After all the talk of mosquitoes, unfinished stadiums and buildings and crime, the Olympic Games get underway this Saturday, with one of the first gold medals up for grabs being in the Mens Road Race.
For many athletes, the Olympics are the grand daddy of all sporting events, however, for sports such as road cycling in particular, there are many other events each year which are held more important.
This includes, example, the cobbled classics, the Ardennes and the Grand Tours. However, with an Olympics coming around once every four years, riders will often make sure that they are at their peak.
In 2012 on the streets of London, we saw controversial Kazakhstanian rider Alexander Vinokourov take the win from an overpowered breakaway.
A key feature of the Olympic Games Road Race is the fact that teams are ranked on past results, with the top nations being able to bring the maximum number of five riders to the race. In 2012, we saw a relatively flat course, with exception of the Box Hill climb, specifically designed for a home win with sprinter Mark Cavendish.
The Brits had their full allotment of five riders, however were not able to control the 250-kilometre race, as an overpowered break got up the road including former Paris Roubaix winner Stuart O’Grady, and talented classics riders Jurgen Roelandts and Alexander Kristoff. This break would practically stay away for the entirety of the day, however, did grow in size as there were several attacks across from the peloton once the riders hit the circuits around Box Hill.
This is ultimately where the British lost the race, in not being able to control the riders that got across to the break, including Philippe Gilbert, Alejandro Valverde, Robert Gesink, Rui Costa and others.
Control was something that the five riders British team could not gain once these attacks occurred. It is a key feature that will play apart on the tricky final third of this year’s edition.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhhGJ3I4p9k
The course for the 2016 editions suits the climbers, specifically those that pack a sprint at the end of a hard days racing.
The first 100 kilometres are ridden along lumpy roads. The route looks like very tiny sharks teeth up until the 150 kilometre completed point. It includes two main climbs which will be covered four times, the 1.2km, nine per cent average gradient Grumari climb and the 2.1km climb of Grota Funda which averages 4.5 per cent.
Lots of steep, sharp climbing that will hurt the legs of the riders before they hit the three circuits which will determine the races winner.
The final 100 kilometres include three circuits which take in the two climbs of the Canoas and Vista Chinesa climbs. The two climbs are completed one after the other, with the entire climb being nine kilometres at around 6.2 per cent.
The first part of the climb starts in the town of Canoas, and will climb sharply at over nine per cent for just under four kilometres. It is then a short, steep descent of around a kilometre before the road rises for the final four kilometres stretch of the climb, which average only 5.7 per cent.
It will be interesting to see what happens in the final few laps. Will teams look to go early on the first half of the climb which should be more selective due to the gradient, or will they stay patient and save their energy for the final part?
The descent off the climb and down into the finish line at Fort Copacabana will be thrilling to watch, as the road is never straight, with constant corners hitting the riders. The race for position on the first two circuits will be key to both save energy, learn the corners, and be positioned well for the final circuit.
A race which will be difficult to control, and with a course which suits attacking both on the ascents and descents, l have a feeling we will be in for quite some race.
Here are five of the riders that I consider as the favourites for today’s stage.
Irishmen Daniel Martin comes into the race having finish inside the top ten at the Tour. The climbs should suit him, as they are not too long, unlike Mont Ventoux on which he lost considerable time at the Tour. Having been a former winner of both climbing heavy classics of Lombardia, and Liege Bastiogne Liege, the route is right up his alley.
He will back himself in the sprint, however, will he be able to hold on the descent to give himself that opportunity?
Alejandro Valverde has a palmares which features many wins which have been won over similar terrain. A well known puncher, and a fairly good descender, the Spaniard should be looking at a medal as a minimum. However, will he and Joaquin Rodriguez work together. Three years ago at the World Championships, they did not. Both riders podiumed, however only in the minor positions.
Chris Froome comes into the road race off the back of a stunning win at the Tour de France, claiming his third crown on only his fifth attendance of the race. We all knew that he could climb, but on Stage 8, he showed he could descend as well.
However, this final descent is much more difficult than the wide pedalling descent that he faced off the Col de Peyresourde. As he showed on Stage 19, he still has much to learn when it comes to the technical descents, as will be on show in this race.
Two men who can be classified as world class descenders include Giro D’ Italia champion Vincenzo Nibali, and runner up to Chris Froome, the talented Frenchmen Romain Bardet.
Having won the Giro, Nibali took a backseat ride at the Tour, only showing himself on a couple occasions, in preparation for a big performance in Rio. Bardet was the opposite, with him riding superbly in the final week to claim the wet and wild Stage 19, and finishing second on the overall.
Both are incredible climbers, however, both would be inside my top five descenders in the peloton. Both are willing to go on the attack as well, something which will play into their hands with the smaller teams. Let these two riders off the front at your peril.
Other riders to watch include Michael Albasini (Switzerland), Joaquin Rodriguez (Spain), Louis Meintjes (South Africa), Rui Costa (Portugal), Rafal Majka and Michal Kwiatkowski (Poland), Steven Kruijswijk, Wout Poels and Bauke Mollema (Netherlands), Fabio Aru (Italy), Nicolas Roche (Ireland), Adam Yates (Great Britain), Julien Alaphillipe, Warren Barguill and Alexis Vuillermoz (France), Jakob Fuglsang (Denmark), Andrey Amador (Costa Rica), Esteban Chaves, Sergio Henao, Jarlinson Pantano and Rigoberto Uran (Colombia), Tim Wellens (Belgium) and Richie Porte (Australia).
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