By Mike Cushionbury
The first ?summer? World Championships in Spain are over and Myles Rockwell is the man! Myles took his lumps in stride (no pun on his two broken legs a few years ago) and ventured on, even when it looked like his career was over after two seasons of nothin? but losses and injuries. But the boss kept pluggin? away and now look at him. Not only is he World Champion, but Myles will go down in history as the guy who ended Nico?s rainbow streak. You da man Myles!
We must not forget the other stellar American performances in Sierra Nevada either?these riders put the good old' USA back on the map as a powerhouse in mountain bike racing: Kathy Pruitt (Jr. downhill World Champion), Walker Ferguson (Jr. cross-country World Champion), Marla Streb (Elite women?s downhill bronze medal), Brian Lopes (Dual silver medal), Tara Llamas (Dual silver medal), Alison Dunlap (Elite women?s cross-country top American in 6th) and Greg Randolph (Elite men?s cross-country top American who went from a last row start to finish in the front in 17th).
WORLD?S SECRET TEST
While most of the action was happening on the race courses at the World Championships in Spain, there was a behind the scenes first going on this year. The UCI carried out its first ever hematocrit test (also considered a test for EPO use) at the World Championships in Sierra Nevada. Thankfully, no rider had too high a hematocrit level (over 50-percent red blood cell count). Interestingly, since the World?s were held at altitude, a German team doctor wanted to change the allowable hematocrit limit to 52-percent. The UCI denied this request stating, as it does in relation to road racing, that a red blood cell count over 50-percent, be it natural or unnatural is dangerous.
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