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German Blitzkreig in Sydney
Team Deutsche Telekom teammates Jan Ullrich, Andreas Kloden and Alex
Vinokourov blasted the finest field possible into smithereens at the Olympic
Road Race this morning.
Linda McCartney hearts were in mouths when both Max Sciandri and Bjornar
Vestol, seen here earlier this season,
made the decisive 21-man break (45kb)
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Vestol made it into the decisive 21-man break with 30kms to go of the
undulating, twisting circuit of the Byron Bay area. Max was looking strong;
he had ridden within the first ten riders for the whole of the previous
200kms. Bjornar powered his way to the front, showing his Norwegian jersey,
and the two yellow Principias led the race.
But when Jan Ullrich, who must surely now be acknowledged as the strongest
man in cycling, launched a devastating attack with a lap and a half of the
17kms circuit to go, there was no answer. His fellow German, wunderkind
Andrea Kloden clung to his wheel on the steepest part of the short climb, as
did their day-job teammate, Kazhakstani Vinokourov, as the others grovelled
in their wake.
The brilliant Italian twins Bartoli and Bettini gave it the berries in a
frantic effort to pull the threesome back, but there was nothing they could
do. Armstrong and O'Grady, the entire Dutch and Swiss teams and everybody
else rode on desperately behind, but made no impression on the superhuman
Teutonic trio. There was only one question remaining: Ullrich, Kloden or
Vino? Would they continue to help each other? Would nationality or employer
decide Vinokourov's allegiance? Would Kloden be happy for his senior
teammate to become champion?
We didn't have to wait long. Ullrich once again spun those bionic pistons
into action, and left his companions for dead. For a moment Vino tried to
hold him, but it was futile. Ullrich's power was irrepresible. The 1997 Tour
de France Champion, who has three second places in the great Tour to boot,
became the successor to Linda McCartney's Pascal Richard. He is the second
ever professional Olympic Champion.
All three of Linda McCartney's competitors had given it their all, and they
were all counted among the few finishers. Max was in the remains of the first
main group, sprinting for 14th, behind the chasers, only a few seconds behind
the German firestorm. Ciaran and Bjornar rolled their exhausted bodies over
the line a few minutes later, in the action throughout, and completely
drained at the death. A great performance by Max, Ciaran and Bjornar, but it
was not to be. Ullrich was simply in a class of his own.
Report by John Deering
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