Reply #4: Isn't it interesting Bush doesn't keep Americans out of the bicycling [View All]

[Judi Lynn]

contests in Cuba? He just doesn't think he can lower himself to let them come here. Ain't that peculiar? From a quick google grab, from 2001:

Article added Monday, April 16, 2001
UPMC Cycling Visits Cuba
Story and Photos contributed by Joe Papp

Cuba-Castro Country. The land of Cohiba's, sugar cane and fantastic rum. Maybe your parents honeymooned there before 1959. Certainly not the place you would go to race a bike, however. That is, unless you were a young gun from the United States looking to accumulate early-season miles in the tropics, while racing against some of Latin America's toughest riders.

On Sunday, April 1, a contingent of American Junior and under-23 riders led by world-renowned coach Mike Fraysse arrived in Habana, Cuba to prepare for the Vuelta Ciclistica a Habana del Este. The Vuelta is a five-day stage race held in the province surrounding Cuba's capital, and is second only to the Tour of Cuba in its importance to the home riders. The U.S. cyclists who made the trip were chosen in February from a group of 40 athletes who attended the New England Cycling Support Association's (NECSA) selection camp held at Fraysse's training center in upstate New York. There, he and Eddie "B" Borysewicz (Mercury-Viatel domestic director) evaluated the candidates and chose a squad equally mixed between riders with international experience and those for whom Cuba was their first trip beyond the borders of the U.S.



The pack races away from the blue carribean
Josh Gerwitz, Robbie Ketchel, Bobby Lea, Ryan Mele and Darby Thomas made up the U.S. Junior team. Mike Friedman, Boyd Johnson, Mike McCarthy, Shawn Milne, Mike Norton and Matt Wilson comprised the under-23 squad. Joe Papp and Bill Speckman were the elite entries. Mike Fraysse directed the squad, Carlos Laborde was assistant director, Steve Dudley served as mechanic and Marka Wise provided administrative assistance.

The U.S. contingent lodged at the Villa Panamericana, a hotel 10km east of Habana located near the Reinaldo Paseiro Velodrome. The facility was built in 1991 for the Pan American Games, and regularly hosts athletes from a variety of nations.
(snip/...)

http://www.iplayoutside.com/Articles/2001/04/16-cuba.html



Photos from their trip:
http://www.iplayoutside.com/Articles/2001/04/_16-cuba-c2.html