Jose began on form; a first round together with Absalon seemed to forecast that at last a contest between these two great champions would at last be seen. In a pure mountain bike circuit with roots, mud and trees in mid-track, Absalon took the lead on the first round. Despite the 16-second lead Hermida was looking strong and did not let the Frenchman out of his sight. On the second round Hermida lost Absalon and was left in no man’s land and he decided to go back and ride together with the Canadian rider Kabush. On the third round on a downhill stretch and at over 30km/h Hermida’s left hand lost contact with the handlebar and a spectacular accident ensued in which he broke the stem and seat of his bike and lost his helmet. Nearby spectators were astonished to see that Hermida had not suffered any serious injuries. Hermida remounted and began to pedal, but this time at a slower pace to the tech zone, where his bike was repaired. Hermida then showed his mettle and began to regain ground while spectators were left speechless, as everyone imagined that he had retired. At the end of the race he crossed the finishing line with a time of 2:17:21, in an amazing 11th position and achieving the best partial time on his final race, while showing that his feelings about the race were positive.