Even a puncture just over three kilometers from the finish, in front of the world-famous Louvre, couldn’t stop Remco Evenepoel that day. The Belgian crowned himself cycling king of the Olympic Games in Paris, winning the time trial and the road race in superior fashion. After 273 kilometers and the longest race in Olympic history, he was over a minute ahead of the other medal winners Valentin Madouas and Christophe Laporte from France. Austria’s Marco Haller, a loyal helper in the World Tour in the cycling world outside the five rings for many years, was not far off the big sensation after a courageous performance. He was in the running for bronze for a long time, but in the end he finished sixth and tied for third, while Marchtrenk’s Felix Großschartner came in 26th.
“This is historic,” said Evenepoel, who played for the Belgian national football team until his youth, about the significance of his achievement. No one had ever become a double Olympic champion in cycling, and the 24-year-old replaced Jan Ullrich (gold in 2000) as the youngest champion.
Haller from Carinthia, on the other hand, was sad about missing out on a medal. After a long ride of around 6:20 hours, he reached the finish line in front of the Eiffel Tower with Laporte and five other competitors. “Up until 100 meters before the finish, bronze was within reach. But Julian Alaphilippe closed the door for me in the last bend, I was using too heavy a gear. Whether fourth or sixth is no big deal,” said Haller, who nevertheless achieved the best placing of an Austrian in a cycling road race at the Olympics. Großschartner was also delighted: “It was an absolute Tour de France feeling on the course.”
The German Nils Politt opened the spectacular finale with an attack around 60 kilometers from the finish. But after a brutal attack by world champion Mathieu van der Poel when crossing the Montmartre climb for the first time, the top riders caught up again. Then Evenepoel pulled away inexorably. Haller stayed in the first chasing group of the Belgian until the end, who shook off his last companion Madouas 15 kilometers from the finish and rode solo to victory. According to reports, Evenepoel has already made a deal with the Red Bull Bora racing team for 2025, where Haller is also still under contract at least for this year.
Another victory for an outsider
Three years after the sensational gold medal by Austria’s Anna Kiesenhofer, the women’s race again went to an outsider. Kristen Faulkner from the USA took the lead after 158 kilometers thanks to a late solo attack from a group of four, ahead of London Olympic champion Marianne Vos (Ned) and world champion
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isterin Lotte Kopecky (Bel). Christina Schweinberger, who finished 10th in the time trial, came 28th, and Kiesenhofer came 52nd.
