Cycling: Dean out of luck in late assault

By EUGENE BINGHAM

His face splattered black with grime like a coalminer, legs cramping from 5 1/2 hours of toil, Julian Dean attacked.

It was a desperate move, a tough uphill drive on the last climb from a tough man in one of the Olympics' toughest events, the cycling road race.

It was the move of a competitor who knew he had to do something, for he wanted to satisfy himself that he had given his all in Athens.

"I really had an objective of getting a medal and if the race had been a little bit more aggressive and not so animated, I would have had a little bit better chance," the New Zealand rider said after finishing 15th early yesterday. "I really felt I was one of the five strongest riders out there."

At the end of the 224km, 17-lap circuit of central Athens, Italy's Paolo Bettini was crowned Olympic champion. Sergio Paulinho, an unheralded rider from Portugal, was second, and Axel Merckx, of Belgium, third.

Dean, one of only two non-Europeans in the top 15, was the only one of the four New Zealanders to finish.

On a dusty afternoon of 36C, almost half the field failed to finish.

For some, like the New Zealanders, the heat took its toll.

Others crashed on the road, parts of which were like rubber cement because the asphalt had melted. Two of the favourites, Igor Asterloa and Michael Boogerd, were taken to hospital after an accident in the first lap.

Dean was not surprised team-mates Jeremy Yates, Robin Reid and Heath Blackgrove had not made it.

"The other guys are not really up to the standard of racing. They don't race at this level. They did everything they could."

New Zealand road coach Jacques Landry said Yates was still suffering the effects of dehydration from a ride several days ago. He was in the main bunch until three laps to go before he lost energy.

"He knows deep down he could have been there with Julian."

Landry said he still believed the right team were selected to go to Athens. "I have no regrets."

Bettini made the decisive break on the course looping around the historic Greek capital with about 20km to go. He and Paulinho pulled away and at the bell lap had built a lead of about 30s.

Dean, the 29-year-old who rode creditably in this year's Tour de Franc, was still in with a chance of bronze.

Halfway through the last lap, up the 200m climb to the top of the landmark Lykavittos Hill, Dean surged to the front of the chase group, past some formidable opponents such as defending champion Jan Ullrich.

"I tried to go on my own, but I couldn't get away."

On the last descent past the Acropolis, Merckx, the son of five-times Tour de France winner Eddy, broke away. His medal meant he achieved something his legendary father never did - in Eddy's day, professionals were not allowed to ride in the Olympics.

Bettini, a 59kg, 1.69m 30-year-old nicknamed Il Grillo (The Cricket), sprinted clear of Paulinho about 400m from the finish.

Looming over the race despite his absence was Lance Armstrong, who opted off the United States Olympic team following a rigorous summer that included winning the Tour for the sixth time and defending himself against drug allegations.

But Bettini refused to let that detract from his victory, pointing out that he had beaten other champion riders, including Ullrich.

"Lance is just happy winning the Tour de France and of course it meant there was one less rival but there were some very good cyclists here," he said.

Crossing the line ahead of Ullrich and credited with the same time as the fifth place-getter (12s down on Bettini), Dean could only rue what might have been.

"I think a lot of guys were afraid because of the heat and weren't trying too hard. I had fantastic legs today and the harder the race, the better it would have been for me. In a sense it wasn't really hard enough."