For both the men and the women, the road race is a mass-start event with 90 riders – first rider across the line at the finish wins.
The course suits powerful, punchy riders who can either ride away from their opponents or win in a small-bunch sprint. This Olympics is slightly different, in that teams are limited to a maximum of four riders, instead of the previous five.
Smaller teams and the continued ban on radio communications between support vehicles and riders means that the race will be very hard for a single country to control. This means most riders have a chance of winning and, if you can attack with the right combination of opponents, you give yourself a strong shot at a medal.
Riders to watch in the women’s include World Champion Lotte Kopecky, Lorena Wiebes, and Elisa Longo Borghini. In the men’s the favourites are Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel, and Julian Alaphillipe – but Ironically with cycling, depending on course tactics the favourites aren’t always the most likely to win. It’s anyone’s race really.
Key words to look out for:
- Breakaway; a rider or riders who try and get away from the main bunch (called the peloton). They’re usually doomed to fail but still have a chance of victory
- Puncheur; a rider who thrives on short-sharp climbs and small group sprints
- Rouleur; a powerful rider who is incredibly strong on flat and slightly rolling terrain
The Men’s Road Race takes place on Saturday 3rd August, starting at 10.00 BST,
The Women’s Road Race takes place on Sunday 4th August, starting at 13.00 BST
Each event will be followed by its own medal ceremony
