July 31/03 5:44 am - Midweek Race Series Incident

Posted by Editor on 07/31/03
 

Toronto Midweek Club Incident

Approximately two weeks ago an incident occurred at the popular Toronto-area Wednesday night training races presented by the Midweek Club. Immediately, rumours, innuendo and speculation reared its ugly head; partially, it must be noted, because no official statement was released by the organizers as to what happened and how they were dealing with it.

We have avoided contributing to this ongoing rumour mill, while trying to speak with the riders involved. We have now managed to talk with Marc Polsinelli, the injured party in the event, and can provide a clearer picture of what occurred, and how it was dealt with.

According to Mr Polsinelli, he was in the pack, with one team mate up the road in a break. He and his Pavan team mates were doing some blocking, and towards the end of the race Bruce Ketchum of the Midweek Club elbowed him.

"I don't know him at all, who he was, but I guess he didn't like what we were doing in the race. Then he started chopping at me, trying to take me down, he did it two or three times, and I went down really hard. I blacked out for three or four seconds, and he started kicking me. Some other guys pulled him off me, or it could have been a lot worse."

After the event, the Midweek Club immediately apologized, and Ketchum telephoned a few days later to apologize. The Midweek Club suspended Ketchum for two weeks, and the matter seemed to be closed. However, the OCA, at the instigation of Development Chair Brad Day, is apparently going to investigate further and determine whether they want to apply some sort of sanction.

Polsinelli is still angry, but "for me, it's over. I could keep carrying a grudge, but I've got to let it go. I like Peter (McCaffery organizer of the race series), and I don't want to tarnish his race. Two weeks is what he (Ketchum) got, although if it had been me, my team would have kicked me off for the rest of the year. I'm mostly pissed off that some of my stuff got wrecked (seat broken, gloves and vest ripped, bike scratched)."

Polsinelli is back racing in the series, and there have been no further incidents.