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RACE REPORTS: CANCELLARA KING OF BEIJING WITH OLYMPIC TT WIN
August 13, 2008
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Switzerland's reigning world champion Fabian Cancellara powered to his first Olympic time trial crown and his second medal of the Games' cycling events on Wednesday. 27 year old Cancellara was the overwhelming favorite thanks to his two consecutive world Championships in 2006 & 2007 and didn't disappoint on the tough, hilly 47.3km course. 27 year old Gustav Larsson of Sweden, Cancellara's teammate on Team CSC won the silver medal, 33.36" behind the Swiss, while American Levi Leipheimer surged on the fial lap to win the bronze medal, 1'10" behind the Swiss.
photo: Rob Jones / Canadian Cyclist: Cancellara In Full Flight
Cancellara was trailing Larsson by six seconds atop the final climb going into the final 13km, but the Swiss bombed the descent to the finish to recover almost 40" in the last 12km, reaching speeds of 80km/hr on the wide open expressway descent to finish in 1h02'11". It was Switzerland's second cycling medal of the day following Karin Thurig's bronze in the women's time trial. Cancellara explained "When I heard on the radio earpiece that I was six seconds behind to Larsson, I gave it everything; I didn't want to lose today," said Cancellara. "I've been world champion twice, but (the Olympic TT) has been my focus for so long. I told myself that going home without the gold would be a failure. I've prepared specifically for this race and made a lot of sacrifices to get here. I'm here at the Olympics and you see a Swiss flag, you hear the anthem. What more could you want?" added an emotional Cancellara.
Cancellara had an idea earlier this year who one of his big challengers would be when he heard Larsson talk at a CSC team training camp in the United States earlier in the season. "He (Larsson) was on my personal list of favourites," explained Cancellara. "At our CSC team training camp in America, everyone had to write what they wanted to win this year. I said (the Tour of) Flanders and (Paris) Roubaix and Larsson said he wanted to be Olympic champion in the time trial!"
photo: Rob Jones / Canadian Cyclist: Gustav Larsson In The Ride Of His Life
Larsson started fast, but was still second at the 10.8km time check to Spaniard Alberto Contador, who faded from his fast start to end up fourth. Larsson had prepared well for the course, having been given a favourable impression when he came to preview it last year. His only tactic was simply to go out fast, and last as long as he could. "I just went 100 percent from the word go," said the Swede, whose best result at the world championships was fourth in 2004. "I was just riding on the edge as much as possible and trying to be there the whole race. I tried to go out and beat Fabian, but he was too strong." Larsson's Silver medal was the second for the Swedish team, who's Emma Johansson took second in the road race Sunday.
photo: Rob Jones / Canadian Cyclist: Let Levi Win The Bronze Medal
American Levi Leipheimer had a deliberate start, even dropping from fourth to fifth at the final time check, but in the final 13km, and with Contador fading, Leipheimer went all out to for an Olympic medal and succeeded. "I pictured myself on the top step but whether you win a gold, silver or bronze medal, it's the Olympics. It's important," said Leipheimer post race. "It's been a lifelong dream to get a medal at the Olympics for me. I fought really hard and in the end it paid off."
Australian contender Cadel Evans was close to the bronze medal, the two-time Tour de France runner-up finishing five seconds behind Contador's time of 1h03'29" in fifth. The 31-year-old Australian admitted he was happy with the result as he had spent the run-up to the Games trying to recover from a damaged anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. "With everything that's gone on in the last three months, I had tendonitis,
a huge crash in the Tour de France, defending the Yellow (jersey) with only one leg and then tearing my anterior cruciate ligament. After the Tour, I was on crutches for three or four days," explained Evans. "I don't feel bad, but not great; no medals, a lot of hard work. To be here vying for the medals isn't a bad effort. I worked flat-out for a week after the Tour to recover from that (the post-Tour knee injury)."
photo: Rob Jones / Canadian Cyclist: Tough Tuft Rides To Super Seventh
Canadian Svein Tuft was the surprise of the race with an excellent 7th place. Tuft told Canadian Cyclist’s Rob Jones after the race “It was definitely quite a bit better than I was expecting. I was just blown away sitting in the Hot Seat, watching all these big names roll by me, behind me...I knew that I was going good, I was conserving a bit on the first lap, but still going fast. I knew that if I was a bit conservative on the first lap, and I hit it hard on the second lap, then I could have a good ride. That much climbing doesn't really suit me, but on the descent I could make it up. I was using a 55/11, and it was a headwind, but I was still spinning it out.” Tough Tuft continued, saying “I left it all out on the road, I couldn't have done any more. I've known that I was capable of this ride, known in the back of my head, but I've never been able to focus entirely on the time trial. I would have been happy with a top-20, so I'm super-psyched.”
How It Happened
On a warm, humid day at the Great Wall Of China, 39 riders started the 2008 Mens Olympic Individual Time Trial. Third rider off at 13:34:30 was Canadian Svein Tuft, who set the fast early time of 1h04'39.44".
At the first time check atop the climb to Great Wall and Badaling Fortress after 10.8km, it was British rider Steve Cummings who set the early fastest time until the big guns started firing, but Cummings slowed on his 2nd lap and came up 28” short of Tuft, who had the fastest time for almost two hours.
Eventually came up Olympic road race champion Samuel Sanchez came through 8" faster which lasted until long lean Swede Larsson powered through in 18'07". A fast spinning Leiphemer had the second fastest time but suddenly the white, red and yellow team strip of Spain flashed up the hill as 2007 Tour De France champion Alberto Contador set a brilliant time of 17'49". Cadel Evans was cruising in 4th, while Cancellara was 3rd @ 18'18". After the 1st lap of 23.5km, Steve Cummings still had the fastest time of 31'39" at the first intermediate check until big Swede Larsson came across the line in 31'02" with one more lap of 23.5km to ride, while Contador was catching the rider ahead of him, Staf Clement (NED).
After 1 lap, Leiphemer had lost to Larsson on the descent while behind him, the still flying Contador had a 30'52" for a 45.7km/hr avg, but soon Fabian Cancellara came across the line after the first lap with an incredible time of 30'36", an average of 46.078 km/hr. German Stefen Schumacher continued his poor showing at the Beijing Olympics, as he was caught by the flying Swiss after just 1 lap, while Cancellara had recovered 44" on Larsson on the 11.1km descent, almost 4 seconds per kilometer!
As the medal contenders for the Beijing Olympics Mens ITT began the crucial second ascent up Badaling Mountain Road, Samuel Sanchez had a 51'17" his second time up, while Swede Larsson was pounding a huge gear as he caught Karpets, his 3' man. As the lanky Swede passed through the third time check after 34.6km, he posted a tremendous time of 49'52", 1'25" faster than Sanchez and was now 6" ahead of Cancellara. Leipheimer then came through the third check in 50'54", 51' behind raging Swede Larsson, as Contador had 50'12" and had lost 30" to Larsson on the final climb.
At the finish after 47km, Sanchez came through with 1h04'37", displacing Canadian Svein Tuft by 2" for the new fast time. The Canadian had been in the hotseat much of the day, but the Spanish rider moved him down to second fastest. Then Swedish locomotive Gustav Larsson came home in 1h02'44.79", almost 2' faster than Sanchez for the new fast time. American Leipheimer then had an excellent time with a fast final half-lap, 1h3'21", but he was 33" behind Larsson and seemingly disappointed, Levi hit his hand on bars in frustration.
But Leipheimer's frustration would turn to joy as Spaniard Alberto Contador, who had gone out too fast on the first lap and lost time on Levi, croaked in the last lap, was re-caught by Clement and lost the bronze medal to his Astana teammate Leipheimer by 9" with 1h3'29".
It was all over but the shouting as Cancellara bombed the descent again, recovering the 6" from Larsson and adding another 27" to win the Olympics Gold Medal in 1h2'11.43" with the average speed of 45.6km/hr. Contador and Evans finished just outside the medals, while Samuel Sanchez was an excellent 6th, and Canadian Svein Tuft had a superb ride to finish 7th, 2'28.01" behind Cancellara, but ahead of big names like
Aussie Mick Rogers, American Zabriskie and German Schumacher. Luxemberger Kirchen (23rd) and Colombian Botero (25th) were the biggest flops of the day.
Men's Individual Time Trial / 47km
1. Fabian Cancellara (SUI) 1h02'11.43"
(Average speed 45.6 km/h)
2. Gustav Larsson (SWE) @ 33.36"
3. Levi Leipheimer (USA) @ 1'09.68"
4. Alberto Contador (ESP) @ 1'18.08"
5. Cadel Evans (AUS) @ 1'23.54"
6. Samuel Sanchez (ESP) @ 2'25.81"
7. Svein Tuft (CAN) @ 2'28.01"
8. Michael Rogers (AUS) @ 2'35.42"
9. Stef Clement (NED) @ 2'47.99"
10. Robert Gesink (NED) @ 2'51.45"
11. Steve Cummings (GBR) @ 2'56.48"
12. David Zabriskie (USA) @ 3'06.39"
13. Stefan Schumacher (GER) @ 3'13.95"
14. Bert Grabsch (GER)@ 3'14.77"
15. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA) @ 3'24.58"
16. Ryder Hesjedal (CAN) @ 3'30.90"
17. Rein Taaramae (EST) @ 3'35.90"
18. Vladimir Karpets (RUS) @ 3'40.95"
19. Chris Anker Soerensen (DEN) @ 3'43.99"
20. Denis Menshov (RUS) @ 3'59.11"
21. Vasil Kiryienka (BLR) @ 4'00.76"
22. Marzio Bruseghin (ITA) @ 4'09.52"
23. Kim Kirchen (LUX) @ 4'18.20"
24. Andrey Mizurov (KAZ) @ 4'20.62"
25. Santiago Botero (COL) @ 4:24.00.
26. Maxime Monfort (BEL) @ 5'01.28"
27. Laszlo Bodrogi (HUN) @ 5'16.06"
28. Simon Spilak (SLO) @ 5'23.43"
29. Matej Jurco (SVK) @ 5'41.49"
30. Matias Medici (ARG) @ 5'41.66"
31. David George (RSA) @ 5'43.78"
32. Andriy Grivko (UKR) @ 5'49.82"
33. Brian Bach Vandborg (DEN) @ 5'58.77"
34. Przemyslaw Niemiec (POL) @ 6'32.00"
35. Hossein Askari (IRI) @ 6'34.87"
36. Raivis Belohvosciks (LAT) @ 6'43.53"
37. Denys Kostyuk (UKR) @ 6'52.61"
38. Matija Kvasina (CRO) @ 6'55.06"
39. Fumiyuki Beppu (JPN) @ 8'53.71"
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