The story is mainly about long distance runners in particular, but I
suppose Beijing's poor air quality could also affect cyclists too:
From the article:
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PATRICK WHITE
From Tuesday's Globe and Mail
March 11, 2008 at 9:23 AM EDT
The world's fastest long-distance runner said yesterday he will not
compete in the marathon at the Beijing Olympic Games because of the
city's choking air pollution, a move that is prompting runners of all
levels to reassess the net health benefits of going for a jog in the
smog.
"The pollution in China is a threat to my health and it would be
difficult for me to run 42 kilometres in my current condition," Haile
Gebrselassie, the 34-year-old Ethiopian who many enthusiasts call the
best distance runner of all time, told Reuters.
Mr. Gebrselassie, who has exercise-induced asthma, said he still
intends to run the 10,000-metre race. He is the world record holder in
the marathon. The withdrawal of such a marquee athlete from such a
marquee event dredges up troubling questions for both Beijing Olympics
officials and the running community at large.
For Beijing, officials must scramble to convince other athletes that
its air pollution - which has been reported to exceed World Health
Organization recommended limits by as much as five times - will not
adversely affect their health. And for runners of all stripes, the
question is broader:
If even the great Mr. Gebrselassie is worried about smog, should the
rest of the running community be paying closer attention to the air
they breathe so deeply?
Canadian Olympic officials have been monitoring the air in Beijing for
some time and have persuaded athletes to stay away from the city until
three or four days before their events to avoid the build up of
particulate in their lungs.
Much of the Canadian team will spend the weeks ahead of the Olympic
Games in Singapore, a city with much cleaner air whose heat and
humidity closely resemble Beijing.
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Read it at http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080311.wlrunning11/BNStory/lifeMain/home
J. Spaceman