The Australian Cycling Federation recently named downhill mountain-bikecoach Scott Sharples as its 2006 cycling coach of the year. Sharples, whoraced downhill as a pro with Trek-Volkswagen in the 1990’s, helped guideSam Hill (Monster-Ironhorse), who claimed the country’s first-ever downhillelite world title at the 2006 World’s in Rotorua, New Zealand.

Sharples runs and operates his country’s downhill training center outof his home in Nevada City, California. Most of Australia’s top gravitytalent spends half the year living and competing in the United States,and Sharples’ training center has become their refuge.

VeloNews: Did winning this award catch you by surprise?

Scott Sharples: Yea, to a point it did. A lot of people saidlast year I was very close to winning it, but I was just like, ‘At leastthey’re considering downhill mountain-biking for something!’ But we achievedour target this year, and if we were ever going to win it, it was goingto this year.

VN: What was the importance of Sam Hill winning the world championshipsto Australian downhill racing?

SS: It’s something we all thought we would have won earlier with[Nathan] Rennie or [Chris] Kovarik or Mick [Hannah] but we had never wonit. It’s been an issue of mine — we could win junior medals, but we neededto focus on winning the elite medal. I think I worked really hard thisyear making sure Sam was mentally ready. There was a time in the middleof the year when Sam was really mentally tired, so we got him to take abreak and come train at the center. I think he won every race after that.

VN: Tell me about the training center.

SS: We have motorbikes for training, a weight room a lot of goodcross-country riding and downhill riding at Downieville and Northstar skihill. Northstar has helped us out a lot. We set it up in February of thisyear and it’s already paid off. But it’s been at the cost of dollars, andthose dollars don’t just come out of the sky. Some junior development gotpushed aside to a point for the center. It’s primarily a place for Australianriders. I try to encourage the local talent as well. I mean, it’s a gestureto the sport, and we are located in the U.S.

VN: What are Sam’s primary strengths?

SS: Aside of his skills, he has awesome focus and he can focuson what needs to be done. The intensity of his focus is there. He’s confidentin his ability.

VN: What are your goals with Sam for next year?

SS: At the awards night, Matt White was the presenter and heasked Sam what his plans are now that he has the jersey. Sam just saidhe wants to hold the jersey for as many years as possible totally pan faced.White said something like, “that sounds easy…” To another person that mightsound like a tough ordeal, but to Sam it’s what he’s going to do.

UCI outlines 2007 World Cup schedule
The UCI kicked off its 2006 World Cup series with a cross-country raceon the Caribbean island of Curaçao in the Dutch Antilles. For 2007,the sport’s governing body will again begin the World Cup at a touristdestination, only this time it is a marathon cross-country race that willcome first. Grand Canary Island, 150 miles off the western coast of Morocco,hosts the opening marathon World Cup on March 17.

The cross-country World Cup debuts on the familiar Belgian course atHouffalize on April 21. Houffalize did not host a World Cup stop in 2006.For the second year running, the gravity World Cup will debut at Vigo,Spain on May 12.

The World Cup will host a stop on American soil at Angel Fire Resortin New Mexico. The venue hosted the last American World Cup in 2005.

2007 UCI World Cup Calendar

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MARCH 17 Grand Canary Island (Spain). Marathon cross-country No. 1APRIL 21 Houffalize, Belgium. Cross-country No. 1MAY 5 Vigo, Spain. Downhill/Four cross No. 1 26 Offenburg, Germany. Cross-country No. 2JUNE 9 Champeréy, Switzerland. Cross-country No. 3; Downhill/Four cross No. 2 23 Mont-Ste-Anne, Canada. Cross-country No. 4; Downhill/Four cross No. 3 30 Angel Fire, United States of America. Cross-country No. 5; Downhill/Four cross No. 4JULY 7 Schladming, Austria. Downhill/Four cross No. 5 7 Villabassa, Italy. Marathon cross-country No. 2AUGUST 8 Verviers, Belgium. Marathon cross-country World Championships 25 Lillehammer, Norway. Marathon cross-country No. 3SEPTEMBER 3-9 Fort William, Scotland. Cross-country, Downhill/Four cross World Championships 16 Maribor, Slovenia. Cross-country No. 6, Downhill/Four cross No. 6OCTOBER 11 Fréjus, France. Marathon cross-country No. 4News from Oz
Aussies Amiel Cavalier (Giant) and Tracy Hannah (Orange) claimed thesecond round of the Australian national downhill series, held in Hobart,Tasmania on November 26. Cavalier topped countryman Rick Boyer by threeseconds, and Hannah easily won the woman’s race by 40 seconds ahead ofClaire Whitman.

Cavalier is the 2005 junior world downhill champion and a staple onthe NORBA National Mountain-Bike Series. Hannah, younger sister of MickHannah, claimed the junior world downhill championships in Rotorua, NewZealand in 2006, and won the NMBS downhill series by one point ahead ofFrenchwoman Sabrina Jonnier.

The Australian Cycling Federation named Sam Hill and Katrina Milleras the male and female mountain-bikers of the year. Hill claimed the worldchampionships in Rotorua, New Zealand, and the NMBS overall title. Millertook two wins on the World Cup series, finishing second in the overallseries. Miller retired at the end of 2006.

USA Cycling releases 2007 American Mountain Bike Challenge calendar
The 2007 American Mountain Bike Challenge (AMBC) will kick off March11 at the South Eastern Regional Championship (SERC) event in Reddick,Florida. The AMBC series provides athletes a chance to qualify for theJuly 17-22 2007 National Mountain-bike Championships in Mount Snow, Vermont.For a complete calendar of 2007 AMBC events, click here (http://usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=2664)

Anneke Beerten signs with Bikepark.Ch
Dutchwoman Anneke Beerten, winner of the gravity omnium at the 2006Sea Otter Classic and second-place finisher at the 2006 world championshipsin Rotorua, New Zealand, has inked a deal with the BikePark.ch team. BikePark.chis the bike park where the 2007 gravity World Cup will be held in Champeréy,Switzerland on June 9. Beerten had formerly ridden on the Specialized factoryteam.