Four-rider teams, vast distances, no race radios, and the coveted prize of a gold medal under the Eiffel Tower could render this weekend’s Olympic road race the most formidable one-day event these cyclists will confront.
The smaller teams and absence of communication may contribute to a chaotic environment during the men’s and women’s races, which will culminate in the intricate streets of Butte Montmartre on Saturday and Sunday.
Prominent cyclists will partake in Saturday’s men’s race, featuring world road race champion Mathieu van der Poel from the Netherlands, Olympic time trial champion Remco Evenepoel, and fellow Belgian time trial bronze medallist Wout van Aert. Danish sprinter Mads Pedersen and the rejuvenated former world champion Julian Alaphilippe of France will also be in attendance.
Team GB, one of the few nations to field a full squad in the men’s event, will be led by Tom Pidcock and Josh Tarling, supported by former British national champion Fred Wright and Welsh climber Stephen Williams.
Notably absent from the race are Olympic champion Richard Carapaz, who was not selected, and Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar, who withdrew due to exhaustion amid a dispute with his Slovenian federation over the non-selection of his partner, Urska Zigart.
“Tadej would have been one of the top guys at the front,” remarked Pidcock, “but I don’t necessarily think he would have been the favorite on a course like that. He could have earned a medal, but the racers with raw power like Van der Poel, Van Aert, and Pedersen are better suited for this terrain.”
Pidcock also included Evenepoel, who won gold in a recent event and finished third in July’s Tour de France, saying, “A rider like Remco can make a move from afar because the teams are quite small, leading to a more unstructured race.”
Pidcock enters the grueling 273km race energized after securing his second Olympic gold on Monday in mountain biking, while Tarling seeks redemption after narrowly missing bronze in last weekend’s individual time trial.
Critical moments in both the men’s and women’s races will unfold on the historic streets of Montmartre, transitioning from a large peloton on the expansive roads of suburban Paris to a tight group tackling steep climbs on the city center circuit.
The 8% cobbled incline of Rue Lepic, historically significant as the birthplace of Renault and home to Vincent van Gogh as well as the fictional character Amélie Poulain, is anticipated to be a key point for critical selections in the final kilometers.
Buoyed by his impressive mountain biking victory on Monday, Pidcock may find the steep, narrow roads to his advantage. However, he will face competition from Van der Poel, who arrived in Paris in style with his Lamborghini but opted for rest over a planned reconnaissance ride on Thursday.
“The race may peak in Montmartre, but it could also intensify earlier,” Van der Poel predicted, “nevertheless, it looks to be a challenging race. I thrive in tough finales, which suits the Classics and I anticipate the same here at the Olympics.”
The women’s road race is shorter at 158km, but is expected to be equally demanding. The likely battle will be between teammates from SD Worx ProTime, Lotte Kopecky (Belgium) and Lorena Wiebes (Netherlands).
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“The finishing circuit was more challenging than anticipated,” Wiebes stated following Thursday’s reconnaissance. “The final ascent in Montmartre comes 10km from the finish, causing the peloton to be stretched.”
“It’s a continuous up and down with many corners. It reminds me of the circuit in Glasgow last year at the World Championships, although the climbs here aren’t as steep.”
Anna Henderson, who won Olympic silver in the women’s time trial last week, will join Lizzie Deignan (London 2012 silver medallist), Pfeiffer Georgi, and Anna Morris in the colors of Team GB.
The form of Henderson, who is second overall in this year’s Tour of Britain, along with British national road race champion Georgi, suggests they will be key players during the pivotal moments in Montmartre.
However, in long races, subtle tactics may surface. Will riders be able to discreetly depend on support from their trade teammates when needed?
While Pidcock and Tarling form part of a robust British team, they also have four additional Ineos Grenadiers teammates in the Olympic roster. On the steep cobbled streets of Montmartre during the final lap, every second gained from a teammate’s slipstream could make a substantial difference.
