May 23/04 3:47 am - Women Getting Ready to Start

Posted by Editor on 05/23/04
 

Madrid World Cup

World Cup coverage sponsored by Vélirium 2004 and ORYX

We are about 30 minutes away from the start of the first Mountain Bike World Cup of the 2004 season. The women will go first, for 4 laps of the 8 kilometre circuit through Casa de Campos, a large park on the outskirts of Madrid. The rain stopped yesterday afternoon, but it is overcast and damp still, with no sun so far to dry up the track. The temperature is around 18C, and there is a breeze blowing. Through the start/finish area in particular it will be a hard slog, on wet, sandy ground. The rest of the course has dried up somewhat, but now sections are sticky, which will also slow the riders down.

There are two topics of conversation this morning - the absence of Sabine Spitz, who left for Germany yesterday after becoming ill on Friday, and U.S. President Bush's mountain bike crash at his Texas ranch. Bush landed on his face and knees, according to Associated Press, but got bike on his bike to finish his 27 kilometre ride. Of course, the fact that he was attended on his ride bu his personal physician, military escort and secret service officers didn't hurt.