1 Florian Rousseau France 1:02.712 2 Erin Hartwell United States 1:02.940 3 Takanobu Jumonji Japan 1:03.261 4 Soren Lausberg Germany 1:03.514 5 Jean-Pierre van Zyl South Africa 1:04.214 6 Grzegorz Krejner Poland 1:04.697 7 Dimitrios Georgalis Greece 1:04.995 8 Ainars Kiksis Latvia 1:05.457 9 Christian Meidlinger Austria 1:05.530 10 Gene Samuel Trinidad and Tobago 1:05.533 11 Bohdan Bondaryev Ukraine 1:05.658 12 Theodorus van Hameren Netherlands 1:05.886 13 Jose Escuredo Spain 1:05.944 14 Darren Mckenzie Potter New Zealand 1:06.311 15 Gianluca Capitano Italy 1:06.408 16 Shaun Wallace Britain 1:06.456 17 Angel Colla Argentina 1:06.619 18 Aleksandr Kirichenko Russia 1:07.013 19 Suk Hong South Korea 1:07.099 20 Shane Kelly Australia no time
Rousseau's time was 1 minute, 02.712 seconds. Erin Hartwell of the United States won the silver in 1:02.940. The bronze went to Takanobu Jumonji of Japan in 1:03.261.
The 22-year-old Frenchman, world champion in 1993 and 1994, profited from a mistake by world record holder Shane Kelly of Australia on his start.
As the last of 20 riders, Kelly pulled his left foot out of the pedal strap as he left the start line. ``It's an Olympic dream shattered,'' Kelly said. ``Four years are gone.''
The crowd of 6,000-plus groaned, then realized Hartwell had the silver and began cheering at the temporary velodrome in the hills outside Atlanta. ``I feel so bad for Shane. I would love to have seen the guy race,'' Hartwell said. ``My heart's out to the guy.''
The Americans have the best bicycles on the planet, but the temporary wooden facility in Stone Mountain, Georgia, is too sticky and small for that kind of speed.
``Too grippy,'' said Erin Hartwell, a bronze medalist in the 1992 Barcelona Games who will race Wednesday in the 1-kilometer time trial, the first velodrome final. ``The quality of the wood is not too good and there are bumps,'' he said.
Following eight events and five days of racing, the velodrome will be dismantled. That's a stark contrast from the ornate dlrs 25 million velodrome built in Barcelona.
Hartwell, the only American male to medal in cycling since 1984, said the track requires riders to exert more energy to gain speed. ``It actually might be an advantage to guys like me, who finish strong,'' said Hartwell.
Another factor that may keep times down _ despite the Americans' unveiling Wednesday of their sleek new SuperBikes _ is the size and shape of the track: 250 meters with tight turns. Most cycling ovals are 333 meters with wider turns.
The track consists of 70 tons (64 metric tons) of steel and 35 tons (32 metric tons) of wood. It banks 42 degrees on the turns and 13 degrees in the straightaways and sounds like an old wooden roller coaster as cyclists speed along.
Individual pursuit rider Kent Bostick said the shorter straightaways and tighter turns ``make it hard to accelerate and decelerate on the track because there's limited areas where you can put in power. It's hard to pedal in the corners.''
Bostick, who reached his first Olympics at age 43, said he's always ridden on slow tracks anyway. ``So the track seems fast to me,'' said Bostick, who got a customized SuperBike II _ the lightest, strongest and most aerodynamic bike in the world _ after winning the men's individual pursuit trial in June. ``I think it's probably the fastest bike in the Olympics,'' Bostick said.
SuperBike II is a result of Project '96, the U.S. Cycling Federation's multimillion-dollar training and technology program designed to reverse the long history of poor performances by U.S. cyclists in international competitions.
When the first generation SuperBike was introduced in 1994, the United States was ranked 11th in the world. After the 1995 world championships, the team moved up to No. 3. Six-time world champion Rebecca Twigg, the only American woman to win a cycling medal in '92, and the four-man team pursuit squad also will ride the SuperBike II. The sprinters, who rely more on sheer bursts of power, have modified versions of the SuperBikes.
Although other countries, including Australia, Germany and Great Britain, have developed their own versions, the SuperBike II is considered superior because of its ultra-slim carbon-fiber frame and custom-fit handlebars, seat and pedals. The absence of bolts and washers allows air to zip over the bike, allowing the rider to go faster.