Cycling - Pajon sets pace as BMX riders take to the air

By Martyn Herman RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - To the untrained eye Rio's green and red Olympic BMX track can, at first glance, look like a giant crazy golf course, not a place where gold medals will be won and lost on Friday. Then, when you watch rider after rider power down the eight-metre high start ramp, pedal like fury and take to the air off the first roller, you realise this is a serious business. After the thrills and spills of the Olympics road races and the high-speed, high-tech track action in the velodrome, Wednesday gave the BMX cyclists the chance to shine as the men's and women's seeding runs took place at the Deodoro circuit. The 16 women's starters went first, taking turns to put down a flying lap that will determine where they are placed in Thursday's quarter-finals when the action really heats up. Last to go, accompanied by roars from large Colombian contingent in the stands, was world champion Mariana Pajon. Holding her speed around the 379m course, pedalling just occasionally after the initial high-tempo spins, she put down the quickest time of the day of 34.508 seconds. Without exaggeration Pajon, 24, is a superstar in Colombia. It takes someone special to relegate soccer from the sports pages, but when Pajon races, she takes pride of place. After winning only Colombia's second Olympic gold in London four years ago, Pajon was voted the country's athlete of the year, beating Radamel Falcao to the award despite his goals for Atletico Madrid and the national soccer team. When she won a third world title in May at home in Medellin, she did so on a track named in her honour. Yet despite her celebrity status, Pajon, a honorary president of the Andean community, has remained humble, says her coach of nine years German Medina Ordonez. "She is a great athlete to work with," he told Reuters. "It's not just her ability on the bike, it's her discipline and commitment to always try to get better." While a BMX race lasts only around 30 seconds, the power put through the crank is similar to a track sprinter's in that all-important dash to the first corner. From then on, it is all about flowing over the jumps, picking the right lines and, most importantly, avoiding the type of crash that wiped out Pajon's hopes in the Pan American Games last year. She made it look easy on Wednesday but knows the likes of Australian Caroline Buchanan, Laura Smulders of the Netherlands and American Alise Post will be formidable threats when the serious head-to-head racing begins. "Whatever happens, I know I'm well prepared," Pajon said. "All the women here are excellent riders and they've all worked hard to be here and they deserve it." One things she can guarantee is loud crowd support. "It's incredible to see all those flags, all the Colombians there shouting. It's a good vibe. "Friday will be incredible, the tribunes will be full and the energy will reach us." Latvia's Maris Strombergs, bidding for a third consecutive Olympic title, put down a risk-free seventh fastest time in the men's run, with world champion Joris Daudet quickest. (Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Jan Harvey)