The men's individual road race event at the
2020 Summer Olympics
The , officially the and also known as , was an international multi-sport event held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some preliminary events that began on 21 July.
Tokyo was selected as the host city during the ...
took place on 24 July 2021 on a course starting at
Musashinonomori Park
is a park in the Musashino región of the Japanese metropolis of Tokyo.
Location
The park is located in the border area of the cities of Mitaka, Fuchū and Chōfu next to Chōfu Airport and close to Musashino Forest Sport Plaza and Ajinomoto ...
in Tokyo, and ending at the
Fuji Speedway
is a motorsport race track standing in the foothills of Mount Fuji, in Oyama, Suntō District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It was built in the early 1960s. In the 1980s, Fuji Speedway was used for the FIA World Sportscar Championship and nati ...
in
Shizuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Shizuoka Prefecture has a population of 3,637,998 and has a geographic area of . Shizuoka Prefecture borders Kanagawa Prefecture to the east, Yamanashi Prefecture to the northea ...
.
128 cyclists from 57 nations competed,
with 85 completing the course.
The race was won by
Richard Carapaz
Richard Antonio Carapaz Montenegro (born 29 May 1993) is an Ecuadorian professional road racing cyclist who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . Carapaz won the 2019 Giro d'Italia, becoming the first Ecuadorian rider to win the race. In July 2021 ...
of
Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...
. Carapaz, along with
Brandon McNulty
Brandon Alexander McNulty (born April 2, 1998) is an American cyclist who rides for UCI WorldTeam . In the 2016 UCI Road World Championships – Men's junior time trial, 2016 UCI Junior World Time Trial Championships McNulty became the fourth Ame ...
of the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, attacked with to go and immediately built a gap over the chasing group. Both riders worked together until Carapaz dropped McNulty with to go. Carapaz held off the chase group to win the race by more than a minute. The silver and bronze medals went to
Wout van Aert
Wout van Aert (born 15 September 1994) is a Belgian professional road and cyclo-cross racer who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . He won the men's elite race at the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in 2016, 2017 and 2018. He joined in ...
of
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
and
Tadej Pogačar
Tadej Pogačar (; born 21 September 1998) is a Slovenian cyclist who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . He won the 2020 and 2021 editions of the Tour de France, winning three different jerseys during each Tour, a feat unseen in nearly four deca ...
of
Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
, respectively. Both riders were part of the 11-man chase group that rode in pursuit of Carapaz and McNulty. Eight of the 11 riders contested the sprint for the silver medal, with van Aert holding off Pogačar to take second.
Background
This was the 21st appearance of the event, initially held in
1896
Events
January–March
* January 2 – The Jameson Raid comes to an end, as Jameson surrenders to the Boers.
* January 4 – Utah is admitted as the 45th U.S. state.
* January 5 – An Austrian newspaper reports that Wil ...
and then at every Summer Olympics since
1936
Events
January–February
* January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...
. It replaced the individual time trial event that had been held from
1912
Events January
* January 1 – The Republic of China (1912–49), Republic of China is established.
* January 5 – The Prague Conference (6th All-Russian Conference of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party) opens.
* January 6 ...
to
1932
Events January
* January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel.
* January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...
; the time trial was re-introduced in
1996
File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...
alongside the road race.
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso (, ; , ff, 𞤄𞤵𞤪𞤳𞤭𞤲𞤢 𞤊𞤢𞤧𞤮, italic=no) is a landlocked country in West Africa with an area of , bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the ...
and
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
made their debut in the men's individual road race.
Qualification
A
National Olympic Committee
A National Olympic Committee (NOC) is a national constituent of the worldwide Olympic movement. Subject to the controls of the International Olympic Committee, NOCs are responsible for organizing their people's participation in the Olympic Games ...
(NOC) could enter up to five qualified cyclists in the men's individual road race. All quota places are assigned to the NOC, which may select the cyclists that compete. There were 130 total quota spots available for the race, which were allocated in a multi-step process:
[
# 122 spots were assigned through the UCI world ranking by nations. This ranking included Elite and U-23 men's races for the 2019 season (22 October 2018 to 22 October 2019). The top six nations each received the maximum of five quota places: ]Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
, Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
, the Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
, and Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
. Nations ranked 7th through 13th each received four quota places, 14th through 21st each received three quota places, 22nd through 32nd each received two quota places, and 33rd through 50th each received one quota place.
# A special rule provided an opportunity for individuals ranked in the top 200 but whose nation was not in the top 50 to earn places (which would replace the lowest ranked nations), but there were no eligible individuals.
# The next six quota places were assigned through the 2019 African, Asian, and Pan-American championships; at each championship, among the nations not yet qualified, the two nations with the highest-placed road race cyclist earned spots. These were taken by Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso (, ; , ff, 𞤄𞤵𞤪𞤳𞤭𞤲𞤢 𞤊𞤢𞤧𞤮, italic=no) is a landlocked country in West Africa with an area of , bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the ...
and Namibia
Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...
in Africa, Chinese Taipei
"Chinese Taipei" is the term used in various international organizations and tournaments for groups or delegations representing the Republic of China (ROC), a country commonly known as Taiwan.
Due to the One-China principle stipulated by th ...
and Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked cou ...
in Asia, and Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
and Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
in the Americas.
# The final two quota places were reserved for the host nation; if the host nation had already earned one or two places, they would be reallocated through the UCI world rankings. In this case, Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
had earned one quota place through standard qualification, and so they received only one of the host places, while the other was reallocated to 51st-ranked Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
. Because this allocation was complete by 22 October 2019, it was unaffected by the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
.
# Shortly before the games, Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
withdrew their athlete, who was replaced with Josip Rumac
Josip Rumac (born 26 October 1994) is a Croatian cyclist, who most recently rode for UCI Continental team . In October 2020, he was named in the startlist for the 2020 Giro d'Italia.
Major results
Source:
;2011
: National Junior Road Champions ...
from 52nd-ranked Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
.
# On 18 July, Daniel Martínez from Colombia could not travel to Tokyo after continuing to test positive for COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. On 23 July, Rohan Dennis
Rohan Dennis (born 28 May 1990) is an Australian professional road racing cyclist who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . Dennis was born, raised, and resides in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. He won back to back UCI men's individual ti ...
of Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
decided to skip the road race to focus on the individual time trial. These riders were removed from the start list and were not replaced.
Finally, both Simon Geschke
Simon Geschke (born 13 March 1986) is a German professional road cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam .
Biography
He is the son of former track cyclist Jürgen Geschke. In the 2015 Tour de France, Geschke won a mountain stage as he ...
of Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
and Michal Schlegel of the Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
did not start the race after testing positive for COVID-19 the day before the race.
Competition format and course
The road race was a mass-start, one-day road race event. The courses for the men's and women's
A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female humans regardl ...
road races were revealed in August 2018. The men's race started at Musashinonomori Park
is a park in the Musashino región of the Japanese metropolis of Tokyo.
Location
The park is located in the border area of the cities of Mitaka, Fuchū and Chōfu next to Chōfu Airport and close to Musashino Forest Sport Plaza and Ajinomoto ...
in Chōfu
is a city in the western side of Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 238,087, and a population density of 11,000 per km². the total area of the city is .
Geography
Chōfu is approximately in the south-center of ...
, western Tokyo, at 11:00 Japan Standard Time
, or , is the standard time zone in Japan, 9 hours ahead of UTC ( UTC+09:00). Japan does not observe daylight saving time, though its introduction has been debated on several occasions. During World War II, the time zone was often referred to a ...
(UTC+9
UTC+09:00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +09:00.
During the Japanese occupations of British Borneo, Burma, Hong Kong, Dutch East Indies, Malaya, Philippines, Singapore, and French Indochina, it was used as a common time with ...
) and finished at the Fuji Speedway
is a motorsport race track standing in the foothills of Mount Fuji, in Oyama, Suntō District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It was built in the early 1960s. In the 1980s, Fuji Speedway was used for the FIA World Sportscar Championship and nati ...
circuit in the Shizuoka prefecture. The race was long with a total elevation gain of .
The first part of the men's and women's races were identical. The course first passed through the mostly flat outskirts of Tokyo's metropolitan area. After , the riders gradually climbed towards the foot of the climb to Doushi Road, a climb with an average gradient of 5.7 percent. The climb topped out after of racing at an altitude of above sea level. After reaching Lake Yamanakako in Yamanashi and crossing the Kagosaka Pass, the riders faced a descent and from here, the courses were different for the men's and women's races.
After the descent, the men's race headed towards the lower slopes of Mount Fuji
, or Fugaku, located on the island of Honshū, is the highest mountain in Japan, with a summit elevation of . It is the second-highest volcano located on an island in Asia (after Mount Kerinci on the island of Sumatra), and seventh-highest p ...
, Japan's highest mountain, where they went up the long climb of Fuji Sanroku with an average incline of six percent. The climb was crested with left at an elevation of before the riders faced a long descent into Gotemba
is a city on the southeastern flank of Mount Fuji in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 88,370 in 36,096 households, and a population density of 450 persons per km². The total area of the city is .
Geography ...
. Afterwards, the riders headed towards the Fuji Speedway
is a motorsport race track standing in the foothills of Mount Fuji, in Oyama, Suntō District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It was built in the early 1960s. In the 1980s, Fuji Speedway was used for the FIA World Sportscar Championship and nati ...
section, where they crossed the finish line twice before reaching the foot of the Mikuni Pass. The climb was long with an average gradient of 10.6 percent and included sections reaching 20 percent. It was expected to be the decisive climb in the race. The peak, at an altitude of , was crested with about to go. After the climb, the race returned to Lake Yamanakako and the Kagosaka Pass before a final descent and a short hilly section towards the finish on the Fuji Speedway circuit.
Start list
Nations:
Race overview
As soon as the race started, a group of eight riders broke away from the peloton. The group comprised Nicholas Dlamini
Nicholas Dlamini (born 12 August 1995) is a South African cyclist, who most recently rode for UCI Continental team .
Career
Growing up in Capricorn Park, Cape Town, Dlamini's first sport was running, which he took up in 2009 along with his twi ...
(South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
), Michael Kukrle
Michael Kukrle (born 17 November 1994) is a Czech cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Continental team . Career
Kukrle joined in 2016 and stayed with the team until 2022. In June 2021 he won the National Road race championship of the Czech Repu ...
(Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
), Juraj Sagan
Juraj Sagan (born 23 December 1988 in Žilina) is a Slovak former professional road bicycle racer, who competed as a professional from 2010 to 2022, for the , , and teams. During his professional career, Sagan took four victories – all of whi ...
(Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
), Polychronis Tzortzakis (Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
), Eduard-Michael Grosu
Eduard-Michael Grosu (born 4 September 1992) is a Romanian professional racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI ProTeam . He is the first Romanian to ride professionally.
Major results
;2008
: 2nd Time trial, National Junior Road Championsh ...
(Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
), Orluis Aular
Orluis Alberto Aular Sanabria (born 5 November 1996) is a Venezuelan cyclist, who currently rides for UCI ProTeam .
Aular participated in the 2023 Vuelta a España. After finishing in sixth place on Stage 4, he finished as runner-up on Stage 7, ...
(Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
), Paul Daumont
Paul Daumont (born 1 September 1999) is a Burkinabé road bicycle racing, road cyclist. Born in the Central African Republic to a French father and a Central African mother, he was selected by Burkina Faso to compete in the Cycling at the 2020 Sum ...
(Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso (, ; , ff, 𞤄𞤵𞤪𞤳𞤭𞤲𞤢 𞤊𞤢𞤧𞤮, italic=no) is a landlocked country in West Africa with an area of , bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the ...
), and Elchin Asadov
Elchin Asadov ( az, Elçin Rafiq oğlu Əsədov, born 12 February 1987) is an Azerbaijani racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Continental team . He rode at the 2014 UCI Road World Championships.
Major results
;2012
: National Road Ch ...
(Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
). The break reached a maximum advantage of around 19 minutes before the peloton began its pursuit, with defending Olympic champion Greg Van Avermaet
Greg Van Avermaet (born 17 May 1985) is a Belgian professional cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . Considered one of the most versatile riders of modern cycling, Van Avermaet is a specialist of the classic cycle races, but has also ...
(Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
) and Jan Tratnik
Jan Tratnik (born 23 February 1990 in Ljubljana) is a Slovenian cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . He was named in the startlist for the 2017 Giro d'Italia. In July 2019, he was named in the startlist for the 2019 Tour de France.
M ...
(Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
), in particular, leading the chase. On the gradual uphill section ahead of the climb to Doushi Road, Tristan de Lange (Namibia
Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...
) attacked from the peloton but he was eventually caught. With around to go, a crash took place in the peloton, taking down the Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
duo of Geraint Thomas
Geraint Howell Thomas, (; born 25 May 1986) is a Welsh professional racing cyclist who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam , Wales and Great Britain. He is one of the few riders in the modern era to achieve significant elite success as both a tra ...
and Tao Geoghegan Hart
Tao Geoghegan Hart ( ; born 30 March 1995) is a British cyclist who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam .
He rode for as a stagiaire in late 2015, and joined the team permanently for the 2017 season.
He won the 2020 Giro d'Italia, taking the j ...
as well as Giulio Ciccone
Giulio Ciccone (born 20 December 1994) is an Italian cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam .
Career Bardiani–CSF (2016–18)
Ciccone was named in the start list for the 2016 Giro d'Italia, where he won stage 10. At the 2018 Giro d'Ita ...
(Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
) and Gregor Mühlberger
Gregor Mühlberger (born 4 April 1994) is an Austrian cyclist, who currently rides for the UCI WorldTeam .
Career
He was named in the start list for the 2016 Vuelta a España and the start list for the 2017 Giro d'Italia. In July 2018, he was na ...
(Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
). All riders eventually managed to get back up and return to the peloton. Up front, the break was reduced to five riders Aular, Dlamini, Tzortzakis, Kukrle, and Sagan after the first climb. The group led the peloton by around 16 minutes.
As the race reached the foot of Fuji Sanroku, Van Avermaet and Tratnik continued to lead the chase as the break started the climb with a lead of around 13 and a half minutes. Patrick Bevin
Patrick Bevin (born 15 February 1991) is a New Zealand professional road racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam .
Personal life
Bevin grew up in Taupō. He moved to Cambridge in 2014 when the Avantidrome opened to train with the ...
(New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
) went to the front to help with the chase and the break's lead gradually decreased as the climb went on while further up the ascent, Van Avermaet began to get dropped along with several other riders. Near the top, Ciccone took over at the front of the peloton to set a faster tempo. Some of the notable riders to struggle on the climb include the Spanish duo of Omar Fraile
Omar Fraile Matarranza (born 17 July 1990) is a Spanish racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . He is a winner of stages in the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia, and has twice won the Mountains classification in the Vuelta a ...
and Alejandro Valverde
Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (born 25 April 1980) is a Spanish former professional road racing cyclist, who last rode for UCI WorldTeam . Valverde's biggest wins have been the Vuelta a España in 2009, Critérium du Dauphiné in 2008 and 2009 ...
. The break reached the top of Fuji Sanroku with a lead of almost six minutes. Tratnik soon made his way back to the front of the peloton to gradually eat into the break's advantage, with the break reaching the Fuji Speedway
is a motorsport race track standing in the foothills of Mount Fuji, in Oyama, Suntō District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It was built in the early 1960s. In the 1980s, Fuji Speedway was used for the FIA World Sportscar Championship and nati ...
with a lead of around four minutes. At the start of the circuit, several riders began to abandon the race, most notably Thomas, Van Avermaet and Fraile.
After the first passage through the finish line, attacks lit up the peloton as Damiano Caruso
Damiano Caruso (born 12 October 1987) is an Italian professional road bicycle racer, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . Caruso was also the 2008 under-23 Italian national champion for the road race. He competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics, i ...
(Italy), Wilco Kelderman
Wilco Kelderman (born 25 March 1991) is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer who rides for UCI WorldTeam .
Professional career
Born in Amersfoort, Kelderman finished in seventh position in the general classification of the 2014 Giro d'Italia ...
(Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
), and Mauri Vansevenant
Mauri Vansevenant (born 1 June 1999) is a Belgian cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . He is the son of former professional cyclist Wim Vansevenant, and is named after Melcior Mauri, the winner of the 1991 Vuelta a España.
Major res ...
(Belgium) rode away. After the three riders were caught, Remco Evenepoel
Remco Evenepoel (born 25 January 2000) is a Belgian cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam .
He is the son of Patrick Evenepoel, a former racing cyclist who won the 1993 Grand Prix de Wallonie. Remco Evenepoel started his sport career i ...
(Belgium) instigated another attack and brought Vincenzo Nibali
), The Nibbler
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Messina, Sicily, Italy
, height =
, weight =
, currentteam =
, discipline = Road
, role = Rider
, ridertype = Climber
, proyears1 = 2005
, proteam1 =
, proyears2 = 2006–2012
, protea ...
(Italy) and Eddie Dunbar
Edward "Eddie" Dunbar (born 1 September 1996) is an Irish road racing cyclist, who rides for UCI WorldTeam .
Career Team Sky (2018–22)
Born in Banteer, Dunbar joined in September 2018, after his previous team – whom he had joined at the ...
(Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
) with him. Meanwhile, up front, the break began to splinter as Sagan and Dlamini couldn't continue with the quick pace and the peloton edged closer to them. The trio of Evenepoel, Nibali, and Dunbar was soon brought back. As the race reached the Fuji Speedway for the second time, the remnants of the original break were finally caught, with the peloton setting themselves up for the decisive climb of the race, the Mikuni Pass.
As the peloton reached the foot of the Mikuni Pass, Italy stationed themselves up front before Tiesj Benoot
Tiesj Benoot (born 11 March 1994) is a Belgian cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam .
Career Lotto–Soudal (2015–19)
Benoot turned professional with the Belgian UCI World Tour team in 2015, after riding for the outfit in 2013 and ...
(Belgium) began to set a furious pace. After Benoot's work was done, his compatriot Vansevenant continued to set a fast tempo as the peloton continued to thin out. With around to go, Tadej Pogačar
Tadej Pogačar (; born 21 September 1998) is a Slovenian cyclist who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . He won the 2020 and 2021 editions of the Tour de France, winning three different jerseys during each Tour, a feat unseen in nearly four deca ...
(Slovenia) put in a seated acceleration. Brandon McNulty
Brandon Alexander McNulty (born April 2, 1998) is an American cyclist who rides for UCI WorldTeam . In the 2016 UCI Road World Championships – Men's junior time trial, 2016 UCI Junior World Time Trial Championships McNulty became the fourth Ame ...
(United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
) and Michael Woods Michael Woods may refer to:
* Michael Woods (Australian politician) (1857–1934), member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
* Michael Woods (comics), American writer/editor of comic books
* Michael Woods (cyclist) (born 1986), Canadian cyclist ...
(Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
) followed his move while Wout van Aert
Wout van Aert (born 15 September 1994) is a Belgian professional road and cyclo-cross racer who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . He won the men's elite race at the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in 2016, 2017 and 2018. He joined in ...
(Belgium) led the chase group. The trio led by around 20 seconds before riders began to bridge up front. Near the top, the front group struggled with cooperation as the group including van Aert managed to make it across. As the group made its way back to Lake Yamanakako and the Kagosaka Pass, several riders attacked off the front. Bauke Mollema
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Groningen, Netherlands
, height =
, weight =
, currentteam =
, discipline = Road
, role = Rider
, ridertype = All-rounder
, amateuryears1 = 2004–2006
, amateurtea ...
(Netherlands) and Jakob Fuglsang
Jakob Diemer Fuglsang (born 22 March 1985) is a Danish professional road racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . Before turning professional for , he was a mountain biker racing for Team Cannondale–Vredestein, winning the Under ...
(Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark
...
) tried to initiate some attacks but the moves were brought back.
With to go, Brandon McNulty accelerated off the front with Richard Carapaz
Richard Antonio Carapaz Montenegro (born 29 May 1993) is an Ecuadorian professional road racing cyclist who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . Carapaz won the 2019 Giro d'Italia, becoming the first Ecuadorian rider to win the race. In July 2021 ...
(Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...
) responding to the move. The duo began to increase their advantage as the chase group suffered from a lack of cooperation, with van Aert leading much of the chase. The duo's advantage reached more than 40 seconds before van Aert produced a searing acceleration on a short uphill rise with around to go. The lead was soon down to 13 seconds with to go. With left, Carapaz dropped McNulty to solo off the front. After McNulty was caught by the chase group, the riders continued to attack each other, allowing Carapaz to increase his lead once again. Carapaz would not be caught as he won the gold medal, his country's second in history. With gold already taken, the chase group set themselves up for the sprint for the silver and bronze medals, resulting in an 8-way race for the finish in the final metres of the race, which was initiated by Adam Yates
Adam Richard Yates (born 7 August 1992) is a British road and track racing cyclist who currently rides for . He placed fourth overall at the 2016 Tour de France and became the first British rider to win the young rider classification, one year ...
(Great Britain). Van Aert and Pogačar prevailed in the sprint, taking silver and bronze respectively. The gap between second and ninth places was within a single second.
Results
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cycling at the 2020 Summer Olympics - Men's road race
Men's road race
Cycling at the Summer Olympics – Men's road race
2021 in men's road cycling
Men's events at the 2020 Summer Olympics