JUYONGGUAN, China: Switzerland’s Fabian Cancellara joined American Kristin Armstrong in winning an historic gold medal in the cycling time trial on the final day of Olympic road racing yesterday. Armstrong added luster to her 2006 world title by dominating Cambridge University graduate Emma Pooley of Britain over the 23.5km race to claim her first Olympic gold.
Cancellara, 27, then produced a stunning display of power riding to beat CSC teammate Gustav Larsson of Sweden in their 47.5km race against the clock to hand Switzerland a first Olympic cycling time trial crown. Trailing Larsson by six seconds at the third time check and with 13km to race, the two-time world time trial champion from Berne hit speeds of up to 80 km/h on securing his maiden Olympic title. Anything other than gold, he said, simply would not do.
“To be the favorite and then finish first is a very hard thing,” said Cancellara, who is fresh from helping CSC teammate Carlos Sastre secure the yellow jersey at the Tour de France.
“I am very happy and proud about this ride. I prepared a lot, made lots of sacrifices and I had to go out and show everything I had. Not winning the gold today would have been a failure for me.” It was Switzerland’s second cycling medal of the day following Karin Thurig’s bronze behind Pooley.
Cancellara, known as ‘Spartacus’ for the dominant style of riding that has brought him glory in such one-day classics as Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix, will head home with two medals having won bronze in the road race.
Armstrong, 35, was nearly four seconds behind Pooley after the diminutive Englishwoman had set a searing pace on the nine kilometer climb leading to the first time check at the 10.8 km mark. But the American, who is no relation to Tour de France icon Lance, defied a headwind on the ensuing downhill and flat sections to come over the uphill finish line in triumph.
“The Olympic Games is every four years and this race is one day and you cannot give up until you cross that finish line,” said the Tennessee native, who now resides in Idaho. “Someone told me at the top that I had the best time, but I really couldn’t celebrate until the last person crossed the finish line!” Pooley played a pivotal role in teammate Nicole Cooke’s triumph on the women’s road race Sunday when the Welshwoman handed Britain their first gold of the Games.
But the Switzerland-based engineering graduate, who now studies part-time for a Phd, deserved a share of the glory after coming out to preview the course in December, when “freezing snow” accompanied her ride. “I knew when I came here in December, when it was freezing and snowing, that it was a hard climb,” admitted Pooley, who almost gave up her cycling career a few years ago after being discouraged by a lack of results.
American Levi Leipheimer admitted his bronze had helped soothe the pain of his Astana team being controversially left off the Tour de France.
“I watched the Tour, and that was very difficult,” he said. “To watch the Tour go on and without me, without my team, definitely gave me motivation to train for here.”