Tuesday, September 26, 2000
Cycling News Online

Britons miss out on cycling medals

Sara Symington, the sprint specialist, narrowly failed to claim Britain’s fifth cycling medal of the Olympics today as she lost in a dramatic finish to the women’s road race.

The 31-year-old Leicester-based rider, who took up cycling only two years ago, was among a group of 24 involved in the final sprint at the end of the 120km scramble around the eastern suburbs of Sydney.

Symington was eventually placed tenth with the same time as Leontien Zijlaard, the race-winner from the Netherlands, who claimed her third medal of the Games after having taken gold in the individual pursuit and silver in the points race on the track.

Yvonne McGregor, Britain’s individual pursuit bronze medal-winner, was also within a bike’s length of Zijlaard back in 24th place on the same time of 3hr 6min 31sec.

Ceris Gilfillan, the 20-year-old who made up the British trio, showed tremendous strength to stretch out the leading pack on the last of the seven laps but eventually finished 27th.

"My job was to get the tempo up for Sara because we knew it was going to be a sprint," she said. "I had to drive it up the front to stop anyone else attacking, but it’s a bit demoralising when you work hard all race and have done your job to see everyone come past you in the last couple of hundred metres.

"It would be lovely to have got a medal and joined the others, but I have to be realistic. I am here for the experience and there was no point me sitting in the bunch for seven laps and not doing anything. I am not going to learn like that. I thought I would give it a go and enjoy it."

Intermittent rainstorms caused problems for many riders with the Italian duo of Roberta Bonanomi and Alessandra Cappellotto both sent sprawling onto the road after high-speed crashes.

Gilfillan admitted that the conditions were "really dodgy" and "a bit scary" at times, although the British trio all prospered in the wet to remain in the peloton throughout.

Symington, while disappointed at missing a medal, was nevertheless happy with her performance in the treacherous conditions.

"There were people coming off bikes left, right and centre, and you had to be really careful out there," she said. "It gets really dangerous in the last 5km with people switching, and I don’t like that.

"But I can’t complain. My aim was to get in the top ten, and if it went well, who knows? I am still learning really. It was a pretty negative race and no one was ever going to get away."

The Times