Cycling
Cross-country mountain bike riding (contested in Sydney in rugged bush terrain) is as tough as cycling gets: riders are often injured, and if they get a flat tire they have to pump it up themselves. Road racing (239 km for men and 120 km for women) is a mix of endurance and cat-and-mouse maneuvering that involves strategic "drafting" (resting in the slipstream of an ever-changing race leader) followed by a sprint for the finish. Indoor track events-contested on bikes with spokeless carbon-fiber wheels-bring competition to centrifugal intensity at the Dunc Gray Velodrome.
Mountain Bike
Men
World No. 2 Bart Brentjens of the Netherlands faces keen opposition from French world champion Miguel "Mighty Mouse" Martinez and Australian No. 6 Cadel Evans.
Women
There's no tougher woman on two wheels than world No. 1 Barbara Blatter of Switzerland. But perhaps more suited to local terrain is Mary Grigson of Australia, who claimed World Cup silver on the Olympic course last year.
Road
Men
If Australian Stuart O'Grady can recover from a fracture suffered during July's Tour de France, he's a medal chance. But he faces stiff opposition from Spanish world champ Oscar Freire, Switzerland's Laurent Dufaux, and world No. 1 and time-trial world champion Jan Ullrich of Germany. At press time, it was doubtful whether double Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong of the U.S. would be fit.
Women
Top-ranked Anna Wilson of Australia will be pressed hard by Lithuanian world champion Edita Pucinskaite and Atlanta winner Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli of France.
Track
Men
Australia's Barcelona silver medalist Shane Kelly is back, as is his Atlanta nemesis, Florian Rousseau, and two-time world champion Arnaud Tournant, both of France. Watch out for the latter in the sprint, along with Germany's Jens Fiedler, who is going for his third successive gold. Germany are also world leaders in the pursuit events, though they are likely to be eclipsed by France in the Olympic sprint.
Women
No. 1-ranked world and Olympic champion Felicia Ballanger of France need only keep her feet on the pedals to take out the time trial and sprint, while in the individual pursuit, world champion Marion Clignet of France will be chased hard by Germany's Judith Arndt.
WHEN TO WATCH
Men
- Mountain Bike Sept. 24
- Road Race Sept. 27
- Road Time Trial Sept. 30
- Track Time Trl Sept. 16
- Sprint Sept. 20
- Indiv. Pursuit Sept. 17
- Team Pursuit Sept. 19
- Olympic Sprint Sept. 17
Women
- Mountain Bike Sept. 23
- Road Race Sept. 26
- Road Time Trial Sept. 30
- Track Time Trl Sept. 16
- Sprint Sept. 20
- Indiv. Pursuit Sept. 18