Cycling: Kulhavy wins men’s mountain bike gold

HADLEIGH FARM: Jaroslav Kulhavy of the Czech Republic won the men’s Olympic mountain bike gold after an epic seven-lap race which left Swiss Nino Schurter in a close second place.

Italian Marco Fontana finished third to take the bronze at 25 seconds behind Kulhavy’s winning time of one hour 29 minutes seven seconds. Kulhavy and Schurter attacked each other several times on the way up the final climb and it was the Swiss who crested going into the descent which would lead to the final, small climb before the finish line. The Czech, however, pulled ahead of Schurter on the way around the Olympic rings on the grass to leave the Swiss in his wake by a few bike lengths at the finish.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 13^th, 2012.