LITTLE MIGRANT TAKES SENIOR MENS?S WORLD TITLE.Frenchman Miguel Martinez was the first to take the rainbow jersey in the senior, junior, and seniors divisions. He then rode away from the rest to win the highly coveted Elite men’s cross-country World Championship.
Martinez’s pace was unmatched on a course at high altitude with many technical descents and steep climbs. By nearly three minutes, he won the race by beating Roland Green from Canada.
Green rode the most memorable race of his career on a full suspension GT i-Drive. Many of the top competitors in the men’s field had problems right from the start. Marco Bui was injured when he crashed on the second lap, breaking his collarbone. Thomas Frischknecht and Christophe Dupouey were also hurt in the crash. Bas Van Dooren, Bas Van Dooren, and Michael Rasmussen, the defending World Champion, all fell on the first lap. Hubert Pallhuber fell on the third lap, while Cadel Evans crashed on the final lap and fractured his derailleur. Both riders finished in the top ten of the race.
Greg Randolph finished 17th as the top American. After a nasty crash on lap one that left him with a damaged rear derailleur, he returned to the podium and finished in the top 20.
MEN’S ELITE Cross-Country
1.Miguel Martinez (Fra)
2.Roland Green (Can).
3.Bart Brentjens (Nl)
4.Jose Marquez (Esp)
5.Ludovic Dubau (Fra)
MARGA FULLANA WINS ELITE WORLD XC TILE AGAIN!
Marga Fullana was crowned World Champion again today. She won by three and a quarter minutes over Alison Syder from Canada. Spanish fans cheered ‘Marga! Fullana, their countrywoman, set a fast pace and didn’t slow down throughout the race. Fullana used her climbing skills to break the field on the first climb of high altitude course. She gradually increased her lead with each elevation gain. Syder caught Paola Pezzo, an Italian rider who rode solo in second place for the majority of the race.
Alison Dunlap finished sixth in America, only seven minutes behind.
1. Marga Fullana (Esp)
2. Alison Sydor (Can)
3. Paola Pezzo (Ita)
4. Barbara Blatter (Swi)
5. Mary Grigson (Austria)
TYLER HAMILTON WINNS DAUPHINE LIBERE
Tyler Hamilton, teammate Lance Armstrong’s GC leader, won the overall victory in the 52nd Dauphine Libere race in France. This was the final Tour de France preparation for the US Postal team. Hamilton acknowledged Armstrong’s support in his victory.
OVERALL
1. Tyler Hamilton (USA)
2.Haimar Zubeldia Esp (USA) down 3.Lance Armstrong USA) down 4.Alex Zulle SWI down 5.Jonathan Vaughters USA) down
AMERICAN KATHYPRUITT WINS THE GOLD MEDAL
Kathy Pruitt won junior women’s downhill and became the second American junior racer ever to be named World Champion. Although it had snowed on Friday night, the sun began to melt the snow and the junior women raced down the Spain-specific Sierra Nevada course.
JUNIOR WOMENS?S DOWNHILL
Kathy Pruitt (USA
2. Helen Gaskell (GB)
3. Fionn Griffiths (GB)
4. Celine Gros (Fra)
5. Moi Suemasa (Jp)
FRANCE RIGHT ON TOP OF JR. MENS?S DOWNHILL
France’s Julien Poomans won the junior mens competition
World downhill championship
JUNIOR MEN’S DOWNHILL
Julien Poomans (Fra)
2. Michael Hannah (Aus)
3. Jean-Paul Labossiere (Fra)
4. Julien Camellini (Fra)
5. Christopher Hatton (F).
WORLD CHAMPION ROCKWELL MYLES
American Myles Rockwell defeated Nicolas Vouillozs eight-straight wins of the gold to become the men’s elite downhill World Champion in Sierra-Nevada (Spain) on Saturday. This is the third US gold medal.
Myles’ specialty was going fast and pedaling hard. Nico, a Frenchman, fell just before the halfway point and was just five seconds behind Myles (Myles). The time was just over four minutes. The tire was still soft, but it wasn’t completely inflated.
Brit Steve Peat took second place, another rider with the same style and style as Myles.
MENSELITE DOWNHILL
1. Myles Rockwell (USA).
2. Steve Peat (GB)
3. Mickael Pascal (Fra).
4. Gerwin Peters (Nl)
5. Eric Carter (USA).
CHAUSSON WORLD CHAMPION AGAIN
Anne-Caroline Chausson, France won her eighth consecutive women’s downhill World Championship, despite a poor seeding run in the first week of the week and many other issues leading up to the final run.
WOMEN’S ELITE DOWNHILL
1. Anne-Caroline Chausson (Fra)
2. Katja Repo (Fin)
3. Marla Streb (USA)
4. Elke Brutsaert (USA)
5. Sabrina Jonnier (Fra)
DUAL RESULT
Wade Boots defeated Brian Lopes, the favorite to win the first ever Dual World Championships. Anne-Caroline won her second rainbow jersey of this week, surprising all the Dual specialists.
MEN’S DUAL
Wade Bootes (Aust)
Brian Lopes (USA).
Michael Deldycke (Fra)
4. Sean McCarroll (Aus).
WOMEN’S DUAL
Anne-Caroline Chausson (Fra)
Tara Llanes (USA)
3. Sabrina Jonnier (Fra)
4. Sari Jorgensen (Swi)
Men: 1. Wade Bootes (Australia); 2. Brian
Lopes, USA; 3. Michael Deldycke, France; 4. Sean McCarroll (Australia).
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP!
AMERICAN WALKER FERGUSON WINS JR. XC
Walker Ferguson, Norwood, Colorado won today’s Junior cross-country race in a come from behind victory. He was nearly one minute ahead of the last lap.
Lejarreta Errasti from Spain set a pace early and Ferguson, the young Devo Team rider, was in the chase group. Ferguson took the riders out of the chase group and dropped Errasti. Errasti maintained a strong lead up to the final lap. Errasti was able to hold that position until Ferguson dropped them all. Errasti made serious time, especially on the steep descents. Ferguson’s last charge on the switchback climb sealed the deal. Errasti clearly in pain had to push and get up. Ferguson took a lead of 30 seconds and won the gold. Team France’s first rainbow jersey was secured.
Sonja Traxel, a Swiss junior woman, won the class after Nicole Cooke from Great Britain crashed on the final lap.
JUNIOR MEN
1. Walker Ferguson (USA).
2. Lejarreta Errasti (Esp)
3. Florian Vogel (Swi)
4. Eduardo Bosc (Arg)
5. Liam Killeen (GB).
JUNIOR WOMEN
1. Sonja Traxel (Swi)
2. Maja Wlosczowska (Pl)
3. Nicole Cooke (GB),
4. Simone Trachsel (Swi)
5. Giorgi Bronzini (I),
UNDER-23: ANOTHER SPANIARD
Kashi Leuchs, New Zealand, and Jose Antonio Hermida, Spain, set the pace early and created a significant gap on the field. This gap looked like it would stay, making the race a choice between the two riders. Hermida attacked Leuchs on the final lap, leaving him in pain. Leuchs lost a minute of his lead in second place at the end of the lap.
Hermida rode to the finish unassisted in front of a cheering home crowd, and earned another rainbow jersey. He was also part of the Spanish Relay team.
U-23 MEN
1. Jose Antonio Hermida (Esp)
2. Marti Gispert Labarta (Esp)
1. Kashi Leuchs (NZ)
2. Julien Absalon (F)
5. Cedric Ravanel, (F)
MOUNTAIN Bike WORLDS KICK-OFF WITH TEAM Relay
Wednesday saw the start of the 2000 Mountain Bike World Championships in Sierra Nevada, Spain. The big winners were team relay and local children from Spain.
Jose Antonio Hermida (U23), Roberto Lezaun, Marga Fullana and Inaki Lejarreta were part of the team. This event was established at the last year’s Worlds in Sweden. It features four riders, with at least one from each cross country faction (Elite or U-23 woman, and junior). Each rider completes one lap of the cross-country course. The winner receives a Velcro wristband at the transition point. Riders can be sent in any order by teams so tactic are possible. Hermida was able to pass Paola Pezzo from Italy on the final lap, giving Spain victory. The American team was comprised of Greg Randolph and Walker Ferguson, Ruthie Matthewhes, Jess Swiggers, and Ruthie Matthes. Randolph fell on the first lap, regulating the Americans to a seventh overall finish.
TEAM RELAY
1. Spain
2. Switzerland
3. Italy;
4. Poland
5. Australia
DONT BE EUROPE
Mike Cushionbury
I?m beat. I feel more energetic after racing in the Big Bear Amateur Cup cross country race on Sunday.
Lucky for me, I was just cruising along a recovery ride when I was stopped by a parked car. It decided it was time to go and I passed it. I was uninjured and left with a bent derailleur hanger, a smashed rear wheel and some minor injuries. My biggest concern after I was hit was whether my GT Lotto bike, and new Team Edition Shimano parts, were still intact. This is what I do.
But that’s not the point. You see, Mr. Euro cool had me wearing a Lotto cycling cap rather than my helmet. On a good day, my logic was that I was going to be riding along the bike path, and my actual road time would be limited. Guess what? It took?limited road time? To get whacked. If cars are nearby, be careful and wear your helmet.
It was a thrilling end to three weeks worth of great Giro racing, all shown to us Yanks at the Outdoor Life Network. It was ironic that Stefano Garzelli, Mercatone Uno’s rider, took the pink leader’s jersey on the same stage where Marco Pantani lost it (and thus the right to race).
Pantani displayed strength on stage 19, the final climb road stage, a scene that was very similar to last year. Pantani kept moving forward, but then pulled back to support Garzelli who, together with Francesco Casagrande, couldn’t respond.
Pantani was nearly an hour behind his winning teammate on GC but he still rode into Tour form by the Giros’ end. Phil Liggett stated on the 19th stage that Lance Armstrong was watching and is concerned about Pantoni’s climbing form.
Lance Armstrong, our favorite American, and his Postal team sat out Giro in favour of the Dauphin’ib? The stage race in France just began. Armstrong currently sits in second place overall (Tuesday Morning), just 11 seconds behind leader Alberto Lopez de Munain from Spain.
In less than a month, the Tour de France begins!
If anyone is interested in helping with World Cup coverage, please call me. Is my original correspondent still missing?
