World Championships
Are, Sweden
Sept. 15-19, 1999

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Spain Takes First Medal of Worlds
Country Takes Its First Elite Event
Wednesday, September 15, 1999

Cross-Country: Rainbows to Denmark and Spain
Downhill: Vouilloz and Chausson Keep Streaks Alive
Under 23 XC: Evans Final Lap Loss
Schedule of Events
Preview: We Are the Worlds

The World Championships got underway this afternoon beneath wet skies and with sparse crowds, as the Spanish team beat out 18 other four-person teams to win the first rainbow jerseys of this year's event, as well as the country's first elite championship. As was envisioned by the developers of this brand-new Worlds discipline, the race was close and exciting — two men and two women racing against each other on the same course, in the same race for the first time ever in the sport.

"When I got into the lead I said to myself 'nobody comes close to me'..." — Jose Antonio Hermida, Team Spain

Team USA was leading the two-hour race going into the final lap, with anchor rider Alison Dunlap taking off on her leg with four other riders within four minutes. One of those four was the other Alison, Sydor, who chased just under one minute later, with the the two of them then chased by a pair of men.

Opening Ceremonies

Spain and France's anchor racers were Jose Antonio Hermida and Miguel Martinez, who passed the Alisons in the final lap, racing within 35 seconds for the gold. Martinez chased hard, but was unable to erase the gap between him and a motivated Hermida, as Spain finished first after two hours.

"When I got into the lead I said to myself 'nobody comes close to me,'" commented Hermida after winning the race and being dog-piled by Spanish teammates and managers. "The last lap was so exciting."

As the two men raced at full tilt up front, Sydor passed Dunlap, erasing a 45-second deficit on the final climb of the lap to take 3rd, as Dunlap went backward, but held on to 4th for the day, one position away from the medals.

Team Relay

The race, in retrospect, was considered a huge success, with everything going very smoothly considering it was the debut of the discipline. Racers would go one lap full-out, then come into the start/finish and transfer their armband to the next racer at a wooden barrier. Transitions took place at a standstill, eliminating any crashes or other confusion. Riders entered on the right, stopped, and the next "tagged" rider took off on the left side.

The teams, 19 in all, consisted of one woman and three men: an elite, junior and U-23 rider. Conditions were cloudy and cool at the start, developing into a cold drizzle by race's end which made for some muddy conditions on the steep course.

MountainZone.com reporters, livin' large as official Worlds sponsors, for the first time ever