Cycling: Dean satisfied but says he could have done better

1.20pm

ATHENS - Julian Dean, a bold one-man band for New Zealand in the Olympic road race, felt he could have finished higher than a creditable 15th had the trawl around Athens historic city centre been ridden more aggressively.

Dean was among the contenders for the bronze medal on the 17th and final lap of the 224.4km journey today but could not keep pace with Belgian Axel Merckx who powered from an ever diminishing pack trailing breakaway winner Paolo Bettini of Italy and Portugal's Sergio Paulinho.

Rotorua-born Dean, who backed up well after completing the Tour de France three weeks ago, crossed the line in a bunched sprint, 12 seconds behind Bettini, who timed five hours 41 minutes 44 seconds.

Despite only arriving in Athens late Wednesday, ensuring he was unable to ride the course before the route, Dean fought tenaciously as his support riders progressively fell by the wayside.

Heath Blackgrove and Robin Reid pulled out during the 11th lap while Jeremy Yates dropped off the tail of the peloton with four laps remaining as the heat took its toll.

"I sort of expected that, the other guys aren't really up to the standard of racing," said Dean, who has signed on for another two years with French pro team Credit Agricole.

Dean felt he was in the mix was a podium finish when the bell sounded and felt he could have done better than 15th.

"It's a good result but I felt I was better than that today.

"I didn't come here just to finish, I had the objective of a medal in mind.

"If the race had been ridden a little bit more aggressively I think I would have done better."

Dean attempted to attack on the final climb up Lycabettus Hill -- the toughest part of the 13.2km circuit -- but was disappointed to lack support in a bid to rein in the leaders.

"(Alexandre) Vinokourov attacked coming into the climb and then he died a little bit. I attacked over the top of him and tried to get a group away but I couldn't.

"I got to the top and had 10-11 guys on my wheel and pulled off but no one was really interested.

"I tried to go on my own but I couldn't attack hard enough."

Only 75 of the original field of 144 riders completed the course, with the high attrition rate also to blame for what Dean described as a "negative race".

"The problem is it's only five riders per team and no team really had enough riders to bring back the breakaways. It was a negative race like that," he said.

Dean, who finished 61st at the Sydney Games in 2000, was disappointed he could not have came home stronger in the final sprint to the line.

"I felt good coming into the sprint but I was starting to get a little bit of cramp and wasn't really able to give it my best."

His placing was the best by a New Zealander in the Olympic road race since Graeme Miller finished eighth at Seoul in 1988.

Bruce Biddell won a bronze in 1972 at Munich after Spaniard Jaime Huelamo was disqualified.

Dean intends to watch New Zealanders compete for a couple of days before heading to France as his season winds down.

- NZPA