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Mountain Bikers Tumble Way to Medals on First Day of World Masters Games

Posted on: Friday, 22 July 2005, 21:00 CDT

EDMONTON (CP) - Overcoming two laps of the hilly, root-covered and unforgiving 9.5-kilometre loop was the goal.

Former Canadian wrestling champion Gord Bertie and 290 others were up for the challenge Friday at the mountain bike race on the first day of competition of the World Masters Games.

Bertie, 56, finished eighth, navigating two laps of the course along Edmonton's river valley in 58 minutes 49 seconds.

"I have never raced on a bike before, so it was my person best," said Bertie.

The route was lengthened by two kilometres at the last minute to make it more difficult, and riders had to navigate large roots and mature trees on a steep decline at the end.

"I ran the bike down the hill," said Bertie, who wrestled for Canada at the 1972 and '76 Olympics.

"At one point I knew I was in trouble when the back wheel of the bike was over my head."

The men's 55-59 age bracket was won by Christian Jupillat of Bordeaux, France, a sculptor by trade who sawed through the course in 48:49.

The mountain bike competition was one of 14 events to open the 10-day Masters Games, which features over 21,000 athletes from 84 nations competing in 27 sports.

Bertie, Canada's first World Cup wrestling champion at 52 kilograms in 1972, only began training in January for Friday's mountain bike race. He said his competitive fire is back.

"I can't wrestle anymore. Pieces of my body fall off," he said. "It's got me to a level of fitness I haven't had since I finished wrestling in '76."

Sandy Cousins, 57, rode an old bike and fought through a dislocated thumb to finish second among three competitors in the women's 55-59 age group at 1:10.12.

"My bike performed great," said Cousins, a professor at the University of Alberta. "I am just pumped."

American Lydia Barter, a New England native and the defending World Masters champion,, won the race in 56:26.

"I don't have a young body," said Cousins, a former gymnast who is registered in four bike events at the Games. "I've got to work smart, train smart and play smart."

John Templeton, 68 was the lone entrant in the men's 65-69 age category but finished the 19-kilometre ride in 58:12.

"I was disappointed I was the only one in it," said Templeton. "I like a body contact sport and mountain bike riding is probably the only thing you can do at my age that is close to it."

A condominium salesman from Edmonton, Templeton said he is a recovering alcoholic who's been dry for 28 years.

"It's how you live and take care of yourself and have fun like this," he said. "You can overcome and become healthy again and get back into the land of the living and enjoy life like days like this."

Source: Canadian Press

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