Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Iggy Silva III Seriously injured in Crash at Velodrome

 



Iggy Silva III was involved in a bad crash at the San Diego velodrome on the 22nd of December 2011 and suffered a fractured skull, concussion, and broken collarbone.

Please keep Iggy and his family in your thoughts and prayers. While Iggy is already showing improvement, full recovery will take 6 to 8 weeks and will involve extensive therapy.

His road to recovery will be documented by a close High School friend at http://iggysilvarecovery.blogspot.com/

Iggy, get well soon!

Everette Carr

Monday, December 26, 2011

Vancouver Riots - Stanley Cup 2011

 

June 15, 2011, Vancouver, Canada, the site of the seventh and final game of the 2011 Stanley Cup. The series between the two Hockey Teams, the Boston Bruins and the Vancouver Canucks was tied at three apiece..

The City had set up a "Live" site in downtown Vancouver and encouraged people without tickets to the final to come downtown and watch the game on large TV screens set up for the purpose. The capacity of the "Live" site was 31,900. It reached capacity and hour and twenty minutes before the drop of the puck. Yet, The SkyTrain, the inbound Transit System was arriving every 90 minutes bringing as many as 500 people into downtown Vancouver.

Scott Jones, an Australian in Canada since October 2010 on a Work Visa and his girlfriend, Alex Thomas, a Canadian Citizen arrived on one of the SkyTrains. They headed to the apartment of friends to view the final game of the Stanley Cup series with friends.

The Bruins took an early one-point lead. About 6:30 p.m., the Bruins scored a second goal. Before the end of the Second Period, the score was Bruins 3, Canuks 0. Midway through the Third Period fans gathered at the "Live" site were throwing bottles at the big screen televisions. Shortly thereafter, about 7:18 p.m., 30 or 40 people were reported fighting in the streets. Twelve minutes later, 911 operators were getting calls of "rioting in the streets".

The final horn sounded at 7:45 p.m., with a Boston victory of 4 - 0. Cars were turned over and set afire. Explosions were heard. Vancouver Police Officers were ordered to put on riot gear. Fire crews were mobbed, shots were fired, the situation grew worse by the minute. A sea of angry mobs were filling the streets as far as the eye could see. Trash cans were blazing, overturned cars were burning and you could hear the Boom! of explosions occurring all over downtown Vancouver.

Scott Jones and Alex Thomas observed some of the rioting from the balcony of the apartment where they had viewed the game. At first, curious and then frightened; they decided they should get a train out of the downtown area. They left the safety that the apartment afforded and went out into the streets to find their way home.

Rich Lam, a freelance photographer had been in the hockey arena all night. After the presentation of the Stanley Cup he ventured out into downtown Vancouver to cover the rioting. He emerged to find an apocalyptic scene on Seymour Street; cars overturned and burning, store windows smashed, looters helping themselves to expensive merchandise. A squadron of Police stood at the end of the street in full riot gear.

At the end of the street Police were massing, forming a "running line". Officers, arms locked with Shields and batons running for 50 yards to push a crowd back. Scott and Alex had unknowingly placed themselves in the path of the oncoming police. Alex Thomas turned to run, but when the police charged she fell. Before Jones could pick her up, the line was on top of them, hovering, batons raised. "Please stop!" Thomas yelled while Jones covered her and cops pressed them down with their Shields. After a few long seconds the officers moved on, leaving the street which had moments earlier been filled with hundreds of people empty; that is except for Thomas and Jones. She lay on her back, crying hysterically. Scott bent over her, trying to comfort her.

Rich Lam had been on Seymour Street and ran ahead of the riot police, then taking shelter in a store front as they passed. He looked down the street in the direction that the police were moving and he saw a couple lying in the street. She was crying, he was trying to comfort her. Then, in a moment of tenderness, he kissed her. Lam raised his camera and fired off too quick shots. Working without flash in extremely low light; the dim fluorescent light from a parking garage and the orange glow of fires, It was amazing that he captured anything at all. The photo garnered International attention.



Scott Jones and Alex Thomas now live together in an apartment in Melborne, Australia.

And so it goes...


Monday, October 24, 2011

Andy Lakatosh On The ComeBack Trail

Andrew Lakatosh began his career in cycling at the age of 7 years of age, A trexletown native, he lived just a short distance from the Lehigh Valley velodrome, now The Valley Preferred Cycling Center.

Andy won the 1997 EDS Junior National Cycling Championships for the ten-twelve age group, on his Home Track.

Andy Lakatosh being introduced o June 8, 2004 to the Veldrome crowd at T-Town:





Andy Lakatosh of the United States of America competes in the men's individual pursuit qualifying during the XV Pan American Games at the Velodrome on July 16, 2007, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Andy earned a Bronze Medal at the 2007 Pan American Games.

Since then, Andy has won numerous titles and Medals. He went on to a promising career in cycling, achieving many, but not all of his goals. Andy recently returned to track cycle racing recently after a period of inactivity. He is back with avenges.

Trexlertown, Pa. (August 6, 2010) — Another USA Cycling National Championship was awarded on Friday at the Valley Preferred Cycling Center in Trexlertown, Pennsylvania. T-town favorites Andy Lakatosh (Trexlertown, Penn.) and Giddeon Massie (Cypress, Calif.) teamed up to win Tandem Track Sprint golds and the coveted Stars-and-Stripes jerseys.



Recently Laky rededicated his track cycling efforts by joining Team Pure Energy. This team is heavy with talented USA racers. Andy's cycling disciplines are Track Sprint Cycling (Keirin, Sprint, Team Sprint).

Another USA Cycling National Championship was awarded on Friday, August 5, 2011, at the Valley Preferred Cycling Center near Trexlertown, Pennsylvania. T-town favorites Andy Lakatosh (Trexlertown, Penn./Chester County Cycling Foundation) and 2008 Olympian Giddeon Massie (Cypress, Calif./Cody Racing) teamed up to defend their Tandem Track Sprint national titles. Two Tandem National Championships back to back is impressive!



At the USA Cycling Elite National Track Championships, held in Carson, CA, September 22, October 2, 2011, Andy Lakatosh took third for a Bronze Medal in the Keirin. He also placed third in the Team Sprint with Matt Baranoski and Dan Sullivan. Two more medals for the collection.

I am pulling for you "Laky", Be Strong and work hard; success will be within your grasp!

And so it goes...


Saturday, October 8, 2011

Athletes Without Limits

Syd Lea wins two Cold Medals at the Global Games World Championships.

Syd Lea brings home the gold in cycling in both the Road Race and Individual Time Trial. The first ever golds and world championships for the US at a Global Games. Way to go Syd!



Today's key results for Team USA at Global Games are in. Syd Lea, pictured, took home his second gold in the cycling individual time trial. The first US world champion!


Way to go, Syd, you are the greatest!


Saturday, October 1, 2011

2011 Global Games World Championships

Another Gold and World Title for SYD "the Bus" LEA in the Time Trial! The BUS left that TT platform and never looked back... :)

Syd Lea
Syd is a competitive Cat 4/5 cyclist in non-disabled road, track, and cyclocross events and the first and only US medalist at a Global Games. He is a member of the Athletes Without Limits Rowing Team and has competed successfully in Cross Country. He returns to the 2011 Global Games with hopes of becoming the first US World Champion in the 4-day stage race through Liguria, Italy.



And so it goes...


Friday, September 30, 2011

USA Cycling Elite Track Nationals

The first national championship jerseys were awarded on the second day of the 2011 USA Cycling Elite Track National Championships at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. Competitors in the 2008 Olympic Games Sarah Hammer (Temecula, Calif./OUCH), Jennie Reed (Seattle, Wash./OUCH) and Bobby Lea (Mertztown, Pa./Pure Energy Cycling-ProAirHFA) were among the eight athletes to earn medals in Thursday’s races.

The second of five days of national championship track racing saw over 120 of the nation’s best track cyclists contest the individual pursuit, scratch race, men’s team sprint, time trial and omnium contests.

Lea, who held a three-point lead in the men’s omnium after the first day of racing, swept the three contests today to win four of the six races to secure the national title.

“It feels great. This one is really special to me,” Lea said. “This is my second consecutive omnium and 12th elite title. I’m really pleased with the way it is going this week and it is really a stepping stone on the way to London; it’s not really the end here it is just the beginning.“



Photo by Rob Evans


And so it goes...


Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Cookout at Bobby Lea's

Bobby Lea and Erin put together a fun night at his place in Topton. Enjoyed seeing old velodromew friends and acquaintances once again at the end of a successful cycling season. Bobby's generous hospitality was awesome. Love his home (a historical one room schoolhouse!) Really Kool!

Now, let's take a virtual tour of the evenings events:







































































It was a great party. Weather was very nice, food was good, beer was, well, beer and lots of it~

And so it goes...