Exeter’s Craig places 15th in Athens race

ATHENS, Greece – Adam Craig, the Exeter native who is seeking a berth on the U.S. Olympic Mountain Biking Team, placed 15th Sunday in the International Men’s E1 2004 race held at the new Mount Parnitha course where the Olympic cross country mountain bike race will be held on Aug. 28.

The race was held in part as a test of the Olympic mountain biking venue.

Craig started slowly, but rallied late in the race to earn his 15th-place finish against a world-class field. French riders Julien Absalon and Miguel Martinez placed first and second, with Absalon timed in 1 hour, 57 minutes and 18 seconds. Ralph Naf of Switzerland finished third.

Craig will move on to Madrid, Spain, next weekend to compete in the first of six World Cup events over the next six weeks that will determine if the 1999 Dexter Regional High School graduate earns one of two available berths on the U.S. Olympic Team.