Fullana

Kiss of the Spider Woman
Fullana and Martinez Win Another Rainbow Jersey
Sierra Nevada, Spain: June 11, 2000
[Results] [Race Schedule]

Marga Fullana (ESP, Subaru-Specialized) — known as the "spider woman" — delighted a huge home crowd Sunday when the smiling flyweight crossed and kissed the finish line after she and later men's winner Miguel Martinez (FRA, Full Dynamix) crushed several other champions in one of the toughest World Championship cross-country races ever.

Sunday's cross-country race was, in some people's hopes and imaginations, going to be a different race. An upset perhaps, a return to old-school riders kicking butt on a technically challenging course that would leave lightweight European road racers strewn across the course tape. It happened in a fashion, but still two light riders, Fullana and Martinez won their races in shattering style.

Massive crowds lined the course, a long 12-kilometer double loop that had access points from a parallel highway and attracted upwards of 35,000 spectators to its rugged rock descents, smooth dirt singletrack and grinding granny-gear climbs. In the women's race especially, they weren't disappointed as their homegirl Fullana won with dominance.

She was chased gamely by two other World Champs, Alison Sydor (CAN, Volvo-Cannondale) and Paola Pezzo (ITA, Gary Fisher Saab) — both of whom know something about dominating a race. Today they were spectators to the continually dominating Fullana, as she ran them ragged by the end of three long, hot laps of racing.

Fullana, who will peak again this September at the Olympics, rode at her usual wicked pace as the 60-woman field wilted in her wake, moving from a race pace to a blistering rate in just one lap's time. Behind her were Sydor and Pezzo, plus Barbara Blatter (SUI, Scott USA), Mary Grigson (AUS, Gary Fisher/Saab), Alison Dunlap (USA, Team GT) and Chrissy Redden (CAN, Gary Fisher/Saab) all battling for positions near the top five, creating a good secondary race.

But no one else could take the 33.5-km race, as Specialized-provided "Marga" Spanish flags waved frantically around the track and spectators drummed beats on the hard course banners. And two hours later she repeated last year's win with rainbow jersey number two.

	Martinez

Just an hour later, the men went off and — like the women's race — saw one small figure out in the distance as Martinez headed for his first-ever senior rainbow jersey after winning three others in a remarkable career. His father and grandfather are Spanish, so Mig said he took inspiration from the crowd and, even though he's French through and through, said he felt a little bit Spanish today.

Behind him, surprise contender Roland Green (CAN, Team GT) showed that he can play in the big leagues after taking fourth in Napa's round one of the World Cup, riding in second place after previous runner-up Marco Bui (ITA, Full Dynamix) crashed out of the race.

After impressing the vocal crowd with an impressive ride in fourth, Jose Marquez of Spain was finally passed by Olympic Champion and 1995 World Champ Brentjens as he headed toward the final podium position. 1997 champion, Hubert Pallhuber (ITA, Diamondback) had toyed with third position and Cadel Evans (AUS, Volvo-Cannondale) had ridden in the top-six for a while, but both eventually faded.

Martinez said this was the happiest day of his life, and that he'll, "ride to Sydney on wings" now. He's in rare form these days and, like Fullana, is the favorite for the season-ending Olympics.

—Ari Cheren, amazed at how good racing can be in such a totalitarian environment, for MountainZone.com