Sunday, September 24, 2000
Cycling News Online

Martinez masters the mountain

Tactical, unflappable Miguel Martinez, of France, gave a world champion's master class to a dozen rivals in winning Olympic gold in today's 50 kilometre mountain bike event on a gruelling course at Fairfield, west of Sydney.

In Atlanta four years ago, aged 20, he showed his potential by winning the bronze. Yesterday’s race confirmed how he has since matured; the first step earlier this year was to win the world title in Spain.

He displayed an absolute iron nerve and perfect bike control today on a circuit that demanded 100 per cent concentration with continuous changes in terrain. One moment he was almost airborne on boulder-strewn descents, the next, dropping into his lowest gear for climbs that called on all his reserves of power. Martinez made his winning move when Thomas Frischknect, the former world No 1 from Switzerland weakened with 14 km to go from earlier efforts to force the pace.

The Frenchman’s effort gave him the lead and by the time the bell rang for the final lap he was well clear of Belgium’s Filip Meirhaeghe with Frischknect well off the pace and rapidly losing ground. Martinez produced a final effort on the last climb before the finish that allowed him to freewheel over the line, waving to the crowd with one hand and holding a soft toy kangaroo in the other, with a time of 2hr 9min 0.2sec.

Meirhaeghe, 1min 03sec behind, won the silver and Christoph Sauser, of Switzerland, the bronze at 2min 18sec. Britain’s Oliver Beckingsale, a crash victim with a damaged knee and wrist and a suspected broken rib, carried on to finish 23rd, 9min 15sec behind the winner.

Peter Bryan
The Times