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The women’s cycling road race takes place about an hour from the main Olympic village, with the riders starting and finishing at Fort Copacabana. Join The Roar for live coverage from 1:15am (AEST).
The challenging course is 136.9kilometres long, and includes two laps of a circuit around Grumari National Park, followed by one lap of a circuit around Vista Chinesa circuit.
The former features two climbs, a 1.2-kilometre, seven per cent gradient ascent, and a 2.1-kilometre, 4.5 per cent gradient climb, along with a short section of cobblestones.
The Vista Chinesa circuit features a grueling 8.5-kilometre climb that will likely determine the outcome of this race.
Australia will be represented by Gracie Elvin, Katrin Garfoot, Rachel Neylan and Amanda Spratt, who are all teammates on the professional women’s circuit, representing Orica-AIS. Unfortunately, Garfoot has been struck by illness in recent weeks and will likely play a supporting role.
The Netherlands’ Marianne Vos is the defending champion, however her teammate Anna Van Den Bregen enters the race as favourite. Also in the picture is London silver medalist and current road world champion Elizabeth Armistead, of the United Kingdom, who was controversially cleared to compete in Rio despite missing three drug tests in a 12-month span.
It is possible that a breakaway will escape early and stay away for the duration, however it is more likely that the race will be determined on the circuit of Vista Chinesa.
Look for the stronger climbers to break the race open on the final climb, before a tricky six-kilometre descent and a ten-kilometre sprint to the finish line.
Join The Roar from 1:15am (AEST) for live updates and commentary as we watch the Australians go for gold.