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29th Olympic Games - JO
Beijing, China, August 9-23, 2008
Main Page Results Previous Event Next Event
Event 37 - August 22: Women's Cross Country MTB, 25.8km
Spitz dominates her way to gold
By Rob Jones in Beijing
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Sabine Spitz of Germany fulfilled her dream of an Olympic gold medal by dominating the field early on. Silver went to Polish rider Maja Wloszczowska and Irina Kalentyeva (Russia) scored the bronze medal. The best Chinese rider was Chengyuan Ren in fifth place. She was 2'29 back.
The race in the unforgiving Beijing heat on a very technical course saw some of the pre-race favourites drop out early. Margarita Fullana (Spain), Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Norway) and Marie-Helene Premont (Canada) all were not able to finish the race.
Spitz had a good start and was at the front together with Fullana and Wloszczowska. Only a half lap (of six) into the race Spitz put in a very strong move. She completed the first lap 4.3-kilometre lap in 16'51, 21 seconds faster than her closest competitors.
From there Spitz kept pulling away until she held a commanding lead of around 50 seconds until the end, giving her an extremely gratifying win. "I felt pure joy that I had finally achieved this goal after so many years of hard work. Winning the gold medal at the Olympics is the crowning glory of a career."
"Almost from the beginning I was able to be at the front and set the speed of the race. This meant that I was able to set my own rhythm, and ride my own race."
Wloszczowska saw her silver as vindication for a few seasons of struggling. "This year and the last one were not what I expcted or planned for, after medals in 2004 and 2005. Last year I had many crashes, because I think I wanted too much to be at the front all the time. This year was also a problem for me, because I made mistakes and overtrained. But always the focus was Beijing, and I did all I could to get my best form for here."
How it unfolded
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The weather was possibly the best seen thus far in Beijing for the Games, with blue skies, a slight breeze and temperatures in the low 30s (Celcius). The ground was almost completely dried out from the soaking two days earlier, leaving a hard and fast track. The women did six laps on the 4.5 kilometre course.
Georgia Gould (USA) and Eva Lechner (Italy) took the early lead as the field of 30 riders hit the first climb, with favourites Marie-Helene Premont (Canada), Spitz, world champion Marga Fullana (Spain) and Irina Kalentieva (Russia) all in the top ten. The Chinese duo of Ren Chengyuan and Liu Ying were both caught up in a crash towards the back of the field at the start, but started to make their way up to the front steadily, with Liu sporting a bloody knee.
Premont and Fullana had moved to the front halfway through the first lap, but Spitz was already surging, passing them both and moving into the lead by the end of the lap with a 21 second gap over a group containing Premont, Fullana, Kalentieva and Maja Wloszczowska (Poland). Catharine Pendrel (Canada), the winner of the last World Cup before the Games, was also moving to the front, just eight seconds down on the chase group. Gunn-Rita Dahle-Flesjaa (Norway), the defending champion, was struggling back in midfield, and would drop out on lap four.
So far, it could have been almost any World Cup, with a lone leader chased by the rest of the serious contenders. However, the race dynamic changed drastically when Premont dropped out on lap two and Fullana a lap later.
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"I was feeling very good on the first lap; my legs felt good, I felt perfect," Premont explained later. "On the second lap I had to stop because of riders in front of me on the steep downhill, and walk it. When I got back on my bike, my pulse was very high and I could not breathe properly, even after I stopped. It is only the second time I have ever quit a race, but this was my health, I couldn't do anything else."
Fullana said her problem stemmed from the previous night, "I didn't feel very well, I had a bit of a stomach problem, and so I was not having my best day. It was not the heat, it was not the weather, I was just having a bad day, so I decided to quit after the second lap."
Spitz continued to power away from her rivals at the front, with Wloszczowska moving into second and Pendrel joining her, with Kalentieva and Liu just behind. But the gap was already approaching a minute, so it was fast becoming a race for the remaining medal spots.
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By lap three Wloszczowska had pulled away from Pendrel and Kalentieva for a solid lock on the silver medal, with the Canadian and Russian battling it out for the bronze. Pendrel was leading by a few seconds, but Kalentieva always had her in sight, and looked to be waiting for the opportune moment to pounce.
That moment didn't come until the last lap, when Pendrel fumbled a shift, allowing the 2007 world champion to get by and claim the final medal, by a slim nine second margin.
"Irina and I were together for most of the last lap. There was one little 'popper' climb before the final descent, and I made an error there. I tried to downshift to my granny [gear] on the steepest part, and had to put my foot down, and that's when she got by me. It hurts, but it was still a fantastic ride for me, and I feel that I didn't lose third, I won fourth."
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by AFP Photo
- Sabine Spitz of Germany crosses the line in first carrying her bike and the German flag over the line.
- Spitz is all smiles after her dominating win and showed off her medal.
- The podium from left to right with Maja Wloszczowska (Poland, silver), Sabine Spitz (Germany, gold) and Irina Kalentyeva (Russia, bronze)
Images by Casey Gibson/www.cbgphoto.com
- Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Norway) was a surprising DNF.
- Fans make their own shade on a steaming hot day at the Laoshan mountain bike course.
- Georgia Gould (USA) tackles the rocky descent.
- Ying Liu (China) was one of two Chinese on the lead lap, but neither one could crack the podium.
- Mary McConneloug was the top US finisher in seventh.
- Canada's Catharine Pendrel just missed out on the bronze medal.
- Marie-Helene Premont (Canada) was in the lead group early, but withdrew citing breathing problems.
- Sabine Spitz of Germany celebrates her win by hoisting her bike aloft at the finish.
- Sabine Spitz (Germany) floats the descent.
- The German national anthem plays for Sabine Spitz who put in a stellar performance to take the women's MTB gold.
- Maja Wloszczowska (Poland) celebrates a fine silver medal performance.
- Maja Wloszczowska (Poland), Sabine Spitz (Germany) and Irina Kalentyeva (Russia) took home the medals.
Images by Rob Jones/www.canadiancyclist.com
- Georgia Gould (USA) leads the charge
- Georgia Gould took the early lead
- Mountain biking had the biggest crowds of all the cycling events
- Eva Lechner (Italy) leads up the climb on lap 1
- Irina Kalentyeva (Russia)
- Sabine Spitz (Germany) began her assault early.
- Behind Maja Wloszczowska (Poland) Fullana and Kalentyeva are already struggling
- Margarita Fullana (Spain) one of the favourites on this course dropped out on lap 3
- Irina Kalentyeva (Russia)
- Catharine Pendrel (Canada)
- Marie-Helene Premont (Canada) stopped on lap 2
- Lene Byberg (Norway)
- Mary McConneloug (United States)
- Blaza Klemencic (Slovenia)
- Rosara Joseph (New Zealand)
- Jaqueline Mourao (Brazil)
- There was no stopping the Sabine Machine
- Maja Wloszczowska (Poland)
- Ying Liu (China) was with the early leaders but faded
- Catharine Pendrel (Canada)
- Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Norway) dropped out on lap 5
- Margarita Fullana (Spain)
- Sabine Spitz
- Maja Wloszczowska (Poland)
- Catharine Pendrel
- Irina Kalentyeva
- Chengyuan Ren (China)
- Chengyuan Ren (China)
- Ying Liu (China)
- Mary McConneloug (United States)
- Mary McConneloug (United States)
- Elisabeth Osl (Austria)
- Georgia Gould (United States)
- Georgia Gould (United States)
- Georgia Gould (United States)
- Lene Byberg (Norway)
- Rosara Joseph (New Zealand) had a bad fall on lap 4 and shows it
- Sabine Spitz (Germany)
- Maja Wloszczowska (Poland)
- Catharine Pendrel (Canada)
- Irina Kalentyeva (Russia)
- Chengyuan Ren (China)
- Petra Henzi (Switzerland)
- Ying Liu (China)
- Mary McConneloug (United States)
- Georgia Gould (United States)
- Rosara Joseph (New Zealand)
- Lene Byberg
- A Norwegian fan was disappointed after Gunn-Rita Dahle withdrew.
- Sabine Spitz 'Olympic Champion'
- Sabine Spitz 'Olympic Champion'
- Maja Wloszczowska (Poland) takes silver
- Irina Kalentyeva (Russia) takes bronze
- Catharine Pendrel (Canada) takes 4th
- Sabine Spitz greets the crowd
- Irina Kalentyeva (Russia) bronze medalist
- Sabine "I did it" Spitz
- Sabine Spitz gold medalist
- Maja Wloszczowska (Poland), Sabine Spitz (Germany) and Irina Kalentyeva (Russia) make up the women's podium.
Images by Greg Chang/Photosport International
- Georgia Gould stormed out of the start block but may have overdone it initially.
- Gould leads but Spitz was close and trying to make sure nobody surprised her today.
- Petra Henzi (Switzerland) was the last rider in row 1 but initially dropped back to the riders behind before moving up and finishing sixth.
- Sabine Spitz took the lead early
- Maja Wloszczowska was the first chaser of Spitz.
- Rie Katayama (Japan) on the tough Beijing course.
- Spitz could ride her own race and did not have to worry about others changing the pace.
- Wloszczowska and Ying Liu (China) battled hard early on.
- Ying Liu wanted a medal for China badly.
- Irina Kalentyeva (Russia) goes up the hill.
- Chengyuan Ren (China) started slowly but moved up later.
- Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Norway) had the number one but coming back after her long injury proved too much for the Olympics.
- Margarita Fullana (Spain) also did not finish the race
- Blaza Klemencic (Slovenia) found out that the course was tougher than initially revealed.
- Catharine Pendrel (Canada) ended the day in fourth just outside the medal count.
- Maja Wloszczowska (Poland) fights hard out of the saddle.
- With number four to fourth place or how Pendrel would have wished to race with at least a number three on the handlebar.
- Kalentyeva had an exciting battle with Pendrel for bronze.
- Rie Katayama (Japan) was marked by the race and eventually conceded a lap.
- Spitz was powerful on the hills
- The German had prepared meticulously for the Games and it paid off.
- Spitz style was impeccable on the tough course.
- Wloszczowska raced well and was never in danger of losing silver.
- The Olympic rings on the right leg showed everyone how important this race was for the Chinese.
Results
1 Sabine Spitz (Germany) 1.45.11 2 Maja Wloszczowska (Poland) 0.41 3 Irina Kalentyeva (Russia) 1.17 4 Catharine Pendrel (Canada) 1.26 5 Chengyuan Ren (China) 2.29 6 Petra Henzi (Switzerland) 3.30 7 Mary Mcconneloug (United States) 5.23 8 Georgia Gould (United States) 5.40 9 Rosara Joseph (New Zealand) 5.56 10 Aleksandra Dawidowicz (Poland) 6.10 11 Elisabeth Osl (Austria) 6.28 12 Ying Liu (China) 6.50 13 Lene Byberg (Norway) 8.08 14 Elsbeth Van Rooy (Netherlands) 8.19 15 Nathalie Schneitter (Switzerland) 8.31 16 Eva Lechner (Italy) 13.11 17 Laurence Leboucher (France) 15.44 18 Adelheid Morath (Germany) 17.14 One lap behind 19 Jaqueline Mourao (Brazil) 20 Rie Katayama (Japan) 21 Blaza Klemencic (Slovenia) Two laps behind 22 Yolande Speedy (South Africa) 23 Vera Andreeva (Russia) 24 Janka Stevkova (Slovakia) 25 Francisca Campos (Chile) 26 Dellys Starr (Australia) DNF Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Norway) DNF Margarita Fullana (Spain) DNF Marie-Helene Premont (Canada) DNF Tereza Hurikova (Czech Republic)
