Cyclists take the scenic route

Palm trees frame the riders in Sydney's Centennial Park

By Paul Cohen, Sydney

They don't miss a marketing trick these Sydneysiders, but for re-invigorating the Olympic movement who would begrudge them a little self-promotion while they are at it?

If you are going to stage an event to the gawking billions why not have Sydney Opera House backdrop the triathlon or a magnificent stadium to host Cathy and company.

A few panoramic shots of Bondi won't do any harm while they are changing ends in the volleyball either.

Whoever planned the cycling course for the Olympic road race was certainly in tune.

Jan Ullrich emerged triumphant from a picturesque trip

No less than 17km of track snaking through the city's finest parks and gardens with a helicoptered TV crew in attendance to capture the whole verdant landscape of Sydney's Eastern Suburbs in aerial technicolour.

An early morning electric storm threatened to spoil the advert/race but it seems you make your own luck in these Games and by start time the rain had gone and the sun was soon burning.

That was not such great news for the 156 riders who faced well over five hours in the saddle.

But as the weather improved so did the crowds to swell the 300 or so die-hards who braved the rain to claim a spot on the finish line from dawn.

People's race

The road race, like the marathon, is for the people. Or more to the point, it is free to watch and any number can catch a glimpse and claim a piece of the Olympic experience for themselves.

Suggestions that the race would be diminished with top riders preferring to focus on the World Championships were unfounded.

The open spaces of Moore, Queens and Centennial parks are used to being overrun with cyclists but not necessarily Lance Armstrong, Alex Zulle, Marco Pantani, Jan Ullrich or Richard Virenque.

It is still a strange sport to go to watch in that practically all the action is out of view. From whatever position one takes there is a 25-minute wait for the riders to come round again, and at a blink-or-you'll-miss-it pace.

There is going to be several blurred photographs being developed in the chemists of Sydney tonight.

Chocolate

But for most it is a sense of "being there" and for some, in this memorabilia-crazed Olympics, even a half-munched chocolate bar discarded by the likes of Erik Dekker may have its own intrinsic value.

Above the beach at Bronte

As for the race? Well Egypt's Mohamed Kholaty led the world's best after the first lap but there was no mass scrum to get his biographical details out of the files.

This was a marathon and there were to be a series of mini-breakaways before the big guns made their move.

The biggest of them all proved to be Jan Ullrich.

With several riders pace-setting for their more established national colleagues or just wilting under the sun most did not finish the race but at least they appreciated the view.

The Sydney tourist offices should now be enjoying the business.