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The current time in Athens is
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October 14, 2024 - For current weather, click
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28th Olympic Games - JO
Athens, Greece, August 14-28, 2004
Previews
Can Roel Paulissen take Meirhaeghe's
place?
Photo ©: Colin Meagher
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August 28: Men's Mountain Bike, 2hr 15min
Meirhaeghe's disgrace leaves men's race open
The men's cross-country mountain bike race concludes the Athens cycling
program on Saturday. John Stevenson looks at the favourites on
the off-road to gold.
Fifty riders will line up on Sunday for the third-ever Olympic men's
mountain bike race. The first, in 1996, was won by Bart Brentjens (Netherlands)
who battled the Atlanta heat for a historic victory. For that achievement,
Brentjens was honoured with a knighthood by the Queen of the Netherlands,
though he doesn't seem to insist on being referred to as Sir Bart.
Full preview
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Gunn-Rita Dahle on her way to another
World Cup win at Calgary
Photo ©: Colin Meagher
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August 27: Women's Mountain Bike, 2hr 15min
Pezzo wants three but Dahle stands in the way
The women's cross-country mountain bike race opens the final phase
of the the Athens cycling program on Friday. John Stevenson looks
at the favourites on the off-road to gold.
The women's mountain bike race holds the promise of a highly unusual
double as defending champion Paola Pezzo seeks to claim a third Olympic
gold after winning the inaugural event in Atlanta in 1996 and successfully
defending her title in 2000 in Sydney.
However, Pezzo has been away from top-level racing for almost all of
the intervening time; a new generation of riders has filled the gap and
Pezzo won't find it easy to land her third title.
Full preview
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Leontien Zijlaard - Van Moorsel
Photo ©: Mark Gunter
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August 20-25: Women's track events
That's Womens' business
Can Van Moorsel take gold from the road to the track?
By Karen Forman
3 km pursuit
Just three months have passed since, on a chilly night Down Under in
Australia, New Zealander Sarah Ulmer modestly snatched the women's
individual pursuit world record right from under reigning record holder
and former world champion, Dutchwoman Leontien Zijlaard-Van Moorsel's
nose, when the pair faced off in the qualifying rounds
After setting the new record of 3.30.604 (Van-Moorsel's four year old
record of 3.30.816 was set in a qualifying round at the Sydney 2000 Olympics),
Ulmer then continued her winning run, taking the gold medal in an event
the Dutch rider has made her specialty. In fact, after setting her record
in Sydney, Van-Moorsel then went on to win the gold medal.
Full preview
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Kilo favourite
Photo ©: epicimages.us
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August 20-25: Men's track events
Eight Men's Olympic titles up for grabs
By Mal Sawford
Olympic Gold is arguably the most highly sought after trophy in the
cycling world, and at the Athens Velodrome, eight Gold Medals are on offer
over five days of competition. While some events have suffered from disappointing
crowd numbers, Olympic organisers were delighted to announce that the
entire track cycling program had sold out before the Games were under
way.
The 2004 World Championships
held in Melbourne, Australia in May doubled as the final Olympic qualifiers
for most events. Based on performances in Melbourne, strong teams from
Australia, France, Britain, Germany and the Netherlands are expected to
dominate in Athens. Coaches have until the start of the competition to
finalise their start lists, and in many cases like to keep their opponents
guessing!
Full preview
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Jan Ullrich (R) and Erik Zabel
Photo ©: AFP Photo
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August 18: Men's time trial, 48km
Men's time trial wide open
Dark horse Honchar threatens conventional wisdom
By Tim Maloney, European Editor
The Athens Olympic time trial course is an out and back 24km run that
starts in the coastal town of Vouliagmeni in Attica. The race starts and
finishes in front of town hall on Athinas Avenue, then heads south to
the coastal road, past Variza beach and east to the turnaround at the
Agia Marina. The parcours runs along the Aegean Sea and will be blown
by the South-Southwest Meltemia winds that will increase as Wednesday
afternoon continues. The men will ride two laps of the course.
Conventional wisdom says this time trial will see Jan 'The Man' Ullrich
battle Tyler 'The Man From Marblehead' Hamilton for the gold medal.
Full preview
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Jeannie Longo Ciprelli
Photo ©: AFP Photo
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August 18: Women's time trial, 24km
Small but elite field in women's road race
Power course favours the tough
By Kristy Scymgeour
Following undoubtedly the most exciting women's road race in Olympic
history on Sunday, when attack after attack culminated in Australian Sara
Carrigan taking the win in a two up sprint against Judith Arndt of Germany,
the women will line up again tomorrow for the individual time trial.
Only 25 riders are on the start list with the majority of nations having
two start spots and a few having just one, but the field is packed with
riders who have strong medal chances. The women will complete one lap
of the 24km course, which hugs the seafront between Vouliagmeni and Agia
Marina. It is an out and back route that presents a couple of small climbs
but the major obstacle will be the wind. Riders training on the course
yesterday reported strong winds and conditions are expected to be the
same today.
Full preview
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England's Nicole Cooke (left) is
a hot favourite
Photo ©: epicimages.us
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August 15: Women's road race, 118.8km
Select band of favourites to make the running
With the reigning Olympic champion concentrating on the track this year,
the women's road race will be a talent-packed battle of the giants. Kristy
Scrymgeour looks at the contenders.
The second cycling event of the 2004 Games is the women's road race.
Over the same 13.2km course as the men, the women race nine laps for a
total of 118.8km and will start at 11am in the hottest part of the day.
Full preview
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Jan Ullrich leads Andreas Kloeden
and Alexandre Vinokourov in 2000
Photo: © AFP
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August 14: Men's Road Race, 222.7km
The top one day riders in Athens showdown
By Tim Maloney, European editor
Cycling has been a part of the modern Olympic Games since the beginning
in 1896 and it's only fitting that the 222.7km Men's Olympic Road Race
is the first medal event of the 2004 Olympiade. The Olympics is a unique
event in the cycling universe, in that it's raced only every four years,
providing few reference points for the competitors. Like the World Championship,
the Olympics uses a national team format, but with fewer riders per squad,
making the actual racing more difficult to control. Men's teams have a
maximum of five riders, while women will have three per country on the
starting line. With a broad participation of nations, the mix of experienced
and inexperienced riders can sometimes cause problems.
Full preview
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