Hermida left this morning together with the Spanish mountain bike team, on his way to Beijing, with a stopover in Paris. The top Spanish rider in history is travelling, fully confident in his preparation and is keen to demonstrate that those who have written him off before time have made a mistake, and a big one at that. The Multivan Mérida rider has planned his season in order to arrive at the Beijing course at peak level. What happens next, whether he wins a medal or not, may well depend on the many external factors which have little to do with the rider. However it is clear that Hermida cannot be accused of lacking preparation or of not being physically at his best. He was once again the sole Spaniard to climb the podium in the World Cup and is a firm favourite among the front runners in Beijing; a fact which Hermida himself knows only too well, and he has left nothing to chance. The 23rd of August is moving ever closer and his famous “pistols” need little more than a quick check over, with the rider keen to fire off once again!