U23

Spain's Hermida Wins Second Jersey
Sierra Nevada, Spain: June 9, 2000
[Results] [Race Schedule]

With the action at this year's World Championships heating up just as the temperatures dropped on Friday afternoon, cross-country racing had a full day on the crazy mountainside course as juniors and espoirs went at it under cold cloudy skies in Sierra Nevada.

The espoir, or U-23 race, was a high-speed war between two strong pro racers, Jose Antonio Hermida (ESP, Bianchi Albacom) and Kashi Leuchs (NZL, Volvo-Cannondale). Both went off the front of the four-lap race early as the pre-race favorites, and by the end a couple hours later, Hermida had not only won Spain's second World Championship of these races but his second rainbow jersey this week.

Hermida is a 21-year-old pro racer whose best World Cup result this season was 3rd in Houffalize. He anchored Spain's winning relay team on Wednesday, and - along with Leuchs - and came into Friday's race destined for a good finish. Especially with all the crazy Spanish fans yelling throughout the forest.

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Hermida rode with Leuchs in the first two laps, the two racers trading duties up front, but Hermida setting the race pace. They kept that up and built a 30-second gap over the field within the first lap, while behind them the other pre-race favorite, France's Julien Absalon, rode in 3rd place followed by Spanish rider Marti Gispert Labarta in 4th.

In the third lap Hermida finally attacked Leuchs, who let Hermida take a few meters before responding and then watched as the gap widened. Hermida crashed at one point, allowing the Kiwi to take back some real estate, but it wasn't enough and Hermida built up a 30-second gap by the fourth and final lap.

Leuchs then flatted a rear tire in lap four, losing another two minutes to the lead as well as second place when Gispert Labarta - who had recently passed Absalon - rode past Leuchs and set up the final finishing order.

So Spain got the one-two finish, much to the delight of the fans here, as Leuchs held on for the third and final podium slot thanks to a quick tire change. Absalon held on for 4th place. The top American finisher, Jess Swiggers, finished 7th.

—Ari Cheren, somewhere over the rainbow for MountainZone.com