The Book On: Mountainbiking
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Outside magazine, August 1996
The Book On: Mountainbiking Will Tinker Juarez triumph–or psych himself out trying? Until last year, the word on Tinker Juarez was that were he ever to recognize just how strong he really is, none of his rivals would be able to keep up. Unfortunately for the 49 other men competing in mountain biking’s Olympic debut, the But Juarez knows all too well that physical ability is only half of the equation. At press time he was sequestered high in southern California’s San Bernardino Mountains, hiding from the Olympic hoopla, because, as his manager admitted, “He was starting to wig out a little bit.” Still, the knowledge that he’s America’s only real medal hope may be just the incentive the At the start, look for Juarez to storm to the front with Norwegian sensation Rune Hoydahl, followed closely by Dutchman Bart Brentjens, the current world champion. The three should control the race from beginning to end, with the order of finish anyone’s guess. But don’t overlook Switzerland’s Thomas Frischknecht, who has extra incentive given his recent history of suffering bad breaks–collarbone, chain, etc.–in big events. The cagey veteran may just hunt down the front runners and nab a podium spot. In the women’s race, victory seems almost certain for Canadian Alison Sydor. The 29-year-old former road racer–motivated by her failure to medal as a favorite in Barcelona–seems to be able to peak at will. She’s won the cross-country world championship two years running and seemed cool and controlled as she took the first three World Cup events See Also: |