PERU: CYCLE RACING - Finish rider, Matti Lehikoinen wins the annual Latin-American Mountain Bike (MTB) Urban Downhill competition in Cuzco

A 22-year-old Finish rider, Matti Lehikoinen won the Latin-American Mountain Bike (MTB) Urban Downhill competition on Saturday (November 11) after winning the last race of the season celebrated in the Andean city of Cuzco, Peru. Lehikoinen was crowned as the Emperor of the MTB Downhill in an imperial Cuzco square. Riding a specially-designed and modified Honda bike worth sixty thousand dollars, the Helsinki-born biker raced quickly down, avoiding the pitfalls of the race course that added time to many other rider's time. Lehikoinen finished the 1.5 kilometrer track in 1:32 seconds. The demanding circuit wound its way through historic houses, plazas and churches. At 3360-metre altitude (approximately twelve thousand feet above sea level) the course was more difficult to tackle. Lehikoinen said that made him want it even more. "Definitely it was my last race of the season, I'm happy to finish with a win. Now it's time to rest a little bit. Start training in Christmas time and get ready for the next season," said Lehikoinen, winner also of the 2006 world championship held in Brazil and ranked sixth in the world. Against this beautiful landscape, athletes form Latin America, the United States, Italy and Finland faced natural as well as man-made obstacles that challenged the riders throughout the course. On the winner's podium with Lehikoinen was Colombian runner-up Mauricio Estrada who crossed the finish line in historic San Blas square less than three seconds behind. Cuzco, 684 miles southeast of Lima is surrounded by many Inca towns, including the legendary 'Lost City of Machu Picchu', without a doubt the most important tourist attraction in Peru and one of the world's most impressive archaeological sites.

ITN Source | November 13, 2006

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