May 18/02 12:13 pm - MTB World Cup Starts in Madrid

Posted by Editoress on 05/18/02
 

World Cup MTB #1
This report made possible through the sponsorship of FACT Canada & Schwalbe Tires

The 2002 World Cup season opens this weekend in Madrid Spain. Our editor is on site (after a nasty trip via London that saw him waiting at Heathrow for more than 8 hours for a connecting flight due to a computer meltdown with the Heathrow air traffic control system). We will be providing lap by lap reporting for both the men's and women's races on Sunday, starting at 5am EDT.

The course is a city park in the heart of Madrid. The site is easily accessible by the Underground, bus and cable car and the organization is predicting a spectator turn out of 50 thousand plus.

All of the top male riders will be in attendance. World Champion Roland Green, Miguel Martinez, Bart Brentjens, Thomas Frischknecht, Filip Meirhaeghe and local (Spanish) favorite Jose Antonio Hermida as well as Ryder Hesjedal, Julien Absalon and Lado Fumic.........

Representing the women's field will be World Champion Alison Dunlap, local hero Marga Fullana, returning Gunn-Rita Dahle, 1998 World Champion Lawrence Leboucher, rising star Sabine Spitz, perennial favourites Caroline Alexander & Barb Blatter and (of course) Canada's own Alison Sydor and Chrissy Redden.

It is a 7km loop, with an 800 metre start loop, on an undulating course. No major climbs, no altitude.......

-Descending: 30%
-Wide Track: 20%
-Narrow track: 80%
-Fast downhill sections: 25%
-Slow technical sections: 30%