SANTO DOMINGO (Dominican Republic), Aug 18: Uruguayan cyclist Milton Wynants, a silver medallist at the Sydney Olympics three years ago, surprised himself on Sunday by winning the men’s road race to claim the last gold medal at the Pan American Games.

Wynants, one of four riders to cross the line in four hours 32.48 minutes, pipped Cuba’s Pedro Perez, Chile’s Jose Medina and Brazil’s Marcio May to the post after a 195-km race.

Perez won the silver medal and Medina the bronze.

“This is for Uruguay. I sincerely didn’t expect this win but it happened and I’m going to enjoy it,” said Wynants, who spent a week in hospital last year after crashing into a lorry during training.

He won both of Uruguay’s golds at the Games after finishing first in the men’s track points race earlier this week.

Wynants, Medina and May broke clear of the pack early in the race and kept their distance, being caught only by Perez with two laps of the track to go.

“I thought it was going to be difficult when Perez caught us but I had to make a last effort and fortunately I attacked with 50 metres to go and won,” Wynants said.

The United States topped the medals table with 116 golds, followed by Cuba on 72 and Canada and Brazil on 29. Canada edged Brazil in third place as they had more silvers.

Dominican Republic, the hosts, overcame worries they had left their preparations too late.

The Pan American Sports Organisation (ODEPA), which threatened several times over the past two years to take the games elsewhere as work fell behind schedule, was ultimately pleased with the outcome.

“Although we have come up against big problems, the Santo Domingo games have been a success,” ODEPA president Mario Vazquez Rana told reporters shortly before the end of the Games.

Tractors were still rumbling among many venues as athletes arrived for the games late last month and construction material was scattered around the Olympic village near the city airport.

But, despite hiccups with the results service, badly-made national flags, out-of-tune national anthems and referees staging protests over their expenses, competitors were generally happy with the facilities, conveniently concentrated into two main centres.

The hospitality and friendliness of the Dominicans and the relatively crime-free environment were also a breath of fresh air to most visitors.

Doping cases were down to four from nine in Winnipeg four years ago and no desertions of Cuban athletes were reported.

Argentina’s Ulf Lienhard tested positive for cocaine after winning bronze in the men’s lightweight double sculls and US sprinter Mickey Grimes lost the gold in the men’s 100 metres after testing positive for ephedrine.

Surinamese athlete Letitia Vriedse was stripped of gold in the women’s 800 metres after tests found caffeine above the permitted amount and Antigua cyclist Charles Fabian tested positive for ephedrine after finishing 19th, out of 20, in the men’s road time trial.

“We can classify the games as clean in terms of doping,” said Vazquez Rana.

The most serious problems were the overcrowding of arenas when the host nation were taking part in finals.

Saturday’s women’s volleyball final between Dominican Republic and Cuba was delayed for more than half an hour after teargas, used by police to disperse hundreds of people trying to enter the already packed arena, drifted across the court.

Despite the presence of 5,200 athletes from 42 nations, the big problem remained the level of competition.

Results

Cycling

Men’s road race (distance 195 kilometres) 1. Milton Wynants (Uruguay) four hours 32.48 minutes (average speed 42.887 kilometres per hour) 2. Pedro Perez (Cuba) 4:32.48 (42.887) 3. Jose Medina (Chile) 4:32.48 (42.887).