A week after the individual time trial crowns the fastest woman against the clock on the streets of Paris, the Olympic road race will determine who has bragging rights for the next four years, as a peloton of around 90 riders from 56 nations take on a course around the French capital.
The covid-delayed Tokyo 2020 Games saw an unlikely victor in Austria’s Anna Kiesenhofer, who took an astounding solo victory, upsetting the odds and a powerful Dutch team. Kiesenhofer returns to defend her title, but like every other Olympic event, the added pressure and prestige of a race that comes around just once in every four years means that the winner will have to triumph against a highly motivated set of rivals to claim a much-sought after gold medal. With the Dutch returning to right the wrongs of 2021, and the reigning world champion looking to medal in two different disciplines, the stage is set for a battle royale on the streets of Paris.
The race takes place on Sunday 4 August, and begins at 14:00 CET.
The Route
The women’s road race is 157km in length and includes just over 1,700m of altitude gain along its route. With nine categorised climbs, and a punchy finishing circuit around Paris, it’s a course designed to encourage attacking racing, and it will likely suit the puncheurs and classics specialists among the bunch.
Beginning in the city centre at the Jardins du Trocadéro, the route takes the peloton out of Paris and south-west for a large loop that comprises almost 100km of the total route. There are just 12km of racing before the first climb is tackled. The Côte des Gardes is the longest ascent of the day and arguably the toughest: 1.9km at a 6% average gradient, it will offer hopefuls a chance to break away from the bunch and strike out early in search of glory – and given the way the last Olympic road race went, they have every reason to hope.
Five more climbs are tackled as the race completes the large loop and heads back to Paris, where they begin two laps of a Montmartre circuit, each featuring the Côte de la Butte Montmartre. 1km in length at average gradient of 6.5%, the climb will offer opportunities for late and potentially race-winning attacks, and with just 9km to race to the finish line, the women will tackle the climb for one final time before emptying the tank in search of Olympic glory.
With a smaller bunch, and smaller teams – many nations bringing just one or two riders – plus the added complication of no race radio, the Olympic road race is a different prospect to most one-day races. It will be open and attacking, with less opportunity for control, even for the bigger teams, and calculated risks more likely to succeed, such as Anna Kiesenhofer’s long-range solo in Tokyo in 2021.
Riders to Watch
Despite the tactical errors that led to them missing out on gold in Tokyo, the Netherlands will once again arrive at the Olympics with a stacked team, and a variety of options to deploy depending on how the race plays out. Demi Vollering proved she was back to her best at La Vuelta Femenina and has won every stage race she’s entered in 2024, but her form in the Classics was less consistent, so the team may favour 2012 gold medallist Marianne Vos, for whom the punchy course will be ideal. If the bunch stays together, they also have Lorena Wiebes, if the race comes down to a sprint finish, though the pace may be too high for Wiebes to hold on.
Despite the Netherlands’ depth, the race favourite is undoubtedly reigning UCI World Champion Lotte Kopecky. Unlike the Netherlands, Belgium will not have any doubts over who their leader is, and what the plan will be, so Kopecky will benefit from team support from her Belgian colleagues. Punchy Classics-style courses are her bread and butter, and with an appearance at the track scheduled the following week, Kopecky will have her sights set on medalling in two disciplines.
Outside of the low countries, there are plenty of other riders who will be in the hunt for a medal in Paris. Like the Netherlands, Italy have options for all types of race scenarios, including a potential sprint with Elisa Balsamo, but their leader will likely be Giro d’Italia Women winner Elisa Longo Borghini, who will be targeting an improvement on the bronze medals she has won in the two previous Olympic Games.
Poland’s Kasia Niewiadoma is in the form of her life and will be high in confidence; so too Australia’s Grace Brown, who won Liège-Bastogne-Liège and is riding at her final Olympic Games before she retires at the end of the season. Great Britain have a strong team, who will likely ride in support of national champion Pfeiffer Georgi. The home nation will probably support their national champion Juliette Labous, while Germany will be all in for Liane Lippert, who enjoys this type of parcours. Denmark will be behind Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig, while of the pair from the USA, Kristen Faulkner is likely to be the favoured rider, given Chloe Dygert’s lack of race days so far this season.
Of the smaller nations, the stand-out name and dark horse for victory is Kim (Le Court) Pienaar. The Mauritian rider has flourished this season and will be flying following a stage win at the Giro d’Italia Women just two weeks ago.
Riders to watch
5-stars Lotte Kopecky, Elisa Longo Borghini, Marianne Vos
4-stars Demi Vollering, Kasia Niewiadoma, Grace Brown
3-stars Pfeiffer Georgi, Liane Lippert, Kristen Faulkner
2-stars Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig, Lorena Wiebes
1-star Kim Cadzow, Juliette Labous, Kim Le Court
Summary
When – Sunday 4 August
Where – Paris, France
What – One-day race
TV Coverage: Eurosport, Discovery+, BBC
