ONCE are a Professional cycling team sponsored by the Spanish charity for the blind, the Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles, as publicity for their lottery, Spain's largest. The Barcelona-based team was formed in 1990 with Manolo Saíz as team manager, who was brought in from outside the sport with surprising success, and became Spain's most successful all-round team during the 1990s, although they had to give pride of place to their leading rivals, Banesto, and Miguel Indurain in particular, when it came to the Tour de France. However, they dominated the short stage races on the Spanish calendar and were the most successful national team in the Vuelta a España, with wins by Melchior Mauri (1991), Laurent Jalabert (1995), Alex Zülle (1996 and 1997) and Abraham Olano (1998), as well as making a good showing in the classics. The team's very substantial overseas contingent - with only three out of nine riders in the Tour team being Spanish one year - led to the jibe that the initials actually stood for organización nacional de corredores estranjeros ("national organisation for foreign riders"), but in the last few years he team has looked more to home-grown talent like Olano and Joseba Beloki.

The team were marginally implicated in the doping scandals surrounding the Festina team (which included former ONCE riders Zülle and Neil Stephens, with the former admitting to systematic doping offences in his past) in the 1998 Tour. The ONCE team doctor, Nicolas Terrados, was charged with importing restricted medicines into France, but was finally acquitted in 2002.

The standard ONCE team colours have always been yellow, although the team has usually adopted pink (and once black) for the Tour de France in order to avoid confusion with the maillot jaune. Some seasons have seem co-sponsorship deals with Deutsche Bank and, latterly, Eroski.

Team lineup for the 2002 season (Spanish unless otherwise stated)

UCI team code: ONC
Team website: http://www.once.es/ciclista/


Film- made in 2006
Directed by John Carney
Filmed in Dublin- Ireland
starring
Glen Hansard
Marketa Irglova


Non-linear review of said film:
This is a movie about Dublin, buskers, love of music, devotion, Relationships, cramped living quarters, City life for those without money, family, music as an occupation vs. music as a passion, folk music vs. rock music, the Recording industry, public transportation, memories vs digital memory, hitting the perfect key/perfect chord, Meeting the Right one, transience, Cultural differences, expatriates, Golden opportunity, Last Best Chance, piano vs. guitar, recording studio vs. Car music, motorcycles, The view of the City from the Top of the Hill (also as analogy of Peak experience), Connecting with others through music (Macro version) connecting with a Single person (micro version).

It is about all of these things. Although it may not be a great film, it is an honest, passionate film. There are few of those around and not nearly enough. See it.

Once (?), n. (Zoöl.)

The ounce.

 

© Webster 1913


Once (?), adv. [OE. ones, anes, an adverbial form fr. one, on, an, one. See One-, -Wards.]

1.

By limitation to the number one; for one time; not twice nor any number of times more than one.

Ye shall . . . go round about the city once.
Josh. vi. 3.

Trees that bear mast are fruitful but once in two years.
Bacon.

2.

At some one period of time; -- used indefinitely.

My soul had once some foolish fondness for thee.
Addison.

That court which we shall once govern.
Bp. Hall.

3.

At any one time; -- often nearly equivalent to ever, if ever, or whenever; as, once kindled, it may not be quenched.

Wilt thou not be made clean? When shall it once be?
Jer. xiii. 27.

To be once in doubt
Is once to be resolved.
Shak.

Once is used as a noun when preceded by this or that; as, this once, that once. It is also sometimes used elliptically, like an adjective, for once- existing. "The once province of Britain." J. N. Pomeroy.

At once.
(a) At the same point of time; immediately; without delay. "Stand not upon the order of your going, but go at once." Shak. "I . . . withdrew at once and altogether." Jeffrey.

(b) At one and the same time; simultaneously; in one body; as, they all moved at once. --
Once and again, once and once more; repeatedly. "A dove sent forth once and again, to spy." Milton.

 

© Webster 1913

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