Saturday, Oct 21st.- Canadian Gunnar Holmgren secured the first gold medal of the Pan American Games in Santiago2023, winning the Men's Olympic Cross-Country Mountain Bike event held this morning at the San Carlos de Apoquindo circuit in the foothills of Santiago. Chile's Martín Vidaurre, who fiercely competed for the lead until near the end, earned the silver medal, while the bronze went to Brazilian Jose Gabriel Marques de Almeida. 

The competition took place at the Universidad Católica Sports Club stadium, with a large crowd of spectators supporting the athletes throughout the circuit, which covered a distance of 4 to 6 kilometers and had an elevation gain of approximately 4.2 kilometers with 160 meters per lap. 

The course featured numerous zigzag climbs, downhill sections with abundant rocks, banked turns, an urban descent, and a "wall ride" (a wooden structure). 

In summary, it was a highly demanding track where cyclists had to complete seven laps. Vidaurre and Holmgren battled for the lead from the start and quickly distanced themselves from the rest of the field. By the end of the fifth lap, they had opened a nearly two-minute lead over their closest pursuer, Brazilian Jose Gabriel Marques de Almeida. 

With just two laps to go, however, the Canadian began to pull away and built a lead of almost one minute. His final time was 1:17:59, compared to the Chilean's 1:18:52. Marques de Almeida finished considerably behind, with a time of 1:20:13. 

Upon crossing the finish line, Martín Vidaurre was greeted with applause from the crowd, and the Chilean cyclist responded with gestures of apology for not achieving the gold he had aimed for. 

In fourth place was the Brazilian Ulan Bastos, with a time of 1:20:31, and Colombian Diego Arias finished fifth with a time of 1:20:35. 

By: Alejadro Pérez / Santiago 2023 Villa Photosport

Photo: Diego Alvujar / Santiago 2023 vía Photosport