BikeRide.com Cycling Blog

I am one of those people who love the Olympics. I think one of the big reasons I got into bike racing in the first place was the buzz around the 1984 Olympics in L.A. Alexi Grewall, Steve Hegg, and Rebecca Twigg were just some of the cyclists that were heroes of mine as a teenager.

The 2008 Olympic games begin in a few days, and I am ready to watch. The company I work for has created a Beijing Olympics Fantasy Game where you can match countries to the sports you think will win the most medals. This inspired me to do a little research on who is likely to win the most medals in the various cycling competitions.

Great Britain is probably the biggest favorite to win a lot of cycling medals. They cleaned up at the 2008 World Track Cycling Championships, and also have a medal contender in the Women’s Road Race in Nicole Cook, and Shanaze Reade is a fovorite in BMX. Cycling Weekly predicts 13 cycling medals for Great Britain.

The Men’s Road Race is on day one of the games and should make for great TV with views of the Great Wall and other landmarks. VeloNews reports that it will be a war of attrition at 248.5km on on hilly course with high heat, humidity, and questionable air quality. George Vecsey of the New York Times finds some humor in the fact that it will be the cyclists that will will test the air …

In a form of community service — atonement for cycling’s past sins, perhaps — they will test the air for all their colleagues who plan to breathe outdoors in the next two weeks.

The overwhelming favorite for the Men’s road race has to be Alejandro Valverde. The Spanish team is very strong. Besides Valverde they have the past two winners of the Tour de France in Carlos Sastre, and Alberto Contador, plus former World Champion and recent Tour de France green jersey winner Oscar Friere, and Sammy Sanchez, also a top man in the Tour de France and one of the best descenders in the peloton.

The Americans are a bit of a question mark with Levi Leipheimer, Dave Zabriski, and Jason McCartney all missing the Tour de France, but Christian VandeVelde, and George Hincapie should be able to go the distance. Kristin Armstrong has to be a favorite in the Women’s Time Trial.

Canadian Michael Barry is hoping for a little revenge after just missing out on a medal in 2004.

On the track there are some American athletes that I am pulling for. When I used to race at the Marymoor Velodrome in Redmond, Washington for a couple of season back in the ’90s, Jennie Reed used to be a regular there, racing with her sister and father. Now she is a World Champion, and I would love to see her win a medal. She is one of the favorite in the sprints.

Mike ‘Meatball’ Friedman is one of the most colorful characters in the sport of cycling. He will be racing in the Madison with Bobby Lea.

Friedman racing in Redmond, WA in 2006

Friedman was had to overcome some adversity to make the Olympics. When he arrived in Beijing he was wearing a facemask due to the air quality.

One of the most hyped American cyclists at the Olympics is Taylor Phinney, the teenage wonderkid who could challenge for a medal in the pursuit. In the weeks leading up to the game he has been producing his highest power numbers to date.

It should be an exciting Olympics, will you be watching? What are your medal predictions?