Cancellara, Armstrong Strike Time Trial Gold
by Justin Davis
JUYONGGUAN, China, Aug 13, 2008 (AFP) - Switzerland’s Fabian Cancellara
joined American Kristin Armstrong in winning an historic gold medal in the
cycling time trial on the final day of Olympic road racing Wednesday.
Armstrong added lustre to her 2006 world title by dominating Cambridge
University graduate Emma Pooley of Britain over the 23.5km race to claim her
first Olympic gold.
Cancellara, 27, then produced a stunning display of power riding to beat
CSC teammate Gustav Larsson of Sweden in their 47.5km race against the clock
to hand Switzerland a first Olympic cycling time trial crown.
Trailing Larsson by six seconds at the third time check and with 13km to
race, the two-time world time trial champion from Berne hit speeds of up to 80
km/h on securing his maiden Olympic title.
Anything other than gold, he said, simply would not do.
“To be the favourite and then finish first is a very hard thing,” said
Cancellara, who is fresh from helping CSC teammate Carlos Sastre secure the
yellow jersey at the Tour de France.
“I am very happy and proud about this ride. I prepared a lot, made lots of
sacrifices and I had to go out and show everything I had. Not winning the gold
today would have been a failure for me.”
It was Switzerland’s second cycling medal of the day following Karin
Thurig’s bronze behind Pooley.
Cancellara, known as ‘Spartacus’ for the dominant style of riding that has
brought him glory in such one-day classics as Milan-San Remo and
Paris-Roubaix, will head home with two medals having won bronze in the road
race.
Armstrong, 35, was nearly four seconds behind Pooley after the diminutive
Englishwoman had set a searing pace on the nine kilometre climb leading to the
first time check at the 10.8 km mark.
But the American, who is no relation to Tour de France icon Lance, defied a
headwind on the ensuing downhill and flat sections to come over the uphill
finish line in triumph.
“The Olympic Games is every four years and this race is one day and you
cannot give up until you cross that finish line,” said the Tennessee native,
who now resides in Idaho.
“Someone told me at the top that I had the best time, but I really couldn’t
celebrate until the last person crossed the finish line!”
Pooley played a pivotal role in teammate Nicole Cooke’s triumph on the
women’s road race Sunday when the Welshwoman handed Britain their first gold
of the Games.
But the Switzerland-based engineering graduate, who now studies part-time
for a Phd, deserved a share of the glory after coming out to preview the
course in December, when “freezing snow” accompanied her ride.
“I knew when I came here in December, when it was freezing and snowing,
that it was a hard climb,” admitted Pooley, who almost gave up her cycling
career a few years ago after being discouraged by a lack of results.
American Levi Leipheimer admitted his bronze had helped soothe the pain of
his Astana team being controversially left off the Tour de France.
“I watched the Tour, and that was very difficult,” he said.
“To watch the Tour go on and without me, without my team, definitely gave
me motivation to train for here.”
Kristin Armstrong With Olympic TT Gold
Armstrong On Her Way To TT Gold
Fabian Cancellara at Olympic TT
Cancellara Celebrates His Olympic TT Gold Medal
Photo By: CorVos Pro
Categories: Beijing Olympics
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