Olympics: Clara Hughes Survives Fall to Stay on Course for London

Canadian Olympic icon Clara Hughes remains on course to appear in a record sixth Olympic Games despite suffering a fall on Monday. Al Dannity looks at how even a veteran cyclist can learn a thing or two in the run up to London 2012.

Down goes the champ!
Canadian cycling great Clara Hughes, 39, took a big tumble in the Grand Prix de Gatineau on Monday. The road race, which is one of the last chances for cyclists to qualify for the Olympics, proved treacherous for Hughes but she still got back in the saddle for a creditable eighth place finish. The Glen Sutton, Que. rider fell spectacularly on the 12th lap of the 13 lap race. Hughes went over the top of her bike to land on Rhae Shaw of Windsor, Ont. whose fall caused the pile up.

“If anything, I blame myself for not leaving a bigger gap between myself and the other rider,” Hughes said. “She’s not very stable on her bike and I should have left a bigger gap. Had I left a bigger gap, I could have gotten around her. It’s a lesson, and next time I won’t follow someone so closely that I don’t trust.”

A lesson to be learnt
Taking care of who is around her is vital for Hughes as she prepares for London 2012. The Canadian team will be announced on June 24 and the two-time Summer Olympic medallist is likely to be named in the travelling party. If she wants to improve on her performance yesterday, Hughes would do well to learn from the cause of her fall. There will be a broad field in London. While the cream of the crop will be there, riders from some of the lesser nations won’t necessarily have the Canadian’s veteran instincts. That could leave Hughes facing similar pile-ups while chasing gold in the summer.

If the Winnipeg native, based in Quebec, is to join the likes of Jeannie Longo and excel at an age past the peak of most athletes then she must keep learning. Of course for Hughes winning in London would bring her a unique double. In addition to her two bronze medals in cycling, Hughes has four medals from speed skating at the Winter Olympics. One of those was a gold in 2006 and taking top honors in London would see her complete a unique double. Indeed a medal of any color would make her the most decorated Canadian Olympian ever. If she is to scale such heights, Hughes must first ensure that she stays in the saddle.

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