Domingues surprises at Lisboa Downtown

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Wet weather and slippery conditions made for a treacherous urban downhill race at the Lisboa Downtown. The biggest surprise of the day was a win by Portugal's own Paulo Domingues (Biciplus Sportcity C.M. Sesimbra), the first from his country to win the event.

During the event, racers descended from Castle Hill to Largo Terreiro Wheat in downtown Lisbon. While the spotlight was focused brightly on eight-time winner and current World Champion Steve Peat as the favorite, the use of streets, stairs and jumps - in wet conditions - created room for surprises.

The 30-year-old Domingues proved to be the fastest on the day, beating the international stars.

"I can not believe I beat the best in the world. I'm still incredulous!" he said after his victory. "I came here to fight for the title of best Portuguese. It seems like a dream to finish above the others because I am an amateur."

Domingues finished the one-kilometer track in 1:46.122. Slovakian Filip Polc (MS Evil Racing) and South African Greg Minnaar (Santa Cruz Syndicate) rounded out the top three.

Fernando Figueiredo, the organizer of the race, took stock of the 11th edition. "The bad weather complicated everything and we had to change the program, but (it was) most important that we go ahead. Despite the falls, there were no reports of serious injury among the athletes." He had noticed many spectators cheering and clapping beneath umbrellas, despite the appalling conditions.

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