Melbourne (Australia) Commonwealth Games
March 23, 2006 | British Cycling's Larry Hickmott reports
>Commonwealth Games (MTB XC)
Women's Mountain Bike Cross-Country
Marie-Helen Premont of Canada won the women's Mountain Bike event at the Commonwealth Games with all the conviction expected of the World number two. Premont is the only rider with the ability to challenge world champion Gunn-Rita Dahle and it came as no surprise as she controlled the Commonwealth's race almost from the start.
Marie Helene Premont of Canada - in a class of her own
Premont was only threatened briefly in the first few hundred metres when Aussie Dellys Starr went off like a bullet. Premont simply marked her move and waited for the Australian to fade, whereupon she took over at the head of the race and never looked back.
Perhaps the only moment of uncertainty Premont experienced after the first lap was an encounter with a huge kangaroo on a section of north-shore decking - the marsupial overtook Premont and then jumped the boarding a few feet in front of her and disappeared into the bush. Our man at the race, Larry Hickmott, reported that snakes were another problem in places, with copperheads - which are highly poisonous - appearing from time to time and keeping the crowd marshals on their toes.
Bisaro, Premont and Joseph
Back to racing and Roasara Joseph of New Zealand and Kiara Bisaro chased Premont gamely but had to settle for silver and bronze respectively as they failed to make any impression on the leader.
England's Amy Hunt finished fourth, an amazing result by the 19 year old who, although having originally emerged through Mountain Biking, has spent the majority of her time riding the Track and Road in the last 18 months.
Amy Hunt disposes of early leader Dellys Starr
After the race, we spoke to Amy: "It was too good an opportunity to miss" she said when asked what she thought of being handed the chance to ride the event.
Turning to the race, Amy explained "I wanted to get a good start and then settle into my own pace because if I had gone with someone else, I would not have lasted to the end". When asked about the course, she said: "It was good actually. It is quite hard because it starts climbing from halfway right to the finish but it was good. For an experienced mountain bike rider it probably wasn't too technical."
And her reaction to that stunning fourth place? "Really pleased!" Amy will now ride Road race on Sunday, her main aim for the Games.
Ruth McGavin of Scotland was the other home nation rider and after the race she seemed to have enjoyed herself: "I had a few gear problems out there which was disappointing but I had good support around the course. The crowd were brilliant and there is plenty of support for the Scottish riders. The course wasn't one that really suited, it's a real power course."
Results
1 Marie-Helene Premont (Canada) 1.55.04
2 Rosara Joseph (New Zealand) 1.27
3 Kiara Bisaro (Canada) 2.55
4 Amy Hunt (England) 6.29
5 Dellys Starr (Australia) 7.08
6 Robyn Wong (New Zealand) 7.32
7 Emma Colson (Australia) 11.03
8 Sonia Foote (New Zealand) 14.28
9 Myra Moller (Cook Islands) 16.29
10 Ruth McGavigan (Scotland) 18.43
11 Claire Baxter (Australia)
England Team Defends Selection Policy
Amy's inclusion in the race was a late decision by the England team. She had travelled to the Games as a key rider in for the Road Race. However, with her background in mountain biking and significant recent improvement, her suitability for the off-road discipline was obvious and the race result shows that the team's decision was spot-on.
England had not selected any specialist female mountain bikers in their squad, a controversial decision, but one consistent with the GB team's refusal to select riders for major events who are not competitive. This becomes even more important at major competitions where only a limited number of places are available for cycling squads as a whole and where single-discipline riders without medal prospects cannot be accommodated.
Amy is not only a young rider who has shown the ability to surprise - Mark Cavendish's exploits at last year's World Track Championships were predicted by few outside the team. Amy is only 19 and has made an emphatic statement as to her potential.
Amy Hunt showing undeniable class on her way to fourth place
Mountain Bike expert and World Cup Gary Foord was clearly impressed by Amy's performance: "Amy's possibly surprised a few people today. I rode a few laps with her in the week and straight away I said to Simon Burney (mountain bike manager) that she doesn't appear to be a Road rider riding a Mountain Bike race and it would a shame if she stayed just a Road cyclist."
"She is fearless and has a very calm character and that suggests she isn't so competitive, but today, I don't believe there is another English (or British) woman that could have done a better job. After a 4th in the Commonwealth Games, she is not a huge distance behind the World Class Mountain Bikers. She has finished within spitting distance of some very accomplished mountain bike riders at 19."
"I think if it had of been her focus leading up to the Games, then perhaps you would have to start considering a better result. Finding an 19 year old with her temperament, her technical ability and willingness to press on, is great news. I have already spoken to her coach Dan Hunt to try and keep her in mountain biking whilst she develops as a road rider."
"She had a big crash on the course during the week and she has been dressing her wounds all week and it hasn't bothered her one bit."
On an analytical note, it's interesting to compare the time gap between winner Premont and Amy in a race which was of equivalent length to a World Cup event. A six minute gap, like the one bewtween the two riders at Melbourne, would have placed Amy comfortably in the top twenty-five of all last year's World Cup races and in the top ten of several - a level of performance, as Gary pinted out, beyond any other contemporary British riders, except Nicole Cooke, only an occasional visitor to the discipline.
