August 12/12 8:15 am - 2012 Olympic Games: Men's XC UPDATES
Posted by Editoress on 08/12/12
Another beautiful day on Hadleigh Farm as we await the start of the final cycling event of the 2012 Olympics. Temp is 22 with some haze (probably from overnight dew). There is a stiff breze blowing though to help with the heat.
On the line will be 50 men and they will do a short start loop and 7 laps of the 5k course.
Canadians are Max Plaxton and Geoff Kabush (both will start 3rd row)
Americans Todd Wells and Sam Schultz
The favourites are: defending Champ Julien Absalon (France), World Cup winner Nino Schurter (Switzerland), and Burry Stander (South Africa). Jaroslav Kulhavy (Czech Republic), Manuel Fumic (Germany), and Marco Aurelio Fontana (Italy) are all outside chances as they are superb sprinters and this is a somewhat less than technical course most riders will experience on either the World Cup circuit or World Championships.
An intersting entry for the German team (they get 3 as a top 5 team in the UCI rankings) is Robert Forstemann, a track specialst in the Keirin and a member of the German Sprint Team that finished 4th. You know, the guy with the legs, either one of which is bigger than most of the other starters waists!
Rumour is he will tear through the pack at the start and latch onto the lead moto, and last for 250 metres then retire from the race. UPDATE: Just announced as a DNS
Start loop
At the end of the start loop it is no surprize, Nino Schurter (Switzerland) leads
Kaubush sitting 14th
Max Plaxton (Canada) has crashed and is 1:03 back in 43rd place
Lap 1
1/2 way around and Fumic has joined Schurter in the lead with Kulhavy, Florian Vogel (Switzerland), Marco Aurelio Fontana (Italy) and Marek Konwa (Poland) at 1 sec back. Absalon 8th at 6 sec
Kabush sitting 13th at 13 sec
Schultz 21st
Wells 25th
Plaxton 39th
Lap 2 8:44 am
As they head out for the 2nd of 7 laps, Kulhavy has taken the lead with Schurter on his wheel. Fontana at 1 sec, José Hermida (Spain) 4th at 6 sec, Fumic 5th at 10 sec
Kabush 15th at 24 sec;Schultz and Wells together (18-19) at 29 sec back
Plaxton 36th at over 1 min
8:48 am
1/2 way thu lap 2 and Schurter again in lead w. Kulhavy and Fontana at 1 sec. 4th Hermida at 11 sec, 5th Stander at 19 sec, 6th Ralph Näf (Switzerland), 7th Vogel
13th is Kabush at 30 sec, 14th Wells, 20th Schultz
Plaxton up to 30th
3 horse race at this point woth Schurter, Kulhavy and Fontana battleing it out in the lead. Hermida trying to close, but Schurter (as usual) is setting a blistering pace at the front.
Lap 3 8:56 am
Starting the 3rd lap and Kulhavy in front with Schurter on his wheel. Fontana at 1 sec. Stander now 4th with Hermida 5th, both at 9 sec back
Absalon has dropped out
Killeen has dropped out
Kabush up to 8th now at 31 sec
Wells 15th
Schultz 21st
Plaxton 27th at 2:04
9am
1/2 way and Schurter again leading, Kulhavy at 1 sec. 3rd Fontana at 2 sec, 4th Stander at 6 sec, Hermida at 7 sec,
6th Stephane Tempier (France) at 19 sec, 7th Alexander Gehbauer (Austria), 8th Kabush holding at 39 sec
15 Wells at 46sec
23 Schultz at 1:24
32 Plaxton at 2:41
Lap 4 (of 7) start
Kulhavy leading with Schurter and Fontana at same time. 4 Stander at 1 sec, 5 Hermida at 2 sec. 6 Tempier, 8 Gehbauer, 9 Wells at 46 sec, 10 Vogel
12 Kabush at 48 sec
19 Schultz
35 Plaxton
1/2 way 9:13 am (44 min of racing done)
Schurter leads with Stander at 1 sec. Kulhavy and Fontana at 2sec. 5 Hermida at 3 sec. 6 Tempier at 20 sec
9 Wells at 45 sec, 11 Kabush 48 sec
18 Schultz
Lap 5 9:21 am
Starting the 5th lap Schurter and Kulhavy lead with Hermida, Fontana and Stander at 1 sec.
6 Tempier at 20 sec, 7 Gehbauer, 8 Fumic, 9 Carlos Coloma Nicolas (Spain)
10 Wells at 45sec, 11 Kabush at 48 sec, 17 Schultz at 1:35
DNF Max Plaxton
1/2 way 9:27 am (22 km done in 57 minutes of racing)
Kulhavy leads with Schurter at 1 sec. Stander at 2 sec, Fontana at 3 sec, Hermida at 4 sec
9 Wells at 51 sec, 11 Kabush at 57 sec, 18 Schultz
Lap 6 9:35 am
Start of lap 6: Kulhavy leading with Schurter at 2 sec. 3 Fontana at 3 sec, 4 Stander at 16 sec, 5 Hermida at 25 sec.
10 Kabush at 1:15, 11 Wells at 1:20
17 Sam Schultz at 2:29
1/2 way 9:39 am (26.9 km done in 1hr and 10 min)
Schurter back in lead with Kulhavy on his wheel. Fontana at 1 sec, Stander 4th at 18 sec, Hermida 5th at 19 sec, Fumic 6th at 47 sec
9 Kabush at 1:13, 11 Wells at 1:26
Lap 7 9:47 am
Starting the last lap: Schurter and Kulhavy together, Fontana at 1 sec, Stander 4th at 13 sec and Hermida 5th at s.t.
8 Kabush at 1:05, Wells 10th at 1:29, Schultz 15th at 2:38
Schurter is the better descender and drops the other 2, but they come all back together on the flats. Sprint finish???
Fontana attacks and Schurter follows
9:53 am
1/2 way: Fontana leads Schurter at s.t., Kulhavy is dropped, now at 3 sec
4 Stander at 22 sec, Hermida 5 at 23 sec
8 Kabush at 1:13
10 Wells
15 Schultz
9:58 am
Schurter attacks and Kulhavy goes with, Fontana dropped
Kulhavy attacks on the climb and Schurter stays with. Fontana for Bronze
Finish
1 Jaroslav Kulhavy (Czech Republic) 1:29:07
2 Nino Schurter (Switzerland) at 0:01
3 Marco Aurelio Fontana (Italy) 0:25
8 Geoff Kabush (Canada) 1:36
Course Profile (blue part is start loop)
Compare with profile for upcoming World Champs
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