When Disaboom caught up with Alejandro last week, he was preparing for the time trials in Beijing. He was extremely nervous about the course, especially the beginning and the end. The course starts downhill, and there are rubber mats that are on top of the cement trail. Alejandro wasn't sure about the point of the mats, but wasn't happy about them because if it rained, it would be very easy to hydroplane on the mats and crash! At the end of the course, the cyclists are at a top speed of about 35 mph when they have to make a sharp turn on an incline. With lots of other racers around them, this is also another prime time for a crash. Alejandro said his method is to "crank as fast as I can" on the less dangerous parts of the course so that he has leeway to go a little slower on parts like the beginning and end of the course. It loses him some time, but he sees it as being a much better alternative to crashing!
In terms of Alejandro's race, if you haven't seen from Steve Barber's blog, Alejandro took the bronze medal in the time trials, and the silver medal in the finals. Below are some pictures. Enjoy, and congratulations, Alejandro!
