BURRY STANDER, Mountain bike

Date of birth: 16 September 1987
Beijing event: Mountain bike
Previous Olympics: None
Bike: GT Zaskar Factory Team Issue
To me, the Olympic Games is another major title I want to try and win. Maybe not this one, but hopefully one in future.
In Beijing, I reckon I’ll be on vacation. Nah, kidding! I really am hoping to stay healthy, have the legs to challenge the front runners and gain valuable experience for the Olympics in years to come.
The Olympic course is pretty simple as far as I know. Fast, flowing dirt track with loads of short, steep climbs. It will be hard as there are no real recovery sections. I will have to see for myself though…
The gold medal favourite must be Julien Absalon (FRA) or a power rider like Florian Vogel (SUI) or Jose Hermida (ESP).
Bicycling’s comments: Stander’s performances at international events went from good to great in a matter of months. The 20-year-old is still maturing physically and finished second at a recent World Cup race, beating virtually all of the sport’s big guns in the process. He also collected the silver medal in the Under-23 category at the recent world champs, confirming his class. A medal from Stander is possibly a big ask, considering it will be his first Olympics, but the tough KwaZulu-Natalian will almost certainly be a one of the main contenders.
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