Cyc: Starr wanes in heat

AAP General News (Australia)
08-23-2008
Cyc: Starr wanes in heat

By Roger Vaughan

BEIJING, Aug 23 AAP - A mid-race mechanical problem and cramps combined with the awesome
power of Frenchman Julien Absalon to end Daniel McConnell's Olympic mountain bike debut
early.

McConnell and female compatriot Dellys Starr fell foul of the 80 per cent rule in stifling
conditions at Laoshan today at the end of the Beijing Games' cycling schedule.

The two Australians had to finish with two laps left because the leader's time was
less than 80 per cent of their own.

While the two Australians were never expected to challenge for the medals, their early
exits ended a barren Olympics for Australian cycling.

The team won just one silver, a massive plummet from the six golds of Athens and the
worst cycling result since no medals at Moscow in 1980.

Absalon, the defending Olympic champion and four-time world champion, smashed the field
to beat fellow Frenchman Jean-Christophe Peraud by a minute and seven seconds.

Swiss Nino Schurter was 1:53 off the pace as he outsprinted compatriot Christoph Sauser
for the bronze medal.

"I'm a bit worse for wear now, but it's good just to get my first Olympics under my
belt, it's been a really good experience," McConnell said.

"It always is disappointing not to get through to the finish, but I had a bit of a
mechanical on the fifth lap and it knocked me back a few minutes, so it was always going
to be hard to get through (under) the time cut.

"Then, once cramp sets in on this course, there's no recovery at all."

McConnell had a nervous wait last month as Chris Jongewaard appealed against his non-selection.

McConnell first lost his spot during the appeal process and then regained it, but said
it did not affect his preparation too dramatically.

"You just have to keep your focus and that's about all you can do," he said.

The temperature rose to over 32 degrees during the men's race and it was bad enough
for Starr to earlier suffer from heat stress in the women's race which was won in convincing
fashion by German Sabine Spitz.

Starr joked that she was suffering to the point that she might soon see her late brother
Dale in the crowd.

Dale died in a plane crash just before Starr rode at the 2006 Commonwealth Games and
his memory inspired her to come back from retirement for Beijing.

While McConnell will now aim for London, this was Starr's last international race.

"As far as my brother is concerned, he loved me racing ... life's short, you never
know when it's going to end, so I wanted to go out and give it my all," she said.

"He's always on my mind, but I was a little delirious - I could have even seen him in the crowd."

The men's race was eight laps of the tough 4.5km circuit and the women went over it six times.

AAP rhv/tdw

KEYWORD: OLY08 CYC AUST NIGHTLEAD

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