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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 8, 1981)
I n Belgium, the name Eddy Mercykx means the same thing Muhammad Ali means to American sports fans — The Greatest. In Italy, it’s Giomonde. In France, it's Ancquetil. All names of former professonal bicycle racers, they tower as monuments in Europe, a continent where bicycle racing enjoys a popularity similar to baseball in America. If the recent surge of nationwide interest in bicycling is an indication, the sport soon may attract similar attention in the United States. While the number of American amateur bike racers has remained stable over the past five years — about 10,000 — the number of spectators has shown a dramatic increase, especially on the East Coast and in Southern California At last year’s "Apple Lap," a closed circuit lap-race in New York City, crowds rivaling most pro football audiences jammed the 12-block course to see some of the country’s best cycling talent compete for $100,000 in prizes. During the "Colorado Coors Classic” last summer, race officials estimated nearly a million people watched at least one of the 12 races during the week-long event. The Coors Classic, now the biggest bike race in the United States and one of the largest amateur races in the world, was started in 1975 as a promotional event by a Boulder, Colo., tea company. Then called the “Red Zinger Bicycle Classic," it expanded into an international event with teams from Holland, Sweden, Spain and Colombia competing Last year, Coors Brewing Co. bought the rights to the race and changed the name. Crowds such as those at the Coors Classic are not unusual on the European racing scene. As many as 10 times that number annually watch the Tour de France, the longest, richest lllllHIIIIIIIIllllllllllllllllllllllllllllM U of O Day at the Capitol Stand up for your interests! Drastic cuts in higher education affect you. This is your chance to voice your opinions on the Capitol steps. Monday, April 13 Rally in Salem Speak with: Representatives Senators Mary Burrows Ed Fadeley Margie Hendriksen Ted Kulongoski Grattan Kerans Jim Gardner Governor Victor Atiyeh Transportation and rally buttons provided Buses leave from Mac Court at 8:30 a m., Monday, April 13 Sign up in Suite 4 EMU It’s time to get involved now! Sponsored by ASUO State Affairs and SURC For more information contact Rich Wilkins 686-3724 EilllHI ■ and most grueling professional race in the history of the sport. Most European fans keep themselves glued to the TV during this two-week stage race, much like their American counterparts during the World Series. But others numbering in the hundreds of thousands either line the streets of towns the racers pass through or camp out near one of the several mountain passes the racers climb. Ironically, bicycle racing originated in the United States. During the early 1900s it was the country’s most popular sport. The advent of the automobile, coupled with a crackdown on illicit gambling that was the sport’s mainstay in its waning years, caused bicycle racing to fade quickly into obscurity in the United States. In Europe, however, the sport caught on and continued to grow. Since then, only soccer has garnered more fans. Craft Center and Cultural Forum Marc Gold ring An Overview of Contemporary Leather Sculptural Form Opus 2, No. 1 A slide lecture of Contemporary Leather Wednesday April 8th, 7:30 pm, EMU Forum Workshop with Marc Goldring Thursday April 9th, 5:30-9:30 pm, EMU Craft Center An exploration of the ancient water-forming leather technique. FREE. Pre-registration is encouraged as enrollment is limited. Although Europeans still dominate professional racing, a new breed of cyclists has risen to the top of the amateur circuit. These are the scientifically trained and systematically developed products of East Germany and the Soviet Union. According to an article in Velo-News, an American bicycle racing monthly, government-sponsored cyclists do little else than train and compete in bicycle races. Raised as athletes, each cyclist enters a special sports school and devotes his time to bicycle racing. The program has obviously paid off. During the 1980 Olympics, the top two places of every cycling event was won by either an East German or a Russian. While the Soviet bloc countries have been creating a stir, American amateurs rarely are considered serious competition in international cycling events. After a particularly embarrassing performance by the Americans during the William Tell stage race in Switzerland, the race promoter was asked by a local reporter why he bothered to invite the U S. team to such a prestigious race. “They are not very good riders,” the promoter conceded, "but they are blond and handsome” and attract larger crowds. Recently, however, Americans have been attracting other than a cosmetic interest in international bike racing, especially in women’s events. Beth Heiden, sister of five-time gold medalist speed skater Eric Heiden and a bronze-medal skater herself, won the 1980 women’s world championships in Switzerland. Sue Novarra, a track cyclist, won a gold medal in the sprint championships. The increased popularity of international women’s cycling competition caused the International Olympic Committee to create MM | ■ Cultural Forum and I ^B^^^Foo^Servlc^Prcsen^^^^^ THE FIRST WEEKLY WEDNESDAY NIGHT JAZZ AND SPAGHETTI FEED •^0 99c ^ BUYS ALL THE SPAGHETTI. GARLIC BREAD. TOSSED GREEN SALAD AND BEVERAGE ONE COULD POSSIBLY CONSUME. BOTH VEGETARIAN AND MEAT SAUCE SERVED. LIVE JAZZ PERFORMED FOR YOUR DIGESTIVE PLEASURE THIS WEEK SHINE WEDNESDAY. APRIL 8th 6:30 9:00 P.M. DINNER SERVED FROM 6:30 7:30 P.M. JAZZ PERFORMED FROM 6:30 8:30 P.M. EMU DINING ROOM , ADVANCED TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE EMU MAIN DESK women's cycling for the 1984 Olympics. But while U S. athletes are beginning to attract attention in cycling, American cycling was dealt a severe setback when the United States Olympic Committee voted to boycott the 1980 Olympics. In 1979, 18-year-old Greg LaMonde, a cyclist from Nevada, won a gold medal at the Junior World Championships, the first for an American LaMonde was favored to win a medal had he competed in the 1980 Olympics. The closest an American has come to an Olympic medal in recent years was sixth place by Californian George Mount in 1976. Speculation abounded on the publicity an Olympic medal might bring the sport. A victory by LaMonde could have meant the same instant popularity for bike racing as Frank Shorter’s marathon victory did for running. Instead of remaining an amateur to try for another chance in 1984, however, LaMonde signed a contract to race for a prestigious French professional team, an opportunity that few American cyclists have been offered. Whatever lost publicity might be blamed on the Olympic boycott was made up following the success of the motion picture “Breaking Away.” The movie, based on a story about a young bicycle racer, showed several well-photographed scenes of bike races, and apparently has been the inspiration behind a number of beginning bike racers. Because of the category system designed by the United States Cycling Federation which controls American racing, people of any age, sex and ability always compete against others in their skill level. The USCF has one message for anyone attracted by the sport — enter a race. By Harry Esteve Photos by Tom Bingham and Damon Phinney Rally For Higher Education FACTS • We are facing a financial crisis • Federal cut-off of Financial Aid • Possible loss of 30 faculty members • Possible loss of three schools and eight departments at UO This is Serious! Find out how this crisis affects you directly! Attend a Political Rally April 10th 11:30-1:30 EMU Courtyard Speakers include: 1 Senator Ed Fadeley U.S. Congressman Jim Weaver Senate President Fred Heard ASUO President Dave Eaton Speaker of the House Hardy Myers U of O Vice Pres. Curt Simic It’s time to get involved now! Sponsored by ASUO State Affairs and SURC For more information contact Rich Wilkins 686-3724
