Yeah, it's awesome to watch him do so well! I remember, back in the day, when I was within shouting distance of him at mountain bike races. Those days are long gone :) I saw him a few weeks ago and was surprised at how big he was....very tall and lean.
I saw him in Madison for the sprint relays ... he's the real deal. He closed 25 meters on Golovko and took another 10 in about 1km. Watch for the YouTube video tomorrow after I get them uploaded ... I'll post the link.