The 2024 Olympic Women’s elite Individual Time Trial takes place on Saturday 27th July in Paris, France.
Taking place just three years after the most recent Olympics following the covid-delayed Tokyo 2020 Games, the event will nonetheless see a new champion crowned, as reigning champion Annemiek van Vleuten will not defend her title following her retirement from the sport at the end of 2023.
A prestigious event featuring riders from 28 nations from around the world, the time trial will be hotly contested among the fastest time trial specialists and road racers, and set against the urban backdrop of the city, should provide a spectacle for fans both in person and on the live broadcast.
The Route
A 32.4km route will decide the new Olympic champion against the clock. With just 127m of elevation gain and a course relatively lacking in technical difficulty, it should produce fast times and suit pure time trial specialists.
The countdown will begin on the Esplanade des Invalides in the centre of Paris, and once they have rolled down the start ramp, the riders will proceed on straight roads towards the east of the city, passing the Jacques Anquetil Velodrome, the finishing location of the Tour de France from 1968-1974.
The route makes its way through the picturesque Bois de Vincennes park and the first of two intermediate checkpoints at the Château de Vincennes. The riders reach the most distant point on the parcours at the Route de la Piramide before they turn to head back to the centre of Paris. A slightly more technical urban section follows, before the second intermediate checkpoint, back at the Château de Vincennes.
Competitors face the same final 4.5km as the first 4.5km, but in the opposite direction – a straight line back to Place de la Bastille, and a chance for the more powerful riders to really empty the tank on their way to the finish line.
The first rider sets off at 14:30 and the last one at 16:00 (CEST).
Riders to Watch
Two UCI World Champions in the individual time trial, Ellen van Dijk and Chloe Dygert, will begin the race as two of the favourites to take gold in Paris.
Riding for the Netherlands, three-time world champion and former Hour Record holder van Dijk returned to racing earlier this season following the birth of her first child, notching up three victories in her favoured discipline in the space of five weeks. Her preparation for the Games was hampered, however, by an ankle injury she suffered during training, so her form coming into Paris is something of an unknown.
Similarly, the USA’s Chloe Dygert has question marks surrounding her form, following just three race days in 2024. Dygert won her second rainbow jersey last summer in Glasgow, and will be hoping to rediscover the form that brought her success in Scotland.
The Netherlands have two strong options, with Demi Vollering also selected to ride for them. While Vollering excels on hillier terrain, she is strong against the clock and will hope to put in the kind of ride that could see her nation claim two medals.
Belgium’s road race world champion Lotte Kopecky is another strong all-rounder who might be able to upset the odds and impress against the time trial specialists. She is the reigning national champion in the discipline, and came fifth at the recent individual time trial at the Giro d’Italia Women., against strong opposition.
Reigning Australian ITT champion Grace Brown can never be counted out on a big occasion; she missed out on the win at the recent Giro d’Italia Women ITT by just one second, and with a number of wins this season she is in the kind of form that could see her pick up a big result.
For Great Britain, curent national champion Anna Henderson will hope to make an impact, while for France, Audrey Cordon-Ragot and Juliette Labous will both be aiming to feature on home soil. Outsiders with a chance of a medal include New Zealand’s Kim Cadzow, Denmark’s Emma Norsgaard and Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig, Austria’s Anna Kiesenhofer and Christina Schweinberger, and Spanish national champion Mireia Benito. Look out too for veteran German road and track star and fan favourite Mieke Kröger. With a powerful engine, it’s a course well suited to her attributes.
Riders to watch (GC)
5-stars Ellen van Dijk, Grace Brown
4-stars Chloe Dygert, Demi Vollering
3-stars Lotte Kopecky, Anna Henderson
2-stars Emma Norsgaard, Anna Kiesenhofer
1-star Mieke Kröger, Juliette Labous, Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig
Summary
When – 27 July
Where – Paris, France
What – Individual time trial
TV Coverage: Eurosport, GCN, BBC
