Twigg Leaves; New Rider Sought

AN ONGOING FEUD with a cycling coach caused six-time world champion Rebecca Twigg to abruptly quit the U.S. team and go camping in Colorado. The source of the feud was Twigg's training habits. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ATLANTA - Rebecca Twigg went camping in the Rocky Mountains with boyfriend Zack Copeland as U.S. cycling officials awaited word on whether they can replace her in time for Saturday's individual time trial.

Cycling leaders met with U.S. Olympic Committee officials this morning to find out if Jeanne Golay, who finished 29th in the road race, was granted a berth into the final women's cycling event at the Atlanta Olympics.

The request was made after Twigg, 33, suddenly left the team Monday because of a disintegrating relationship with U.S. cycling director Chris Carmichael. The coach criticized the six-time world champion's training habits after Twigg faltered in the 3,000-meter individual pursuit at Stone Mountain velodrome last week.

Carmichael said he did not want to discuss the escalating conflict until he learned of Golay's fate. As it stands, the only U.S. entrant is Linda Brenneman of Dana Point, Calif.

Twigg, who could not be reached, told her longtime coach, Eddie Borysewicz of San Diego, "I can't stay with this team. It's enough. Everything is wrong. I can't ride because I have no desire."

"People destroy her," said Borysewicz, the U.S. national coach in 1984 when Twigg competed in her first Olympics. "Rebecca is always dedicated. She was hungry for this. She broke her collarbone and still won the World Championship (in December). Why these people this year did not take care of her, I don't know. I wasn't there."

Twigg's departure stunned the U.S. team because she told everyone she wanted to ride in Saturday's race. In her third and most likely final Olympics, Twigg was hoping to add a gold medal to a silver in '84 and a bronze in '92.

She rode the 8.1-mile time-trial course Sunday through the rich north Atlanta neighborhoods and pronounced herself ready.

"She was willing to do time trial and forget everything," said Borysewicz, who two days earlier had given her a strict training schedule to follow in preparation for the race.

But between Sunday night and Monday morning Twigg decided to leave.

The situation was ignited last week after Twigg was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the 3,000-meter pursuit. She was infuriated with the SuperBikes that U.S. Cycling provided.

She rode poorly on the highly touted SuperBike, and replaced it with an older bike that didn't have good wheels. When Carmichael complained about Twigg's training regimen, she said: "They've got to come up with some excuses."

Indeed, U.S. coaches were under pressure to do well with the multimillion-dollar training program and the SuperBike II. Having the Olympics in their back yard provided an opportunity to promote their growing sport.

"We'll be the best-equipped team in Atlanta," track endurance coach Craig Griffin said in the spring. "There are no excuses for not doing well."

But U.S. riders have won only two silver medals so far. Still, their places and times were better than past Olympics, so the new bikes were not a complete debacle.

But the handling of Twigg might have been. Carmichael wanted to run the program as he saw fit. Twigg, who has been on her own since she was 16, is a nonconformist.

"I'm not saying Rebecca is the easiest to coach," said Borysewicz, who was not granted a pass to help Twigg here. "But a coach has to put aside his ego."