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On top of the world Martinez wins mountain goldLatest: Thursday October 12, 2000 03:44 PM
FAIRFIELD, Australia (CNNSI.com) -- Miguel Martinez added an Olympic gold medal Sunday to the one he claimed three months ago at the mountain bike world championships. The 5-foot-5, 115-pound Frenchman, who won bronze in Atlanta, took control late in the sixth lap, and finished in 2 hours, 9 minutes, 2 seconds. Filip Meirhaeghe of Belgium won the silver. Christoph Sauser of Switzerland got the bronze. Tinker Juarez of Downey, Calif., finished 30th, more than 13 minutes behind Martinez. Travis Brown of Boulder, Colo., came in less than one minute later in 32nd place. The Americans started at the back of the pack and never made up any significant ground. Thomas Frischknecht of Switzerland opened a breakneck pace, and each time the leaders made a lap, Juarez and Brown were nowhere near. "When you start in the front row, you get to set the pace," Juarez said. "When you're sitting in the back choking dust all day long, it's no fun."
The riders were slotted at the start according to their world rankings. That meant Juarez, ranked 52nd, started 32nd among 49 riders. Brown, ranked 84th, started in the 39th position. That was too far back to make any difference. "I raced my best but when I wasn't able to move up on the first loop I knew it was going to be a long day," Juarez said. The low world rankings stemmed from Brown missing much of the World Cup season with a broken shin and Juarez having too many inconsistent performances. At the Olympics, it was too much to overcome. "It's a very technical course," Brown said. "You have to be really dialed in to carry your momentum around the course." The chances of establishing any momentum from the back of the pack are poor. Juarez was frustrated and Brown was happy to get off his bike. "On the good days, this is the best job in the world," said Brown, who races professionally for the Trek-Volkswagen trade team. "On the bad days, it's absolutely no fun at all." Martinez, on the other hand, seemed to have a great time. As he rode into the finish chute, Martinez held up a toy kangaroo wrapped in a French flag and waved to the crowd. Then he hoisted his bike triumphantly and pumped his fist in the air. "I'm very, very happy today. I'm the world champion. I'm the Olympic champion," said Martinez, whose father, Mariano Martinez, was a famous French road racer in the 1970s. Frischknecht set a grueling pace through the first five laps, completing each 4.2-mile lap in less than 20 minutes. He finished sixth after fading early in the sixth lap. Meirhaeghe took advantage, passing Frischknecht for a brief lead. But Martinez seemed ready to strike after riding with the pack for several laps. He was lurking just behind the Belgian, and the little guy then zipped ahead for good. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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