I thought London and the citizens of Great Britain did a great job with the 2012 Games. In my memory, and it goes back a long way, I do not recall ever seeing so many spectators on the road events. It was so good to see that kind of support.
But I was disappointed in the mountain bike race, which was very poor for the competitors. There were, I think, 46 riders at the starting gate, a gate wide enough to accommodate only nine riders in the front row, with the remainder of the field strung out to the rear.
The riders in the front row were all the favourites, the world champion this year, the world champion last year and so on. The course did not allow enough opportunities for riders who started at the rear to have a chance to win. It was plain to see that the race was among four riders from the front row, with the others along for the ride.
In an Olympic event of this nature, competitors should not be seeded based on previous performance. It makes the playing field unfair. The mountain-bike ruling association should take a little more interest in the interests of its members before it approves a venue for an Olympic event.
Next time, they should take a look at a cross-country ski race start.
Sandy Peden
Victoria
