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In a faultless display, current World Champion and pre-race favourite, Roland Green (Canada), dominated the Commonwealth Games field to win the mountain bike Cross-Country event. Showing the kind of dominance that won him the Championship and World Cup double last year, the Vancouver-resident sprinted away from teammate, Seamus McGrath on the final lap to clinch the Gold. On his 28th birthday, Green avoided the pitfalls of a course that had already claimed women’s favourite, Caroline Alexander, to earn himself the best present he could have wished for.
Behind the two Canadians, English prodigy, Liam Killeen, fought tenaciously to claim a medal. Where Green danced Armstrong-like on the pedals, Killeen fought with the bike, wrestling it around the five-mile circuit. He looked ready to blow at any moment, but the 20-year old had the endurance to hang with his elders, and beamed his way onto finishing straight, flag of St George billowing behind him. He may have been nearly three minutes in arrears, but he had shrugged off the pressure and achieved a result that so many had already pinned on his shoulders.
The race began in hot fashion, as Wales’ Jamie Norfolk led out the start. He was soon overhauled by established World Cup star, New Zealander, Kashi Leuchs. Five riders, including Green, McGrath and Killeen, joined Leuchs at the head of affairs, before Leuchs himself dropped off the pace to leave a leading trio.
By lap three, the trio had become a duo as the Canadians worked together to drop Killeen. From that point, the race became a procession, until Green attacked his weaker compatriot at the entrance to the quarry section on the final lap. Green crossed the line well clear of McGrath to complete the 30-mile event in 1:52.48.
Without the talent of Cadel Evans (who won the Time Trial on Saturday), Australia weren’t firing on all cylinders. They could only manage fifth position, with Craig Gordon, ahead of England’s Barrie Clarke.
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