2024 Olympic Video games Males’s Street Race: The Olympic Video games street race is far more vital within the biking world than it was and now many high riders have made it a serious objective of the season. World champion Mathieu van der Poel, World and Olympic TT champion Remco Evenepoel and his countryman Wout van Aert will probably be on the beginning line in Paris on Saturday together with a high line-up. Right here is the PEZ rundown on the course and the favourites for Gold.
Richard Carapaz gained solo in Tokyo in 2021
The Course
Saturday 3 August: Paris – Paris (273km)
Begin: 11:00am (CET)
End: between 18:00pm and 18:30pm (CET)
The course of the Olympic street race appears to be based mostly on a Flemish spring Basic. There are loads of brief climbs and the ultimate rise additionally has cobbles. The 273-kilometre Olympic race in Paris does have extra climbing than the Tour of Flanders: 2,800 metres in comparison with 2,200 metres. However within the De Ronde, all of the climbing comes within the final 150 kilometres, whereas within the Paris Olympic race, there may be climbing all day.
Olympic males’s street race map
The beginning is within the Trocadéro district, close to the Eiffel Tower. After a neutralised part alongside the Seine, the riders will begin correctly in Paris. First there’s a circuit of 200 kilometres, primarily within the southwest of the town. This huge lap contains 10 categorised climbs. These usually are not too steep or very lengthy, however there will probably be a carrying down course of.
Between 165 and 205 kilometres, the motion ought to begin. In 40 kilometres the riders will deal with 6 climbs: The Côte de Senlisse (1.3km at 5.3%), Côte d’Herbouvilliers (850m at 5.7%), Côte de Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse (1.3km at 6.3%), Côte de Châteaufort (900m at 5.7%), Côte de Bièvres (1.2km at 6.5%) and Côte du Pavé des Gardes (1.3km at 6.5%). From there the peloton will head again to Paris.
Olympic males’s street race profile
The finale takes place within the Montmartre district, the place the good painters lived. The 18.4 kilometre metropolis circuit, to be ridden two and a half occasions, comprises a number of climbs, however the profitable transfer is predicted on the Butte Montmartre. This cobbled climb to the Sacré-Cœur is 1 kilometre lengthy and has a mean gradient of 6.5%. When the peloton summits the Butte Montmartre for the third and remaining time, there are 9.5 kilometres to the end line. The course descends to the Seine, then follows the river to the Pont d’Iéna, which is near the bottom ofMontmartre the Eiffel Tower. The end line is on the bridge.
The battle will probably be on the Butte Montmartre
Favourites
Mathieu van der Poel personally had a disappointing Tour de France, though he did some lead-out work for Jasper Philipsen and rode laborious up the Col du Tourmalet. However there was no stage win or perhaps a shut name from the World champion. That mentioned, Van der Poel must be one of many huge favourites for the Olympic street race. There is no such thing as a secret that he made the Olympic Video games a giant objective for the 2024 season. The Dutchman wished to do higher within the Tour, nevertheless it was all the time deliberate as coaching for the Olympics Video games in Paris. The World champion had picked sure levels that he would journey laborious and different days he would ease again to remain as recent as attainable. He had the identical plan in 2023, that labored effectively as he took the rainbow jersey, with a present of domination in Glasgow, fourteen days after the Tour.
The plan labored for van der Poel in Glasgow final yr
After all that doesn’t imply the plan will work this time, nevertheless it does present that Van der Poel can peak when he needs one thing huge. This spring he gained the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, two races he had set his sights on. That was his third victory in de Ronda and the Olympic street race course could be very related, however is he the highest favorite?
Evenepoel and Van Aert have already got Olympic medals from the time trial
The Belgian staff will probably be out to beat the World champion with two leaders who can every win in Paris: Remco Evenepoel and Wout van Aert. Evenepoel will probably be trying to win with an extended assault, probably from the ultimate climb, just like his win within the World championships in Wollongong, the place he gained after a 25 kilometre solo. Paris may go the identical method and you would argue that he has matured as a rider since then. He may very well be on for a second Gold medal. Van der Poel will solely have Dylan van Baarle and Daan Hoole as teammates, so the Dutch staff could have issue controlling a two-pronged assault for the Belgian staff. Evenepoel mentioned he was drained after the Tour de France, however he seemed good within the Olympic time trial, though 32 kilometres are loads completely different from 273 kilometres.
A repeat of the 2022 Worlds for Evenepoel?
Evenepoel must assault for his win, whereas Van Aert can look ahead to a dash. Van Aert hasn’t had his finest season, after his crash in Dwars door Vlaanderen, however a Gold medal on the Olympic Video games may change all that. The course suites him, the one query is his type. In the course of the Tour he was bettering because the race went on, however Van Aert was not his outdated self. He did take an Olympic Bronze medal within the time trial final Saturday, however an extended street race…. Belgium has the benefit of getting 4 riders. Evenepoel and Van Aert will probably be backed-up by Jasper Stuyven and Ties Benoot. Stuyven is in nice type, within the Tour he solely simply missed out on a stage win. The Belgian staff might need a shock on their fingers and Stuyven may pull it off.
Van Aert if it comes all the way down to a dash
Mads Pedersen crashed on stage 5 of the Tour de France and gave up a couple of days later with a small fracture of his shoulder blade. The Dane introduced that he would concentrate on the Olympic Video games and he’s one other rider that the route ought to swimsuit. The winner of Gent-Wevelgem, the place Pedersen beat Van der Poel, comes into his personal after lengthy, robust races and Saturday will probably be a battle of attrition. Pedersen has a robust dash on the finish of a race, however he’s not the one one.
Pedersen – World champion to Olympic champion?
Biniam Girmay gained three levels within the Tour de France, all from a bunch dash, however as we noticed within the 2022 Gent-Wevelgem, he may also win type a small group. The Paris Olympic Video games route is a bit tougher, however Girmay has the shape and the boldness to win from a gaggle, both massive or small.
Biniam Girmay’s confidence will probably be sky excessive
Michael Matthews is a rider who will probably be at house on this course. His Tour de France was just like Van der Poel’s, however in the case of the massive occasions you may’t write Matthews off. With two third locations and one second, plus an U23 rainbow jersey, he can carry out on the huge championships. Matthews had good type this spring this spring, he was second in Milano-Sanremo and third within the Ronde van Vlaanderen, though he was relegated to eleventh place as a result of a manoeuvre within the dash. Matthews is one other rider with a robust end the top of a tricky race. Ben O’Connor will fly to Paris to interchange Luke Plapp within the Australian staff. Plapp crashed after the primary intermediate time level within the TT. He needed to abandon and endure belly surgical procedure that night.
Matthews isn’t previous his finest
France additionally has a couple of riders who may hold the Gold at house. First Julian Alaphilippe, the two-time World champion, has had loads of unhealthy luck since his rainbow run, however the 32-year-old rider seemed to be getting his outdated type again within the Giro d’Italia. Loulou was again to his outdated attacking self and took the stage victory in Fano. Alaphilippe will probably be motivated by racing in his personal nation and he missed out the Tour de France to be in high type for the street race in Paris. Within the Czech Tour, his final preparation race, he gained the ultimate stage. The French staff additionally has Valentin Madouas, Kévin Vauquelin and Christophe Laporte on the beginning line. Laporte gained the European championship on the VAM mountain final yr and was second within the World championship in Wollongong the earlier yr. 2024 has not beet good for Laporte, primarily as a result of unhealthy luck. If that’s all behind him, then he may have race in Paris.
A medal for Alaphilippe?
We will’t miss out double mountain bike Olympic champion Tom Pidcock. The 24-year-old completed second within the gravel stage of the Tour, however didn’t do a lot else. He deserted the French Grand Tour after two weeks with covid. Pidcock appeared to have bounced again effectively, as he gained the mountain bike race on Monday. Can he win a second gold medal within the street race? The winner of the 2024 Amstel Gold Race is actually a rider to observe.
One other Olympic Gold for Tom Pidcock?
Marc Hirschi was not initially meant to be using, however he’ll now journey to Paris as a final minute substitute for Stefan Bissegger. Hirschi not too long ago gained the Czech Tour and is without doubt one of the many outsiders who may do one thing.
Marc Hirschi has simply gained the Czech Tour
Different riders to keep watch over are; Jonathan Narvaéz (Ecuador), Mattias Skjelmose (Denmark), Toms Skujiņš (Latvia), Matej Mohorič (Slovenia), Matteo Jorgenson (USA), Alberto Bettiol (Italy), Oier Lazkano (Spain), Ben Healy (Eire) and Rui Costa (Portugal).
Jonathan Narvaéz may shock
Possibly there are extra huge names lacking than on the beginning line: Tadej Pogačar, both too drained after the Giro-Tour double, or for love. Jonas Vingegaard, Jasper Philipsen, Arnaud De Lie, Primoz Roglič and reigning Olympic champion, Richard Carapaz are additionally not in Paris.
No Pogi in Paris
Favourites
Prime: Remco Evenepoel
Very Doable: Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert
Possibly: Mads Pedersen, Biniam Girmay and Jasper Stuyven
Exterior: Julian Alaphilippe, Michael Matthews, Christophe Laporte and Tom Pidcock.
Remco Evenepoel – The PEZ selection
Preserve it PEZ for the Olympic Street Race report on Saturday and all of the information in EUROTRASH Monday.
# Because of ProCyclingStats and WielerFlits for details and figures. #
The 2021 Olympic Video games street race in Tokyo
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