29-Sep-88
29-Sep-88
OLYMPIC Road Race Championship |
A
broken spoke put Paul Curran out of contention when he was in the leading group
of Tuesday's Olympic road race.
He was forced to change to a new machine with one 16-kilometre lap to go and dropped back to the main field. Although Curran's group was eventually caught, it formed the nucleus of the winning move.
The gold medal was won by East Germany's Olaf Ludwig who had broken clear of the leaders with Bernd Groen of West Germany four kilometres from the finish.
Another West German, Christian Henn, took the bronze 21 seconds behind.
Koreans call their country the "Land of Morning Calm"; and the mornings were the best part of the day during the hot Indian Summer we enjoyed during the Games.
The mist was still hanging in the valleys as the 143 competitors, plus team helpers drove out of the Olympic Village heading north to the township of Pyokche which hosted the start and finish of the 16.4-kilometres road race circuit.
Korea was on holiday on the day of the final cycling event, celebrating Chusok, a sort of Harvest Festival and Thanksgiving combined, which takes place at the full moon and there was no traffic along the Olympic Highway.
The pick-up trucks supplied to each team to carry bikes and riders, drove past the elegant curve of the athletics stadium and along the south bank of the Han river, the wide barrier across which the Koreans are building new bridges at a bewildering rate.
Then it was time to cross the river into a different world from bustling Seoul. There was no escape from the Games in the city. Here in the countryside life was going on as normal. Few of the local people would turn out to see the race.
Most western-type sports left the Koreans cold. Although they attended the stadium sports in good numbers, the only Olympic events which roused any passion were the contact sports, taekwando, judo, boxing and wrestling.
At the circuit heavier than usual security was in force, armed guards checked under every car with a mirror in the boot and under the bonnet. Then everyone, including the riders had to stand in line for body searches and bag checks.
Meanwhile out on the course soldiers had searched the roadside woods, and young men in civilian clothing were positioned every 50 yards or so around the circuit looking inwards at the few spectators rather than out at the race.
This wasn't so extreme as the Marathon arrangements where the course was lined by soldiers standing almost shoulder to shoulder.
Once through the security ring, it was much like being at any big race. Particularly as the scenery in this region would not have looked out of place in France or Italy. A range of jagged mountains on the horizon, would perhaps have been a better site for the most important amateur race of the year, than this tame circuit with its few gentle climbs.
The usual organised chaos reigned but gradually sorted itself out as one-by-one the teams were called to the start line.
Britain's trio were near the front, getting a good draw thanks to Deno Davie's seventh place in last year's world championship.
Paul Curran was quiet, concentrating on his own thoughts, Neil Hoban rested his head on his handlebar stem, feeling the tension of his first big international ride. Mark Gornall was happy to joke with Sally Hodge, sixth the previous day, who had come to support the men.
At 9am UCI President Luis Puig dropped the start flag, the electronic clock started ticking away the seconds and the peloton of 57 nationalities rolled away on the first of 12 laps.
Fears of a repeat of the previous day's non-aggression pact adopted by the women were soon dispelled as the attacks started winging their way off the front of the bunch.
One of the unsung heroes of the race emerged after 22 kilometres. Jin-Ok Lee of South Korea became the first rider to build a substantial lead over the field. He was due to stay at the head of the race for the next 124 kilometres and still finished with the main group.
Unlike most Koreans, who are fairly stocky, Lee was a lean rangy rider who looked good on his standard Peugeot production bike.
He was out alone for the whole of lap three but by the end of lap four he had company. A chasing group moved forward and caught Lee to form a useful breakaway, they were: Algerian Sebti Benzine - plenty of scope for puns there - Gervais Rioux (Canada), Zdzislaw Wrona (Poland), Lubos Loin (Poland) and Michel Lafis (Sweden).
This was the perfect size of breakaway group and they all worked together to go more than three minutes clear before the bunch started to step up the pace.
Meanwhile GB manager Doug Dailey was fretting about the feeding arrangements. The feeding zone was in the team pits area just after the finishing line where the field was moving fast. Dailey had argued that it should have been at the other pit area where a convenient hill slowed the riders.
A Belgian had already crashed taking a feed, and Dailey did not relax until all his men had been safely fed and watered several laps later. Also, the word in the pits was, if a rider had mechanical trouble out on the course he could say good bye to the race.
Horror stories were filtering back, like the one about the New Zealander being given a spare wheel that disintegrated by the end of the lap. Another rider punctured, the service vehicle stopped. The mechanic got out, walked back to the rider, asked what the problem was, then walked back to the vehicle to get a wheel.
Pedals posed a problem. Most of the field was riding Look-type pedals, but most of the spare bicycles were equipped with standard Campagnolo pedals. This discrepancy had cost New Zealand puncture victim Madonna Harris her place in the women's race.
Luckily the road was well surfaced and the weather perfect, so there were not too many hard-luck stories. Meanwhile, the race was coming alive. The brave breakaway was doomed, two chasing groups had formed and as the shrill of police whistles heralded the approach of the riders at the end of lap 10, the whole field came together and rolled through the finish in one mass for the first time since the start.
The unity didn't last long. Paul Curran's familiar hunched riding position was featuring more and more frequently on the giant television screen opposite the grandstand. He was clearly feeling good and reproducing the form that he shows at home as he broke away with France's Laurent Bezault and Sweden's Anders Jarl.
A grey-jerseyed figure jumped out of the bunch. Olaf Ludwig had spotted the quality in this move and quickly jumped across the gap to make it four at the front.
Curran did his utmost to keep the move rolling but the bunch still had plenty left and they were swallowed up. Now the moves came in rapid succession as men realised that medals would be won and lost in the next 30 minutes.
The strongest formed at the front: Christian Henn (West German), Uwe Ampler (East Germany), Jare Lahde (Finland). Double Milk Race stage winner Graeme Miller (New Zealand) got across to them. Then Brian Walton (Canada), Ludek Styks (Czechoslovakia) and Curran.
The Briton wasn't there for long. One of the 28 spokes in his front wheel had snapped. He didn't have to trust himself to the service vehicle, for it happened just before the bell and within sight of the pits.
A quick bike change and Curran was stranded between break and bunch. After a brief chase he accepted the inevitable and clipped back to the bunch.
The group he had been with was also reeled in. But two of the riders were able to go again when the final selection was made, Henn, who went on to take the bronze, and Miller who was finally eighth.
Thirteen men went clear in the all-important move on the last climb of Camel Hill.
"It was a soft break, they just seemed to ride away," said Mark Gornall later.
Ludwig moved across to join the leaders, looking ominously strong. And when he decided it was time to make a move big Bernd Groene, the champion of West Germany, was the only one capable of staying with him.
At the end it was no contest, Ludwig, a former silver medallist in the world points race, was too fast for Groene, primarily a team time triallist.
Groene who had been active throughout the last quarter of the race, thoroughly deserved the silver, and no-one could dispute Henn's right to the bronze.
For Ludwig, victory completed what must be the finest set of medals in amateur cycle sport.
The East Germans, like many of the Eastern Bloc countries, put their points race riders into what they thought would be a sprinters' benefit of a road race. Ludwig had been out of sorts in the points race five days before, missing all the lap-taking moves.
"It was certainly a disappointment," he said. "But I take a more relaxed attitude to victory or defeat these days and went into the road race determined to do well, but quite relaxed about it.
"The penultimate lap was the decisive one. Several groups were forming but nothing definite, so I decided to take my chance and move up to the front group."
And was it a worthy course? "I thought it was flat, but it was hard enough on the last two laps, it's the riders who make a course tough".
Curran, who had finished in the main group with Hoban and Gornall, was meanwhile sitting in the British pit, trying to pick up the pieces after a four-year dream had been shattered.
"I hadn't felt so good in the first half, I tried to ride through it, keeping my gears low on the hill, and then I started to pick up."
When exactly had the spoke gone? "With a kilometre to go to the bell. Three of us had just got up to the group. After the change I was struck between the two groups and didn't know whether to chase or not.
"In the end I had to sit up and wait for the bunch."
Road racing is a cruel sport, so many deserve medals only to finish down the field, men like Mr Lee of Korea and his five breakaway companions, or Graeme Miller who was so strong at the end.
And Paul Curran? It wasn't his type of course but it was developing into his kind of race.
If only the mechanical trouble had hit him a lap earlier he would have had time to recover from the upset.
Eddy Merckx once said no matter how good you are, the bad days always outumber the good in bike racing.
That is why victory is so sweet. Ask former Olympic silver medallist and failed points race rider Olaf Ludwig.
LAP ONE: Oconor (Philippines) launches lone break. Four riders chasing. McCormack (Ireland) on front of bunch. Lap time: 22-42.
LAP TWO: Oconor caught by chasers - Benzine (Algeria), Lee (Korea), Villaneva (Philippines), Bajool (Iran). Bunch catches leaders, Lee (Korea) counter attacks. Leads by 42sec at end of lap. Lap time 22-44.
LAP THREE: Gornall (GB) prominent at front of bunch. Short-lived counter attack by Harmeling (Holland). Lee's lead 44sec. Lap time 23-54.
LAP FOUR: Lee caught by Benzine (Algeria), Roux (Canada), Tenn (Jamaica), Parr (Venezuela), Loin (Czechoslovakia), Hsu (Taiwan), Wrona (Poland), Lafis (Sweden). Hsu, Tenn, Parr quickly dropped. Bunch at 1-59. Lap time 22-25.
LAP FIVE: Curran in a counter attack with a West German and a Pole. Pulled back by the peloton after opening 100-metres lead. Bunch at 22-21. Lap time 22-21.
LAP SIX: Bunch at 3-4, with Gornall prominent on the front. Lap time 22-24.
LAP SEVEN: Polish hope Mierzejewski chasing after puncture. Bunch at 2-29. Lap time 23-4. LAP EIGHT: Benzine and Loin dropped from break. Now four men in front. Lee not working. Bunch, led by Curran, at 2-5. Lap time 23-9.
LAP NINE: Bunch accelerates. Break now only 41 seconds ahead. Lap time 23-34.
LAP 10: Front of bunch splinters into four groups. First group of Salas (Australia), Neilsen (Denmark) and Carlin (France) catches the breakway, now eight men in finish. McCormack (Ireland) in a six-man chasing group. On the rise to the finishing straight the leaders and chasers are caught, the race is all together for the first time since lap one. Lap time 23.6.
LAP 11: Curran attacks, joined by Morgan (New Zealand), Jarl (Sweden) and Ludwig (East Germany). Breakaways are caught by the bunch after four kilometres away. New attack by Henn (West Germany). Ampler (East Germany), Lahde (Finland), Mills (New Zealand) gets across to make it four at the front. Curran works his way across to the break just before lap-to-go bell. Lap time 21-15.
LAP 12: Curran out of break after bike change for broken spoke. Bunch chasing hard and catches some of the breakaways. Miler and Hunn stay in front with new leading group that goes clear of tiring bunch on the final climb of Camel Hill.
The group also includes Groene and Ludwig, who sprint away with four kilometres to go. They stay clear, Groene offers no challenge in the sprint. Henn takes bronze. Lap time 21-44.
Lap distance 16.4km
Average speed 43.353kph
1. OLAF LUDWIG (East Germany) 198.8km in 4-52-22
2. Bernd Groene (West Germany) at 3sec
3. Christian Henn (WG) at 2lsec
4. R. Mionake (USA)
5. D. Abdujaparov (USSR)
6. E. Sales (Aust)
7. R. Pelliconi (It)
8. G. Miller (NZ)
9. E. Perez (And)
10. J. Regec (Oz)
11, J. Maltheus (D); 12, C. Huns (Hkg); 13, A. Pedersen (Nor) all st: 14, R.
Stumpf (WG) at 34sec; 15, M. Zanoli (Hol); 16, F. Bontempi (It); 17, Z. Wrona
(Pol); 18, N. Hoban (GB); 19, J. Dauwe (B); 20, C. Freilas (Bra); 21, H. Pack
(Kar); 22, M.Traxi (Aut); 23, U.Raab (EG); 24, J. Lallillee (Fr); 25, M. Suzuki
(Jap); 26, M. Slaueble (Switz); 27, E. Saebo (Nor); 28, J. Bodyk (Pal); 29,
V. Waddell (Can); 30, R. Cubric (Yug); 31, J. Arias (Col); 32, M. Brkovic (Yug);
33, B. Walton (Can); 34, H. Lienhart (Aut); 35, D. Steiger (Switz);36,
P. Curran (GB); 37, J. Lahde (Fin); 38, R. Harmeling (Hal); 39, M. Mir
(Alg); 40, G. Bortolami (It); 41, D. Hauer (Aut); 42, T. Cordes (Hal); 43, M.
Lalis (Swed); 44, X. Tang (Cha); 45, C. McCann (Ire); 46, J. Asconequi (Uru);
47, 1. Styks (Cz); 48, N. Rodriguez (Cal); 49, J. McQuaid (Ire); 50, H. Leun
(Hkg); 51, A. Saitov (USSR); 52, E. Manrique (Sp); 53, H. Liu (Chn); 54, P.
Hermann (Lie); 55, T. Chow (Hkg); 56, I. Amir (Irn); 57, A. Jan (Sine); 58,
P. Merren (Cay); 59, X. Perez (And); 60, R. Suun (USSR); 61, L. Loin (Cz); 62,
M. Gornall (GB); 63, W. Azeyedo (Bra); 64, R. Jessurin (Sur); 65, 5. McKinley
(USA); 66, M. Mazzaron (Bra); 67, D. Ramirez (Cal); 68, G. Dahlen (Nar); 69,
C. Schommer (USA); 70, C. Carlin (Fr); 71, T. Neilsen (Den); 72, K. Miura (Jap);
73, G. Rious (Can); 74, P. Nielsen (Den); 75, B. Fowler (NZ); 76, A. Echeverri
(Ure); 77, L. Ramos (Mex); 78, V. Bonca (Yug); 79, F. Puttini (Switz); 80, G.
Aguiar (Sp); 81, P. McCormack (Ire); 82, U. Ampler (EG); 83, L. Sierra (Ven);
84, A. Torres (Gua); 85, J. Lee (Kar); 86, O. Aquino (Gua); 87, R. Fahlin (Sine);
88, F. Francken (B); 89, I. Alemany (Sp) all st; 90, D. Shin (Kar) at 1-17;
91, L.Bezault (Fr) at 2-23; 92, K. Murugayan (Mel) at 2-46; 93, S. Satarzadeh
(Irn) at 9-51; 94, H. Perez (Mex); 95, V. Tsumuraya (Jap) both st; 96, 5. Benzine
(AIg) at 10-47; 97, R. Thomas (Jam); 98, M. Amisi (Zai) both at; 99, P. Gouws
(Zim) at 11-0