and the Netherlands.’

A1 Grand Prix Chairman, Sheikh Maktoum is delighted that A1 Grand Prix will race in the Netherlands: ‘The enthusiasm of the Dutch fans is the main reason to come to Zandvoort. We have had the pleasure of seeing them at almost every race this year and they encapsulate the patriotic spirit of A1 Grand Prix. They are not easily overlooked in their bright orange outfits. At one race, I even saw two of them with huge inflatable Orange clogs for hats.’

The atmosphere will be electric next October as tens of thousands of fans, most dressed in orange, find their way to Zandvoort. The event is being eagerly anticipated by both fans and motorsport experts with tickets going on sale at 11.00 GMT on Monday 3 April. Furthermore, there will be free gifts for all those who buy their weekend grandstand ticket before 1 June 2006.

Further details of A1 Grand Prix’s 2006/07 season will be made over the coming weeks.

Cape Epic has a new Sponsor

At Moyo at Zoo Lake yesterday, it was announced that Banking group, ABSA, have put big money where thier mouth is and have become the title sponsors of the Cape Epic. Exact figures wern't mentioned but there will be investement in, not only the race, but also into the communities through which the race moves.

At the function, ABSA went on and on about what they are doing to make SA a better place and I didn't really care. What I care for is that SA has another world class bicycle race, especially seeing as the Tour de Eden had to be cancelled. Also announced yesterday was the the Cape Epic has been awarded official UCI status, making it the only mountain bike race in Africa in 2006 to have this honour.

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is the Olympic governing body for cycling. They award UCI points at official UCI events to competing athletes, which are then used for seeding in the Olympics, World Cup series and World Championship events. The Cape Epic is the first ever team mountain bike stage race in the world to be given official UCI status.

“This is a huge honour for us and one which we are extremely proud of. It is also indicative of the speed at which The Cape Epic is growing in stature and reputation on the international mountain biking calendar,” said Kevin Vermaak, Director of The Cape Epic.

The appointment of The Cape Epic as an official UCI event means that they will secure a favourable date in the world cycling calendar. This in turn guarantees a greater number of the world’s best professional mountain bikers entering the race in future years, and will assist athletes trying to earn pre-season UCI points. It also means that South African riders for the first time will have the opportunity to earn UCI points in South Africa in Mountain Biking events.

Cambridge slight favourites for 152nd Boat Race

Two of the most experienced crews to take part in the Cambridge-Oxford Boat Race will line up for the 152nd showdown on Sunday with Cambridge the slight favourites for what is expected to be a rough encounter.

The Meteorological Office has forecast blustery and strong winds throughout the day on Sunday and the River Thames is expected to be choppy.

London bookmakers William Hill have even cut their odds on the chances of one of the two crews sinking.

But despite the conditions, the standard of rowing should be high, with one former Olympic champion and two Olympic silver medallists involved.

Cambridge have the slight edge on experience, with Britain's former Olympic and world champion Kieran West looking for his third Boat Race victory. Five other current or former world championship medallists are also in the light blue crew.

The Oxford, or dark blue boat, can also boast some big names, with Canada's Barney Williams and Jacob Wetzel taking part. Both men won Olympic silvers at the Athens Games in 2004, when they missed out on gold by a split second behind the British crew which was led by Matthew Pinsent.

The Oxford boat also contains Paul Daniels of the United States, who won gold at the 2005 world championships, and Bastien Ripoll, an Olympic finalist and the first Frenchman to row in the annual contest.

Bookmakers have installed Cambridge as the favourites and their coach Duncan Holland told the official website he was confident in the build-up to the race.

"Things are coming together," he said. "We've had some good training this week. All the signs suggest it will be a close race. It won't be good for my blood pressure, but I'm anticipating a great contest."

Cambridge lead the series 78 to 72 but Oxford have won three of the last four encounters.

South African Wild Water Championships

Darryl Bartho will try to extend his winning streak at the South African Wild Water Championships to four back-to-back titles on the weekend, when the national showdown takes place in the notorious Umkomaas Gorge outside Richmond.

Bartho, who has represented South Africa in this discipline on several occasions, has a passion to make his mark as a consistent performer at wild water racing, and perhaps one day challenge the legendary Jerome Truran, who won the national title eight times in the seventies and eighties.

But Bartho will have to work hard to secure the top spot on the podium. He has been away from his wild water boat due to commitments to ski paddling and the recent interclub lifesaving champs in Australia.

He will also have to hold off the charge of a number of other top experienced wild water racers, including Johannesburg teenager Grant van der Walt, who has been the talk of the summer after winning both of the first two national trials at the Gauteng and KZN Championships this month.

Van Der Walt outpaced all the seniors in both events, signalling his steady progress as a top wild water racer. Last year he made waves by being the youngster competitor at the wild water junior world championships, beating the majority of other entrants in the races at the worlds in Italy.

Add to that mix the exciting talent of Sven Bruss, who has made a return to full-time paddling after a brief sojourn as a game ranger, and the experienced wild water talents of Craig Mustard, and veteran Dundas Gold, and the stage is set for a thrilling encounter in the Umkomaas Valley on Sunday.

The race will be held at the Highover Farm in the Hella Hella Gorge, starting two kilometres above the traditional Umkomaas marathon start, and finishing just above Number One rapid, providing fifteen minutes of time-trial racing on a medium level river.

“The flatwater will be a factor,” said national wild water chairperson Warren Stead. “In the current 1,4 metre water level, the race will be lost by a mistake in the rapids, and won by sheer power on the flatwater.”

The racing starts at 11am on Sunday, based at the Highover resort, and is being organised by the Gauteng Canoe Union.

Test Cricket is NOT boring

If your mate ever asks you how you can sit through five days of cricket and it turns out to be a draw, show them the video of the 2nd test between South Africa and Australia in Durban on the go right now.

Words before and during the game have added sparks. One of the 'wordists' is Andre Nel. He is now facing the new ball against one of the fastest bowlers in the world in bad light and has to hold onto his wicket. Every single ball being bowled is a test on its own. Six players are close in for the catch. Shane Warne is wizzing it in from the other end to add to thier misery and still they stand.

Test cricket can be coring sometimes, but this is not one of them.

STRETCH LAWS, DON'T BREAK THEM

Have you ever cheated on the cricket field? I thought so ... not that you haven't cheated but that you have never admitted it.

Cricket pretends its soul is without original sin, a proposition that those titled Georgian twits who gambled on matches to win dubious bets a couple of centuries ago would find preposterous. And any finger-spinner who tells you he has never chucked should be laughed out of the bar. Play up and play the game? Right. Newbolt intended his awful poem about cricket to be a metaphor for life, that wars ought to be fought like games at public schools, all honourable and fair.

The First World War put an end to that daft notion. And you have only to read Tom Brown's Schooldays to know what a spiteful, cheating lot those oiks were. Cricket, more than any sport, has suffered down the years from sentimental overload. It is not that fair play and consideration for others are not virtues worth preserving but they do not always represent real life. To pretend cricket is pure when it is not is like living in a loveless marriage. Sooner or later disillusion sets in.

So, a confession of sorts. While captaining The Observer in a match against the Sunday Times last summer I shamelessly (and I do mean without any sense of shame) instructed our left-arm spinner to make his final delivery - and the last of the match - a no-ball the umpire could not possibly miss. The idea was to get one more ball at the last man in and possibly force a win we had been unable to secure in our allotted overs.

As it happened, the batsman kept out the extra ball and the game was drawn. Was it cheating? Borderline. It is murky water, that pond in which law-breaking and gamesmanship co-exist, but I thought it was more a laugh than mean-spirited. I am not sure the opposition would have found it amusing had we won.

I raise the question because of a recent item about a club wicketkeeper last season being banned for twice pretending to have missed taking the ball down the leg side, then running out the batsman as he took off for what he imagined was an easy single. It was deemed to be against the spirit of the game. But was it out-and-out cheating? More so than our fake no-ball, I would say - but not much different from what I remember seeing occasionally at a much higher level years ago when smart outfielders would kid the batsman to attempt a run by pretending to misfield.

Predictably England's tours of Pakistan and India have raised the usual outcry about over-vigorous appealing - by the opposition, naturally. (It was touching, on the other hand, to see the novice spinner Monty Panesar forget to go up with conviction in his first over in Test cricket to prosecute more effectively what was a decent shout for lbw.)

The reaction to the loud and the dodgy reflects the slowly growing perception that the game is going the way of football: that umpire-bullying, the screaming appeals, sledging, refusing to walk, ball-tampering, claiming ground-skimming catches as legitimate and all-round boorishness constitute cricket's answer to shirt-tugging, tripping and diving.

I am not so sure. I love the mental side of cricket, as long as it is not racist or unfunny (often one and the same). I admire the passion of footballers too but I think they overstep the mark when they try to get opponents sent off with acting that would put Madonna (and Maradona) to shame. You can make a distinction between legitimate mind games - Steve Waugh's `mental disintegration' - and claiming that catch you know hit the ground in front of you.

I am with Waugh on this one. If a batsman at Test level cracks because short leg makes some smart remark about his wife, he does not deserve to be there. Shane Warne, one of the shrewdest competitors of modern times, found out that Daryll Cullinan could not cut it and destroyed him before a ball was bowled. I do not see how anyone could have a problem with that. But, if allegations that some Australians have wound up West Indian players in recent years with racist taunts are true, then those culprits should be named and thrown out. That is not simply undermining the so-called spirit of the game. It is low-rent and cowardly.

Mark Boucher touched a few raw nerves in these pages last issue when he revealed that "nasty things" were said between South African and Australian players in the recent series. He complained too of racism in the crowd (I can vouch for that, having heard far too much of it at Australian grounds the past few summers). Interestingly, though, Boucher promised verbal retaliation in the return leg - and that is just what the Australians want, a wound-up opponent.

The game has got a little nastier in recent seasons and it is up to captains and umpires to impose some quality control on the antics. But it is easy to get things out of proportion. Stretching the Laws is not the same as breaking them. It would be a sad day if the gamesmanship disappeared from cricket. It has always been a part of what can be the most testing cerebral fight. Not that I will be pulling that no-ball stunt against the Sunday Times this season, of course.

Rugby World comes to SA

THE world champion of rugby magazines has entered the South African market following the launch of Rugby World South Africa. The monthly title replaces the high-priced ‘export’ version of the world’s best-selling rugby magazine, making it now available at local prices and with dramatically increased local content.

The launch issue kicks off in style with a cover photograph of John Smit in a 1906 Springbok jersey as the magazine celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Springboks.

Issue No 1 also finds South Africa’s loneliest rugby club; takes an in-depth look at the SA Under-19 side on the eve of the IRB World Championships and introduces fresh new columnists from each of the five Vodacom Super 14 teams.

The new title promises to broaden and deepen existing coverage of local rugby and comes in a larger format than existing sports titles in a cleanly, classical design.

Giant UK publisher, IPC Magazines, a Time Warner company, has licensed their best-selling Rugby World title to Cape Town-based media company, In-Site Media (Pty) Ltd.

Rob Cowan heads up the operation as managing director/publisher, while top rugby writer and broadcaster, Andy Colquhoun, is editor of the new title, "The UK title is the world's biggest-selling rugby magazine and the look, feel and content are what sets it apart," said Cowan.

“Our licence says we have to be at least as good as the UK title so the bar has been set high for us, and both readers and advertisers are guaranteed a product of the highest quality in every respect, each and every month."

The magazine devotes space to each of South Africa’s provinces and an in-depth statistical section, startlingly revealing that the Stormers miss 25 percent of their tackles; the Sharks have to make more tackles than anyone and that Peter Grant is the most accurate place-kicker in the southern hemisphere.

Joel Stransky and Brendan Venter provide expert insight into the game and in a launch issue exclusive Arno Carstens reveals his passion for rugby and recalls his father’s provincial playing days.

"The scandal of sports sponsorship in SA "

Reporter.co.za, although a little bit of an easy way for a news organisation to get news for free, has a great story on the lack of sponsorship in minor sports. For years now, the big bucks go to the big sports but what about the others? Read it and find out.

MTN signs mobile deal for FIFA World Cup™

I have made 2 video calls in one year of owning a 3G phone so I had to laugh when I saw this today...

MTN and Infront Sports & Media have signed an exclusive agreement for soccer’s showpiece in Germany in 2006.

The rights granted are in the category of Mobile Telephony and give MTN the right to provide video material from each match on mobile phones during the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Ashraff Paruk, General Manager, Business Strategy, MTN South Africa, says: ‘’MTN customers will get the very best mobile 2006 FIFA World Cup content delivered near real time directly to their cellphones using video, MMS and SMS.’’

Customers can activate a service via the MTNLoaded portal, WAP, USSD or Interactive Voice Response (IVR) to have content delivered to their cellphones.

The deal, which is exclusive for the territory of South Africa, covers all 64 matches of the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ and also gives MTN full access to the archive material from the 2002 FIFA World Cup™, which took place in Korea and Japan. The license is valid until October 2006.

Paruk added: ‘’Soccer is the religion of sports-mad enthusiasts around the world. As staunch soccer supporters, MTN is delighted to extend the enjoyment of the beautiful game to our subscribers during this international show-stopper.’’

MTNLoaded subscribers – sports, entertainment and techno-savvy individuals - already enjoy a range of services from the lifestyle portal with a range of MTN 3G handsets in the marketplace.

‘’As an integrated communications provider, MTN is proud to partner with a global content provider to bring our customers the very best in entertainment during the world’s largest sporting event.’’

Oliver Seibert, an Executive Director of Infront, said: “This deal is exciting and shows how the delivery of content is changing, reflecting a revolution in live entertainment. We are very pleased that we have been able to reach this ground-breaking agreement with MTN, one of an increasing number of mobile telephony agreements for 2006.’’

Qualifying

I would like your opinion on the new qualifying for Formula 1 this year. I think it's great! Right from the start all of the cars have to get on the track and they all have to go fast. As we saw today with the Ferraris, anything can happen and, as Murray Walker used to say, it usually does.

I like the way the cars at the back of the grid get thier 15 minutes of fame, then the middle guys and the poll sitters have thier dash.

The start of the final session of qualifying does get a little boring as the cars do that wastefull fuel burnoff for the last dash over the last couple of minutes, but having fast pit stops in qualifying is GREAT!! Leave the dash too late and you are in trouble. I am not sure what the viewership is like for the Saturday yet, but I make a point of watching it.

Let me know what you think....

Six Nations

I haven't written anything about this year's Six Nations Rugby tournament in Europe. Unlike years before, this year sees no team running away for the title which is great. For many years one team would do the Grandslam, winning against the other five and taking the title. It's good to see when Wales do it from thier recent history, but it does get a little boring.

This year sees France and Ireland on 6 points going into the last week of games. England and Scotland are 2 points further back with Wales still in there and, of course, Italy holding up the bottom of the table.

To make matters even more exciting, all the games are being played on the same day today, unlike previous weeks that included Sunday games to allow for soccer fans. The schedule is:

Italy v Scotland, 15:30
Wales v France, 17:30
England v Ireland, 19:30

There are so many permutations about who could win if who wins against whom that it's not really worth writing about here, but all I can tell you is to be glued to your seats for 6 hours of intense Northern Hemisphere rugby this afternoon.

Collapse

Australia experienced a major collapse, in Australian terms, today in the 1st test against South Africa at Newlands. That should be, SAHARA Newlands.

From 214/4 to 294/9. Only 80 runs for 5 wickets!!! How things can change from a Sunday to a Friday in cricket.

Speaking of changes, South African batsman were also given a little wake up call yesterday. From scoring over 400 in only 50 overs, the side only managed to bat for 64 overs in a test match and scored half the runs. OK, it's a different venue and the pitch was probably a good one, compared to that piece of concrete that was at the Wanderers on Sunday. That should be SAHARA Wanderers????

Cricket is a strange game. You can bet on that.

Less injuries at the 2006 Cycle Tour reports Medi-Clinic

The world’s largest timed race, The Cape Argus Pick ‘n Pay Cycle Tour, took place in Cape Town on Sunday, 12 March 2006. Medi-Clinic and emergency medical services were on hand to ensure that both cyclists and spectators who required medical attention, received the correct treatment as soon as possible, often administering treatment at the scene of the incident.

In case of an accident Medi-Clinic had 16 strategically positioned medical points in addition to the main medical centre located at the race finish. These points were staffed by approximately 100 nurses, 30 doctors and 600 other health care professionals.

Dr Basil Bonner, head of trauma unit at Milnerton Medi-Clinic and Cycle Tour Race Doctor, confirmed the following injury statistics from the event:

One fatality.
A total of 64 cyclists were taken to hospital for treatment.
Of those 64 only 9 are still hospitalised and all are recovering well. One has had a cardiac stent and is doing well. The other are recovering in various wards, none remain in ICU.
A few patients needed to undergo surgery for tendon repair, hip procedures and other orthopaedic injuries.

Dr. Bonner advised “considering the wet conditions, the 2006 Cycle Tour was a quieter year in terms of injuries as opposed to previous years. Perhaps an indication that cyclists do indeed ride safer in less favourable conditions. Medi-Clinic endeavours to make this race as predictably safe as possible, both in the pre-race information and on the race day.”

A Voice of Reason

Call me a cynic but there is no way that the cricket match between South Africa and Australia on Sunday was not a setup.

There is a voice of reason coming from someone who knows his stuff on how to fix the game. Mr Barry Richards hits the nail on the head. Watching 800 odd runs in a day is fine but who would want to grow up to be a bowler? Shaun Pollock is een saying that he wants to be remembered as a great batsman as he gets older. No wonder, he gets hit around the park for 100 in his ten overs.

As for the game, it was a freak, setup from the start of the series. How can both sides bowl so badly for the whole match? Think about it.

Argus on the day

After waking up a little later than originally planned, I have made my way down to the finish of the Cape Argus Pick 'n Pay Cycle Tour. This is going to be a name dropping entry, so get ready...

While interviewing Phil Ligget, Dave Bellairs walked past and introduced me to Malcolm Langer and Anriette Schoeman. I said that I was busy because I was going to talk to Steffen Redachla, the winner of the men's race. The event organiser, Anton Groenewaldt offered me a beer but I had to turn him down as I was going to go on air in a couple of hours and had to be sober...

WOW

The Argus is being ridden under partly cloudy skies, just as predicted by the weather office, so well done to them. The wind is going to be tough for the latter riders and it was also a factor earlier, but it's coming up now. It is cool, though, so that will help. The medics report that it is still quiet, but it is early days still. The fat, unfit and just plain lazy will come in later with all of thier regular complaints.

Banyana Banyana

A victory by Vodacom-sponsored Banyana Banyana over Mozambique, will bring the local national women's team closer to securing a place at the African Nation's Cup in Gabon in September this year.

This pre-qualifying fixture at the Caledonian Stadium, in Pretoria on Saturday (15h00 kickoff), will take them a step closer towards reaching their goal.

Victory over the Mozambicans on Saturday, as well as to the same opponents in a fortnight's time, will see Banyana Banyana placed for what would be their final qualifying match, against yet unnamed opponents, in June.

Augustine Makalakalane, Banyana Banyana's newly-appointed coach says the team has many priorities for the upcoming match. "Firstly the team needs to focus on qualifying for the African Nation's Cup. The top two teams in the African Nation's Cup will then qualify to represent Africa at the FIFA Women's World Cup in China in 2007. Lastly but most importantly, they need to upgrade the image of Banyana Banyana."

Vodacom's Chief Communications Officer, Dot Field said that, as the greatest supporter of SA supporters, Vodacom is committed towards assisting the SA Football Association in uplifting the standard of women's soccer in SA, through the creation of opportunities for women to play.

"It is an honour for Vodacom to be a sponsor of the national team. It's now up to the fans to show their passion by filling the Caledonian Stadium and cheering on our players, as they beckon the nation's pride of women's soccer in SA."

The Argus

Or, as it should be known, The Cape Argus, Pick 'n Pay Cycle Tour, is the creator of the busiest weekend of air travel in South Africa. I can attest to that, because at 5am this morning, I was making my way through secutiry at JHB/Kempton/OR Tambo International Airport. Just to get this straight, it's the busiest air travel weekend and there were 3 security check points open. THREE!!!!
The mind boggles.

Cape Town is great. Clear skies with a little chill in the air to make it feel as if you are in Europe. Guess what, the wind is blowing, but here in Sea Point it is bearable. There are cyclists all over the place with many GP number plates with bike racks teaching the Capies how to drive. They still don't know what a slip way is for here in Cape Town.

Today is a quiet day, but all hell breaks loose tomorrow, let's see how it goes.

Cycling Mouse from Microsoft

Does this go in The Technology Circle or does it go here? I have already updates The Circle today, so here it is.....

With this year’s Cape Argus Pick ‘n Pay Cycle Tour, the world’s largest individual timed cycle race, just a few days away, Microsoft Entertainment and Devices is thrilled to announce the release of its limited edition cycling mouse, the Notebook Optical Cycle Mouse 3000. The mouse will launch officially today at the Pick ‘n Pay Argus Expo.

The Notebook Optical Cycle Mouse 3000, is a special edition of Microsoft’s Notebook Optical Mouse 3000. This mouse was co designed and developed by Microsoft ergonomists and sports apparel specialists and focuses on comfort, performance, speed, precision and most importantly mobility.

“The idea for the uniquely South African, special edition version of the mouse was inspired by the mouse’s sporty heritage. The synergies between the Microsoft cycling team and the Microsoft endorsed Raleigh bicycles have provided the ideal opportunity to specially brand & package this limited edition mouse.” Says Cindy White, entertainment and devices group manager, Microsoft SA.

The Notebook Optical Cycle Mouse 3000, offers a host of features including:

- High Definition Optical Technology, allowing for the ultimate performance through smooth and precise tracking;

- Magnifier, providing the opportunity to enlarge and edit selected areas within a document in real time;

- 4-Way Scrolling, with Tilt Wheel technology enabling easy and efficient scrolling from side to side and up and down;

- Comfort, the recessed rubber sides providing a comfortable grip for either hand;

- Style, the LED tail light adds to the sophistication of the design and look of the mouse.

The limited edition mouse, will be available at participating retail and cycling stores as well as the Pick ‘n Pay Argus Expo from today, the 8^th March, at an estimated retail price of R259,00. You can also visit Kalahari.net to get the mouse.

Brand New Tour Route for City of Durban

The 2006 Mr Price Tour Durban cycle race has unveiled a brand new tour route of the city that provides cyclists, both recreational and professional, the perfect excuse to see Durban by bike this autumn!

Endorsed by the city of Durban, the April 23 event forms part of the hugely successful Easter festival in KZN, which lures a flood of tourists annually to South Africa’s sporting capital.

In 2005, almost 5000 cyclists descend on the city during the tour weekend with 100% participation from South Africa’s top teams.

The new route starts at the Cyril Geoghegan Cycle Stadium on NMR Avenue. Cyclists will head north, turning right into Athlone Drive, and then left onto Lagoon Drive under the M4. Turning onto the Snell Parade, they will head down towards Battery Beach, turning into Battery Beach Road and then left into NMR Avenue until they reach Ordinance Road.

Riders turn left into Aliwal Street travelling contra flow, making a left into the Victoria Embankment, and another left at Sydney Road where the road splits, into Edwin Swales Drive. The route continues straight along Edwin Swales Drive under the N3, which eventually becomes the N7, continuing along St Johns Road through Pinetown, this leads into the M19.

The routine carries on along the M19 until the Inanda Road turn off, into Springfield Park, where riders continue all the way to the North Coast Road. Joining into the North Coast Road, they will travel contra flow until Riverside Road. Then, it is right on to Prospect Hall and right again on to the M4 until Desainager Circle.

The final stretch is marked by a 180-degree turn back along the M4 South, just before the Umhlanga on-ramp, where riders swap to contra flow on the M4, turning right and then on to the Walter Gilbert/ Durban Country Club off-ramp, right into NMR Avenue finishing at the NMR Avenue entrance to the stadium.

A broad spectrum of categories ensures there is something for everyone!

Sunday 23 April:
*Elite and U23 licensed men;
*U16's and juniors;
*Licensed women and
*Vets from 30 plus

A range of fun races for kids will take place at Gateway Theatre of Shopping on Saturday April 22, while the thrilling Grand-Prix-style Kermesse (30 min plus one lap sprint race) hurtles off the start line at Gateway Boulevard on the evening of Friday April 21!

The 2006 Mr Price Tour Durban features the premier Champion Chip Race Timing Transponder System, first used at this event eight years ago.

Aside from the professional and recreational aspects of the 2006 tour, the Tour Durban has significant impact on the local community through the Rotary Club of Durban, who use the event as a major fund raising scheme. The event has raised more than a million rand over five years, for projects carried out by the Rotary for underprivileged communities.

Known as an easier ride when compared with the Pick ‘n Pay Amashovashova, the Mr Price Tour Durban is possibly the best way to celebrate the last ride of summer in the sub-tropical paradise of Surf City!

Retail clothing giant, Mr Price, takes great pleasure in hosting this event for the second consecutive year. Other sponsors include Rotary Club of Durban; Energade; Sibaya Casino and Enertainment Kingdom; Gateway Theatre of Shopping; Durban Africa; eThekwini Municipality and Sterling Light Lager.

For further information, please visit www.tourdurban.co.za or contact Annie and Melissa on 031 312 8896 or by email to events@pixie.co.za.

Formula 1

The F1 season kicks off in 5 days in Bahrain. It's great that we don't have to wake up at sparrows for the 1st couple of races.

The big change, besides a new engine, which is big on it's own, is the new qualifying....

For 2006, the single-lap system used in recent years is replaced be a new three-part, knockout format, with multiple cars on track throughout the qualifying hour, which is split into two 15-minute sessions and a final 20-minute session, with five-minute breaks in between.

Part one: All 22 cars may run laps at any time during the first 15 minutes of the hour. At the end of the first 15 minutes, the six slowest cars drop out and fill the final six grid places.

Part two: After a five-minute break, the times will be reset and the 16 remaining cars then will then run in a second 15-minute session - again they may complete as many laps as they want at any time during that period. At the end of the 15 minutes, the six slowest cars drop out and fill places 11 to 16 on the grid.

Part three: After another five-minute break, the times are reset and the final 20-minute session will feature a shootout between the remaining 10 cars to decide pole position and the starting order for the top 10 grid places. Again, these cars may run as many laps as they wish.

In the first two 15-minute sessions, cars may run any fuel load and drivers knocked out after those sessions may refuel ahead of the race. However, the top-ten drivers must begin the final 20-minute session with the fuel load on which they plan to start the race. They will be weighed before they leave the pits, and whatever fuel they use in the 20 minutes may be replaced at the end of the session.

Go Polly!!!

South Africa's Shaun Pollock is now top of both the bowling and all-rounder lists on the ICC's one-day international player rankings. Pollock was already top of the bowling chart, maintaining that position ahead of Glenn McGrath, but now the former South Africa captain has also overtaken England's Andrew Flintoff in the all-rounder list. Pollock's two for 45 and 69 from 74 balls against Australia in Port Elizabeth yesterday were key factors in his rise. Although that contribution was not enough to see his side to victory, it has been enough to give him a career-best haul of all-rounder rating points

Meanwhile, Jacques Kallis is expected to join the South Africa one-day squad this week after recovering from an elbow injury, but Graeme Smith believes he will probably be saved for the three Tests. Kallis, who was forced off the tour of Australia by the problem, has made smooth progress with his rehabilitation and was tipped to return in the final two limited-overs games at Durban on Friday and Johannesburg on Sunday.

Super 14 Results

So 1 of the 5 South African Super 14 sides won a match this weekend. Well done to the Cheetahs for a "heroic effort" to beat the Hurricanes last night. Once again, South African Super 14 teams prove just how good the Ozzies and the New Zealanders are. The reason that the Bulls didn't win or lose was because they didn't play. I wonder what they would have done....

This time next week, thousands of people will be on the starting line for the Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour and I will be there too. Not lining up, mind you, I will be on the press vehicle in front of the main race. I will bring you all the thrills and spills of the Pro Curcuit, right here.

If you are riding, good luck and have fun. One of the main reasons I quit riding was because cyclists take themselves way too seriously. It's not about winning guys, it's about getting fit and having a great Sunday morning in a safe environment. THere is no point sprinting out for 1045th place. Trust me.

SA Cricket

I was listening to the radio and watching TV during South Africa's batting yesterday at Newlands. The batting, that is, not me. And the amazing thing is that suddenly Graeme Smith is the best cricketer ever. OK, I was listening to Radio 2000 and SABC 3 which have the same commentators and they were probably saying the same thing on both media. Can anyone actually listen to Mike "The Mullet" Haysman?

How can Graeme Smith go from looser to hero in 3 weeks? I think that the commentators have been told to hype him up. Also, I know that there is a policy at the SABC to be positive about South Africa and everything South African, even to a fault. In other words, even if things are bad, the SABC still have to find a positive angle to it. It's not always easy, but that is why you hear reports about how close the loss was or how well the side played or about all the positive things a team have learnt from thr 50 point drubbing.

Back to Smith. He only scored 24. Granted, it was fast, but it was still only 24. Three all-rounders scored more than he did and faster! If Shaun Pollock scores more than your opener, surely there is something to be worried about. These commentators were going on about how he was suddenly on form, all confident and all. He got bowled!!! How good can his form be? He didn't hole out to someone on square leg, he wasn't run out by some other batsman, HE MISSED THE BALL!!!! Lesson 1 in cricket, stop the ball from hitting the stumps.

Was he a good captain last night? Probably, if a team wins, then the captain must have done something, right? Nope. Ntini bowled the Ozzies out, Pollock restricted them and players held onto thier catches.

Will Australia come back from 0-2 and win the series? The injuries are a problem so we see. It's just sad that if or when we beat them, we can't claim to have beaten the Ozzies as half of thier side stayed at home.

MWEB, check your spelling

OK, I admit, my spelling and grammar aren't the best in the world, but I don't pretend to try too hard about it. But this is a genuine copy and paste from Mweb's sport section....

Umaga back at the helm
2006-03-03 15:25:03
Retired All Blacks captain Tana Umaga will lead the Cheetahs on Saturday, replacing regular captain Rodney So'oialo, who is serving a one-match suspension.

Well done to the Cheetahs for getting such a great player in thier side so quickly!!! Idiots!

ENTRY DEADLINE FOR OMDIEDAM

Entries for the Mutual Om die Dam marathon close this Sunday March 5, and runners only have a few days to pre-enter the race as no late entries for the ultra or the half marathon will be taken on race day.

This popular event takes place on Saturday, March 18 at the Hartbeesport Dam in the North West North Province and caters for all types of participants as there is a 50 km ultra marathon, a 21 km half marathon and a 5 km fun run. Apart from the running events, participants and spectators can enjoy the craft market, beer garden and various food stalls.

Entries for the 5km fun run will be taken at the start area at GHS Primary School sports grounds in Schoemansville on race day. The ultra starts at 06h00, the half marathon at 06h05 and the fun run at 06h20. Participants are advised to get to the school early to avoid traffic congestion.

Runners can enter online at www.omdiedam.co.za or drop their entries off at Runaway Sports and Running Inn in Pretoria, at the Sweat Shop and The Edge in Witwatersrand, Sportsman’s Warehouse stores in Atterbury, Fourways, Southgate, East Rand and Centurion, and at the race office in Schoemansville. Race numbers will be posted to athletes up until February 25. Thereafter race numbers will be kept back for collection at GHS Primary School on Friday March 17 or on race day.

TEAM BARLOWORLD’S ITALIAN CLASSICS

Returning to Italy with two wins from Portugal and several impressive rankings in France and Switzerland during February, Team Barloworld are preparing for this weekend’s Italian classic races.

Many Italian riders will use the 91^st Milano-Torino on Saturday 4 March as their 2006 debut, while Team Barloworld already have eight races behind them. The Milano-Torino is the oldest of Italian races and presents a mostly flat terrain, however a steep 620 meter climb should give Team Barloworld’s star climbers an opportunity to leap-frog from the pack.

Team Barloworld will head to the hills of Toscana on Monday 6 March for the Giro della Provincia di Lucca. Among the big names that will be at the starting line include the Olympic champion, Paolo Bettini.

Team Barloworld realizes the importance of these two races as they build up to their invitational and much-anticipated Tirreno-Adriatico and Milano-San Remo.

“Team Barloworld will be riding against some of the best Pro-Tour riders and we will use the two Italian classics as a base to prepare for the main races,” said Claudio Corti, Team Manager, Team Barloworld.

Team Barloworld riders confirmed for the Milano-Torino are Pedro Arreitunandia, Igor Astarloa who made his seasonal debut at the GP in Switzerland, Gianpaolo Cheula and Mads Christensen.

Enrico Degano with two wins already this season, Alex Efimkin, Mauro Facci who finished an impressive third at the GP Haribo in France and Hugo Sabido will represent Team Barloworld at the Giro della Provincia di Lucca

HEART ATTACK VICTIM TO RUN DOUBLE ULTRA IN AID OF HEART FOUNDATION

Heart attack victim, Yusuf Abrahams will run the Old Mutual Two Oceans 56 km ultra marathon back to back to raise funds for the Heart Foundation Children’s Programme.

At midnight on Friday April 14, Abrahams and a group of friends will start running the ultra in reverse. They will start at the finish at UCT Sports Grounds and finish at the start in Main Road in Newlands in time to start the main race at 07h00, along with an expected field of over 8 000 runners.

Abrahams suffered a heart attack last year on February 28 and after undergoing major surgery, ended up running the 2005 ultra just three weeks later. He then went on to run all the major ultra marathons around the country, including Comrades, the Washie and the Hewat 100 km. He ran a total of 1 400 km last year.

Abrahams’ and his friends aim to raise awareness around healthy eating, regular cholesterol testing and the benefits of exercise to ensure a healthy heart. This incredible feat will also raise much needed funds for the Heart Foundation Children’s Programme. The programme, established in 1997, teaches children and their parents, teachers and child minders about heart health and has reached more than 1,5 million disadvantaged children countrywide.

An important part of the Heart Foundation Children’s Programme is the Sow-A-Seed project, which provides several crèches in Khayelitsha, Gugulethu and Nyanga with the opportunity to establish their own self-sustaining garden patch. These crèches are able to grow healthy and nutritious fresh vegetables that can be added to the children’s basic diet. The project empowers and teaches children about leading a heart healthy lifestyle, as well as giving them the tools to run the project.

Abrahams is currently running between 70 to 80 km per week, and puts in some 40+ km runs on the weekend. He also cycles and swims to cross train and help his running. “I think I’m in good shape and am getting stronger as the training progresses.

“On the day we will run at a consistent pace and aim to finish the first ultra in around six hours 45 minutes in order to have time for a quick massage and something to eat before we start all over again. The aim is to run the second ultra as close to seven hours as possible. We plan to “Raise a Half a Million Rand to feed a Half a Million Children”,” said Abrahams.

The ultra takes place on Easter Saturday April 15, 2006 at the new start time of 07h00, with the half marathon starting at 06h20

What makes a good Cricket Side?

Isn't that the question that has been flying around the world of late? Sri Lanka beat Australia and then struggle against Bangladesh. England win the ashes series and are in serious trouble against India. Australia wipe the floor with South Africa and lose the Pro 20 and the 1st ODI.

Why do the teams perform so well one day and so badly the next? The die-hard cricket fan will tell you that it is the nature of the game and maybe there is some truth in there. But is it really? People seem to overlook one of the most important things in the game. That strip of grass on which the ball bounces. Call it the pitch, the wicket or, as Alan Donald like to call it, the deck. That piece of grass is the most important player on the ground during any match. Ask the SA team in Australia. One day it's fast and it's bouncy, the next it's slow and flat.

So remember next time you are sitting on your comfortable chair with a beer in your hand. Grass is bad.