ColiHoff

Heard about Alan's departure yesterday afternoon. My condolences to the family. RIP Alan. After everything you went through in your life, you deserve the rest. As a cycling legend and known as the Idol, you were a journalist's dream. And I was in a priveleged position to write about your antics over many years. We've had many fights, laughs and in general good times while you were spearheading the cycling train in South Africa. You and some of your epic battles with various other riders over the years kept cycling in the spotlight when the sport was dangerously close in disappearing off the radar. You were never afraid to say what you felt. Straight talking and shooting from the hip often got you into trouble, but that was the one thing I always admired and it always gave me enough ammo to have a good enough article to sometimes even push rugby and cricket off the backpages of the newspapers I was involved with. You were hotheaded. Make no mistake. I'll never forget the stage during the Rapport Tour finishing in Welkom when you chased one of the Portugese riders with your front wheel after the stage finished. It was something I saw developing 10 km's from the finish and I told my photographer to stay close to you at the finish. The result in the end was a strip of four pictures with you chasing this guy on the front page of Beeld at that stage. It was actually hilarious, but you gave us enough material to keep us on our toes and to keep the Tour in the spotlight. I'll always remember you as the tidiest and neatest of riders ever. Where other riders in most instances just let fly and blew their noses while riding, you always made an effort to sit up, get your handkerchief and then blow your nose. Fiercely competitive but always a true gentleman. The loyalty you've shown to even your fiercest opponents is another thing I'll always cherish and remember. In 1989 tactical errors cost the Southern Sun team the Rapport Tour after Andrew McLean was called back after riding himself into a position to take the title and then Wille Engelbrecht spectacularly crashed out of the Tour after being annihalated by Robbie McIntosh. With only the last stage left Lourens Smith as a 21-year old professional rookie had more than just the full weight of the yellow jersey on his shoulders and with only seconds between him and a rampant Italian team you were the one that came to McIntosh's aid to keep Lourens in yellow until the end. Magical stuff and things I'll remember as long as I'm alive. Ek groet jou Alan. Jy was lewensgroot. Die plesier wat jy my gegee het, was baie meer as enige van die negatiewe. Rus in vrede. Jy verdien dit.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail?

This is "vieslik", but I heard the family (the rest of the Jackson 4, Janet + Mom and closest relatives) are still undecided about the burial procedure. Apperently there are three options. Cremation, normal burial or TUPPERWARE party! Am I BAD?

Long time since I've been on this forum. I actually thought I'll never get back in writing another word about cycling. Heard about WE yesterday morning. I had a meeting in Edward St. (Tyger Valley) and after the meeting I went to Willie's shop. It was closed down. Five individuals stood outside the shop. Four of them trying to look through the windows and one on the cell with arms like a windmill. It was true. On a normal business day (Friday) nothing was happening at WE Lifecentre. I'm still in shock. I've heard many rumours. True or false, whatever the case may be, all I'm asking is for the cycling fraternity to help and support Willie. He must be going through a very bad and tough period in his life. Through own experience WE gave me some of the biggest highs and lows a person can get. In command on a bike he was a tower of strength. Legs pumping and pulling away from the opposition like a dragster. Road and track. When he was on a low it was an avalanche coming down the mountain. He went down as in taking the count on the canvas. Dramatic stuff. It's bad if something like this happen. Competition is of the utmost importance amongst merchants and Willie had that competitive edge. But, there will always be something to share with the next person. Don't close the door on Willie. I'm sure with the right support he will bounce back. The biggest surprise I got came from Chris Willemse sr. I went to his place of business after I drove past Willie's shop and I asked him if he knew what went wrong after I've been out of the loop for so long. Chris (bless his soul) was genuinly concerned about the whole scenario. "I don't know. In business we've never been friends, but I hope everything is OK with Willie and his business. We've been competitive and it was good for business. I honestly hope we can continue the 'friendly' relationship we had over the last few years. Willie meant so much to cycling and I need him to be in the market. I hope everything is OK". Chris, I salute you. For all the years (25) I've known you, you were the one making fun of the other one without any malice. There were many rumours about you and many people jumped to conclusions without getting their facts straight. You never meant any harm. That's the way you are. You will never change. Getting older you might be a little more subdued, but you are still a naughty bastard. I know if you can, you will help Willie. That's the kind of person you are and I will always be willing to testify for that. I feel deeply sorry for what happened to Willie. If he and his staff can get it together by going smaller etc., please let it happen asap. I know for a fact that Chris will give his blessing to this. Wille deserves to stay in the loop. Just get everything together again. He did it once before and nothing is stopping him from getting everything back on track again. I'm sure Chris will welcome it.

This is going to be massive! It started with a post on price-fixing not so long ago. And everything died a slow death. Because Hubbers like to make jokes about issues and suddenly it turns out to be a comic. Now a police raid at the CWC-headquarters in Bellville was almost pre-empted with a post seconds after it happened? I actually spoke to Chris sr. while he was racing towards his shop after he received the news of the raid just before he delivered a unit to a client at Pearl Valley 40 km's away. On his way to the shop I accidently phoned him and before he arrived at the scene, this post was alive and kicking. Accidently? Wow! Siener van Rensburg! Chris, on his way to the shop, organised for his attorney to be present when he arrived. On arrival there were enough police officials to man a roadblock in both directions on the N2. Chris was also very complimentary about their actions. According to him they handled themselves in a dignified way. But why so many to look for wheels without serial numbers? Puzzler you for one, you've got a lot of explaining to do. You lit the fuse to a potential time-bomb. I honestly hope you're not employed by Mavic. Something's got to give. And I can promise you the Competition Board (the same people that fined Tiger Brands, Sasol etc. millions of rands) is not going to miss out on this one. Maak styf die gordels. Hier is kakka aan die kom. I must admit, the way Chris jr. handled himself in replying to the original post was brilliant. That's the only way you can do it. They obviously don't have anything to hide and will keep on giving a much needed service to the cycling community. For the rest? It will be interesting. Within the next few month's a lot of "creepy crawly's" will come out of the woodwork. Don't be surprised if you (as the cycling community) will suddenly be flooded and pick up "bargains of the century" within the next couple of weeks. This is going to be fun!

Only the Springbok can replace the Springbok. As much as "Khomplimentary" is moaning, he will never be able to take that away. The Springbok is here to stay. A pity other sporting codes can not be included!

Interesting post. I was involved in cycling (sports journalist) for 19 years. Beeld, Rapport and Die Burger. It's amazing, but five incidents will always stand out. Three of them involved AM. In no particular order. His first victory in the Il Campione when the venue was moved to CBD in Randburg. Cutting and breaking up the field from an initial break of 19 riders until there were two left. McLean and McIntosh. The last climb on the last lap had the Mac on the back-burner and AM won this gruelling event. Awesome. The second and most probably the most heartbreaking of the lot, when he was called back by team Southern Sun (Vaughn Krause and Johan Engelbrecht at that stage made the call) with a lead of 4:51 and in the yellow jersey at that stage (20 km's from the finish) by more than 3 minutes you were ordered to go back and assist Willie. Three days later Willie copped after Mac basically murdered him and you in tears went over a climb shouting at us (the media): "What more do you want?". Obviously and justifiably frustrated. He had it in the bag. The team made the wrong desicion and Lourens Smith at 21 became the youngest winner of a Rapport Tour. His biggest and most significant (in my book rated as one of the two most courageous rides) ride followed the next year when he started the stage in Pietersburg. Four km's after the stage (it was a kakka day on the bike with swirling winds and lots of dust) he broke the bunch in half and rode away from the peleton on the flats. One problem. A Portuguese rider jumped onto his wheel and sat there for 151 km's and never did a thing (as in absolutely f*ckall) to assist the "Badger". In the end, sadly, the Portuguese rider went for the line and claimed the stage over the last 30 metres. Andrew was so desperate to do justice to his effort that he flung himself forward and tried to grab him as he went past. But to no avail. If ever the saying of "no guts no glory" was turned around it was on that day. The Portuguese ride got a mention as the winner of the stage in all the newspapers and on TV. We (the journalists) even wanted to clobber the Porra into a Sunripe Fruit for what he did. Even to us that was not the way a true sportman should react. Luckilly the true hero was AM in everything that was written and broadcasted. Close to tears on the podium Andrew even gathered the courage to shake the hand of a broad-smiling stagewinner. A gentleman to the end. And that to me sum up the man behind the effort. He has done well for himself and give him his due. If it was'nt for Andrew the sport of cycling especially in South Africa would've been much poorer. We're not the greatest of friends, but I salute his performances. You were one of the best I've seen in difficult circumstances. And I'm not saying this to "kruip gat". I've been all over the word watching cycling/golf and rugby. In cycling I was fortunate enough to spend time and watch the TdF, Giro, Malaysia, TdUnder. The day Casertelli died in the Alps in 1995 I was there when Lance for instance won the following stage in commemoration of his Motorola-teammate. But your efforts will never be forgotten. Not in my book. Thinking back. Some of your rides in the Eastern Transvaal were as commemorable. Good Lord, you were actually an awesome rider in the wrong era. Unfortunately. And to think you started of as a tri-athlete!

Ja Carinus, dit was die dae toe Springbokke nog Springbokke was! Het jy toe daai voorbeelde van my onder o? gehad oor die personalised e-mail wat ek kantoor toe gestuur het? Soek jy nog voorbeelde?

Beeld, Rapport & Die Burger

Wow! <?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> Two years ago I left cycling for good after spending almost 50% of my life covering the sport as a journalist. Believe me, I had some pretty good and exciting times just watching races. Track, Road, BMX and MTB. If ever I get the chance to find a genie and be granted three wishes one of them will be to never get into politics as a journalist. Just report on what is happening on the field/course etc. Unfortunately it doesn't work like that. The other two wishes will obviously include lots of money and a bevy of beautiful women. When I decided to get out of this particular sport for good I had my reasons. I didn't like Lawrence Whittaker, I don't like David in his pink outfits, I've got my doubts about Carinus and I've still got my doubts about the system. And I will never ever like Lawrence or David. That will never change. At that stage I bit a part of the hand that almost fed me. But, I had enough. I even stopped reading about cycling. I stopped watching TV-programs involving cycling (including the TdF). To my detriment I might add. With all the scandals during, before and after the race, the TdF will always come out on top. Only the Olympics and the Soccer World Cup can match this sporting spectacle. And believe me I will know. Been there, got the T-shirt and would like to go back. Only as a spectator with the best tickets available. Yesterday I decided to have a look at THE HUB. Again. Working through the comments I thought, and realized? Dear Lord, not again! Nothing changed. You are still the same bunch! Pointing fingers. Looking for excuses. Love "skinnering" and "kakking" al over the show accept yourselves. Accusing people are still priority number one. Targeting the CSA. People like Shawn Lynch are allowed to make accusations almost to the extreme of feeding the monkey. The same monkey he and Robbie Williams are sharing. How can the comments by Shawn be justified and nothing on our planet can rectify the situation? The fact that our judicial system don't know how to handle someone like Shawn, gave him carte blanche to say and do what he feels. And get away with it. Some of the entries in the forums are pretty good. Reading some of the comments left me to believe there are still sane people in the cycling world. Thank God for that. The "hangers-on" (95% of the bunch) are just making a lot of noise and they are doing nothing to prevent any wrongdoing(s). For 30 years it has been same. And that is only what I?m aware off. What happened before, really does not concern me. I?m actually to sh*t-scared to do my own research. If they (you) are so concerned about what happened in for instance in CGU, why don't you take action? Stop bitching and do something about it. Our constitution (SA and I presume CSA) allow you to do just that. In retrospect, I'm out of here. I've got nothing to add. Believe me, golf, tennis, tenpin-bowling and ?kennetjie? are better. The fight will last until death do they part on the asphalt/course, but once beaten they can enjoy a beer together. In cycling that is very debatable. Not for the officials though.