Race report
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Good news: the Dutch cycling federation have tweeted that Van Vleuten ‘appears to be okay’ after her crash; she is conscious, and going to hospital for further checks. I’m going to wrap up this live blog now, but you can keep up with all the news from Rio with Jacob Steinberg:
Congratulations to Anna van der Breggen, and thanks for joining me.
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Gold medal winner Anna van der Breggen has spoken, and her thoughts are clearly with team-mate Annemiek van Vleuten, who suffered a horrific crash on the descent:
“I was pretty shocked, I think she crashed hard. I realised I was at the front of the team, so I had to chase. I did it for Annemiek. To see her like that, it’s a big shock.”
Chris Boardman has appeared on the BBC, and is justifiably angry about conditions on the descent:
“We knew that descent was so treacherous… I’m actually quite angry, because I looked at the road furniture and thought ‘nobody can crash here and just get up, it’s really bad’, and that’s what we’ve seen today.”
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Lizzie Armitstead finished 20 seconds behind van der Breggen, winning a mini-sprint to finish fifth. She’s just had a chat with the BBC.
“I limited my losses on the climb, I knew I couldn’t keep up... I never gave up. I feel pretty exhausted, I can’t feel sorry for myself... she’s a deserving Olympic champion”
Armitstead rather swerved questions on the recent controversy, but was gracious in defeat.
Lizzie Armitstead came in 5th, 20 seconds behind @AnnavdBreggen. Mara Abbott 4th, 4 seconds down. Vos was 9th, +1.14 pic.twitter.com/4ZCzbEJlV9
— Helen Pidd (@helenpidd) August 7, 2016
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Anna van der Breggen wins gold in the women’s road race!
Borghini stays on the front as Abbott is passed, before Van der Breggen launches an attack 500m out, overtaking the Italian on the outside with 200m to go, and holding off Johansson, who has to settle for her second Olympic silver medal.
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500m to go! The chasing trio catch an exhausted Abbott, and Borghini is at the front, but favourite Van der Breggen is about to make her move...
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1km to go! Van der Breggen, Borghini and Johansson are clawing back the advantage, just ten seconds now. Can Abbott hang on?
Mara Abbott finds herself in the same spot as Rafal Majka in the men’s race – battling exhaustion on this apparently endless run alongside the Copacabana. The gap is still 20 seconds, but the chasing trio can see Abbott along the road, and may now be battling for gold, rather than silver. 2km to go...
The other rider in Lizzie Armitstead’s group is Brazilian – Flavia Oliveira, drawing big cheers from the home crowd. It will take quite an effort for either to take a medal home now, with 3.5km to go.
The time gaps are jumping around a fair bit, but Abbott still leads the chasing trio by 20 seconds. Armitstead’s group haven’t been able to reel them in, with Van der Breggen, Johansson and Borghini upping the pace in search of a medal. Van Vleuten’s crash is casting a shadow over this finale; I’ll pass on any news as soon as I get it.
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Here’s more on Mara Abbott, who is just 6km from being crowned Olympic champion:
Abbott leads by 30 seconds, with the chasing trio being drawn in by Lizzie Armitstead’s group, which also contains Niewiadoma and Switzerland’s Jolanda Neff. Armitstead is in the hunt for a medal here...
Abbott moves into the lead, with Van Vleuten still lying prone in the road. Really hope that she’s alright, it was a horrible crash. Abbott leads by 40 seconds, having come through the descent unscathed.
Van Vleuten has crashed! Taking on a slippery corner, the Dutch rider loses control and collides with a kerb, falling forward and off the side of the road. That looked really nasty.
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Van Vleuten has opened a lead of a few seconds as she negotiates a hairpin, with the trees clearing and Rio opening out in front of her. It does appear to be raining here, and Abbott has eased off considerably. The chasing trio – Van der Breggen, Johansson and Borghini – are on their way downhill, and Armitstead’s group appear to be closing the gap on them...
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Van Vleuten tries to ratchet up the pace, but Abbott sticks to her wheel, and the leading pair are about to start this long, snaking descent down towards the Copacabana. Abbott isn’t a strong descender, but perhaps a naturally more conservative approach will pay off...
Van Vleuten and Abbott, both accomplished riders but not favourites even in their own teams, have a lead of 20 seconds or so, with the summit approaching. They’re followed by Van der Breggen, Johansson and Borghini, with Armitstead’s group further down the road. 15km and one hellish descent to go...
Van der Breggen and Borghini have been dropped, and Johansson has caught them to form a chasing trio, behind Van Vleuten and Abbott. There is still a fearsome descent to come, so this is very much up for grabs. It’s not over yet for Armitstead, in a group with Evelyn Stevens, Niewadoma and others, almost a minute down on the leaders.
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The time checks haven’t been entirely reliable today, but Armitstead is reportedly 50 seconds behind the leading quartet, who are enjoying the brief descent before the final ascent at Vista Chinesa. Sweden’s Emma Johansson, part of that leading group, is now on her own, but is gaining ground on the more gradual final climb.
Four riders have broken away, still led by the indefatigable Mara Abbott. Dutch team-mates Anna van der Breggen and Annemiek van Vleuten are there, as is Italy’s Elisa Longo Borghini, a strong sprinter and descender. Armitstead and Niewiadoma are working together to stay in touch, some 20 seconds down the hill.
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Abbott continues to lead the way as they negotiate the second part of this climb. Armitstead has fallen away from the main group of seven, but is locked on the wheel of Niewiadoma, a fine climber. So, it could be worse.
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Vos and Ferrand-Prevot are both finding things tough after their previous efforts, while at the front, Italy’s Tatiana Guderzo is at the head of an unruly clutch of riders trying to break away.
The charging peloton absorb that group of seven leaders, and there’s now a leading group of around 20 riders. The footage didn’t show us exactly how the chasing pack caught the leaders so quickly, but US rider Mara Abbott is setting a blistering pace up this climb. Armitstead is still in touch with this leading group – climbing is not her forte, so she’ll be hoping to hang on and regroup on the descent.
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The middle section of the final climb at Canoas is taking its toll on the leaders, and the pack. The gap is down to 20 seconds, with nobody willing to make a solo break, while the peloton has been trimmed to a group of around a dozen riders – with Lizzie Armitstead a little further back...
This final climb is a very different animal to the gradual gradient of Grota Funda – a series of steep, sharp ramps and sinewy descents that suit Vos nicely, but are causing problems for others. Vekemans is clinging on in front, while Armstrong, Garfoot, Pooley and Zabelinskaya have fallen away from the peloton.
The leading group in full: Trixi Worrack (Germany), Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (France), Marianne Vos (Netherlands), Anisha Vekemans (Belgium), Elena Cecchini (Italy), Gracie Elvin (Australia) and Malgorzata Jasinska (Poland). They are tackling the steepest section of the climb, with the peloton now 50sec behind. Vos and Ferrand-Prevot doing most of the work at the front; expect an attack sooner rather than later.
The leading group of seven have reached the Joá climb, the first ramp of three in quick succession that make up the final ascent. Their lead is 1min 20sec, and the peloton may have run out of time to draw them in. Much will depend on how the leaders work together, but the gap is holding steady – bad news for Lizzie Armitstead, stuck in the main pack.
In other wind news, Team GB women cyclists have just fallen for the oldest trick in the book and missed a move on the flat, where a few riders took advantage of crosswinds to leave the bunch behind. Bad news for them, but good news for those of us tasked with writing 850-word sidebars about wind.
Marianne Vos takes her turn at the front of the leading group, who are working together with greater fluency than the main group. They’re moving at 52km/h, the peloton at 48km/h.
Vos could be set to win gold at her third straight Olympic Games – she won on the track in Beijing, and on the road in London. She’s also won world and European golds on the road and in cyclo-cross, and two world track titles. In short, more gold than Scrooge McDuck.
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We’ve seen very little of Lizzie Armitstead since that brief moment of drama early in the race – she is now visible to the left of the main pack, while Kristin Armstrong and Lotta Lepisto are upping the pace at the front. There’s still a lack of rhythm, individuals leading the way rather than rotating to maintain a pace – and the gap is heading out to one minute.
After a serene last 10km, the pack are being put under real pressure by this breakaway. Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, triple world champion, is in the leading group – but no riders from the USA, or indeed, Team GB – have made it across.
The seven leaders are: Worrack, Ferrand-Prevot, Vos, Vekemans, Cecchini, Australia’s Gracie Elvin and Poland’s Malgorzata Jasinska. They lead by 40 seconds, as the peloton struggle to organise themselves.
It’s 3pm in Rio, but looks more like dusk as the weather turns gloomy. There’s mist in the air, and rain could fall on the final descent, which doesn’t bear thinking about. A group of six riders have joined Worrack, and have upped the pace significantly, opening up a 20-second lead. They include Marianne Vos, Anisha Vekemans and Italy’s Elena Cecchini.
The peloton squeeze into single file as the German team try to pick up the pace on the most exposed stretch of the run back to Rio, where the winds are still whipping across the road. They lack a pure climber and need to try and make something happen – and Worrack makes a move! There’s just under 40km to go, but only 15km or so until the race passes back over the first climb at Joà, immediately before the final 8.5km ascent, with an average gradient of 5.7%.
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All four German riders are at the front, with the three Australians still in the race right behind. All the major players are in this leading group of 30 or 40 riders, as they make their way past the Olympic golf course. Plenty of riders dropping back to team cars to pick up instructions. This could be a very casual roll up to the final climb and descent, which wreaked such havoc in yesterday’s race.
Just under 50km to go, with the next 20 a flat, straight run back east along the coast. The Canadian riders are at the front of the group, who are about to end Cordon’s doomed breakaway bid. The winds have dropped, increasing the chances that this race will be settled on the final, two-part climb at Vista Chinesa.
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Megan Guarnier is one name many have tipped to be among the medals, but the American has kept a low profile so far, staying at the back of the main group. She’s now been joined by two team-mates – Armstrong and Evelyn Stevens.
Another chasing group forms, with seven riders grouping together in pursuit of Cordon, including team-mate Pauline Ferrand-Prevot – but indecision costs them again, and the group reel them in. Cordon still out in front, possibly not for long.
On the last few bends before a return to the coast, Cordon is out of sight of the pack, with a 10-second lead. Marianne Vos, defending Olympic champion, has dropped back to collect water bottles for her Dutch team-mates.
The peloton, trimmed down a little but still home to most of the race’s 68 starters, are easing down the descent, before the turn back towards central Rio. After taking that entire climb in neutral, the attacks begin as the road flattens out – France’s Audrey Cordon, who starred at La Course before a late crash, has carved out a five-second gap.
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An uneasy truce has broken out among the peloton, with the German and Dutch teams easing off the accelerators for the time being. Van Dijk and Vos still at the front, joined by Katarzyna Niewiadoma – the Polish rider is a legitimate contender for gold. It’s been a while since we saw a British rider near the front – Armitstead, Pooley and Harris are all tucked in near the middle of the bunch.
60km to go, and the bunch, give or take a few back markers, are back together for the second trip over the Grota Funda climb. It’s unlikely to stay that way, with the chance to break away before a pan-flat run back past the Olympic Park.
Plenty of pedigree in this leading group, but they have just 13 seconds on the peloton on a flattish stretch between this circuit’s two climbs. Plenty of ebb and flow to the race, but no decisive moves yet.
Just as the peloton had merged together, the tricky descent blows it apart again – there’s now around 20 riders leading the way, with Dutch riders van Dijk and Vos out in front. Armitstead is part of the main group, tucked in alongside her team-mates.
The chasing group are caught at the top of that 1.3km climb, but Van Dijk is still in place to lead them down a series of switchbacks on the descent. This is where that chasing group got started last time around; now there’s no leader further up the road.
Back on the steep, staccato Grumari climb, and Kopecky, suddenly feeling the pain, is caught by the leaders. Van Dijk tries to mount a counter charge, but the peloton are in hot pursuit...
Zabelinskaya, now at the front of the peloton, was only cleared to compete last Friday – her compatriot, Tour de France stage winner Ilnur Zakarin, didn’t have time to get to Rio for the men’s race after their successful appeal. The main pack, now thinned down to around 30 riders, is within sight of those up the road. Bad news for another Canadian rider – Tara Whitten has abandoned the race.
Counter attacks galore on the Grota Funda climb, while at the back of the pack, a clash of wheels forces Canada’s Karol-Ann Canuel off her bike. Kopecky has returned to the cobbled stretch on her second trip around this circuit, but now leads by just 30 seconds, with the peloton 30 seconds behind that chasing group.
Pooley has pulled away from the main bunch, followed by Australia’s Gracie Elvin and defending champion Marianne Vos. In one of those fractious moments typical of road cycling, Pooley asks one of her cohorts to take a turn in front, they all look at one another, and are swiftly swallowed up by the peloton.
Katrin Garfoot was last seen trying to reach the chasing group, but fell back into the peloton – and we’re now hearing that the Australian has has had to abandon. The chasers have stabilised, finding a collective rhythm to sit one minute behind Kopecky, and one minute ahead of the peloton.
Elsewhere in Rio, Serena Williams is on court, Fiji are beating Mexico at football, and Juan Martin Del Petro has just been freed from a lift. Follow all the action with Jacob Steinberg:
Despite the pedigree in that chasing group, they haven’t been able to close in on Kopecky – in fact, they are being caught by the pack on the way up this climb, thanks to a steely effort from Pooley, who has led the charge on climbs twice already today.
Kopecky is now descending, still leading by 1min 20sec, but almost upended by a worker clearing the leaves off the road. More high farce narrowly avoided.
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Kopecky being reeled in by the chasing quintet of Van Dijk, Bronzini, Armstrong, Worrack and Plichta. The gap is down to around 1min 30sec, with Pooley now trying to drive the peloton forward, with the gap to the chasers just 20 seconds. We do now have some aerial shots, and they show the pack being stretched out at the foot of the next climb, the Grota Funda.
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Nick Honeywell has some issues with the TV coverage: “after watching Kopecky struggle up the climb I was interested to see how the peloton fared in comparison. But, nope. They cut to the chaser instead, and by the time they do cut to the peloton the climb is almost over.”
There have been problems – we seem to be stuck with unreliable motorbike footage, with organisers claiming that helicopters are grounded. An excuse foiled by the fact you can hear helicopters in the background on the commentary.
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Armstrong has also bridged the gap, so Australia and Great Britain are the only major nations without anyone up the road – for Australia, Katrin Garfoot moves up the road. Team GB, with Pooley back in contention, are happy to sit tight. Teams without a rider among the leaders will inevitably have to work harder to close the gap, however.
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Worrack, the last rider to bridge the gap to that chasing group, had her kidney removed in March, following a crash which left her with serious injuries. It’s incredible that she’s even taking part.
The pack has been forced apart by that climb, with a few notable riders struggling to keep up – Emma Pooley, Lotta Lepisto and France’s Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, who was among the pre-race favourites.
Up the road, Van Dijk and Bronzini have been joined by Poland’s Anna Plichta and German Trixi Worrack, that quartet making a formidable chasing group.
Some heavy hitters making their presence felt at the front of the pack, with the Dutch and American teams stepping up the pace on the Grumari climb. Ellen van Dijk, who nearly stole La Course victory with a late break, has raced clear, chased by Italian rider Giorgina Bronzini. Kasper has given up the ghost, rejoining her German team-mates in the pack.
The cobblestones marked the start of the Grumari circuit, a 25km loop taking in the short, steep Grumari climb, before a turn inland to tackle the more gradual Grota Funda ascent. Then they do it all again, before heading back down the coast. There are still 92km to go, with Kopecky’s lead slashed to 2min 30sec.
We are onto the cobbles now, the peloton making a hell of a racket as they rattle along this section. A couple of riders, including Australia’s Rachel Neylan, affected by chains coming loose – as we saw in the men’s race yesterday. Armitstead is nicely placed at the front of the pack, being guided through this tricky stretch by Harris.
“I know Yorkshire is a different place, but do they not get the BBC in Otley?” chuckles Christopher O’Hearn.
The two escapees are riding right alongside the coast, which is shrouded by mist. A bone-shaking stretch of cobbles is coming up shortly for those two. Kasper appears to be failing in her bid to catch the runaway Kopecky – she’s 2min 40 behind the leader, and just 2min clear of the pack.
100km to go for Kopecky, who is closing in on the first Grumari circuit, and leads Kasper by 2min 39s. The 20-year-old Belgian, around four minutes clear of the peloton, is the youngest rider in the race. The chasing Kasper is a team-mate of Armitstead – both ride for the Boels-Dolmans team, who offered Armitstead their full support this week.
The German team have been itching to launch an attack all the way along this 20km run down the coast – and now Romy Kasper makes a bid to catch Kopecky, who may be secretly hoping somebody joins her. Not many fans on this exposed stretch of road, but we’ve just seen Poland’s men’s team out supporting their compatriots. Which is nice.
Re: Belgium’s kit, as Gareth Rogers points out, it didn’t do the football team too much good.
The view from Lizzie Armitstead’s home town
Huddled round a laptop in the Fleece pub in Otley, Lycra-clad members of Lizzie Armitstead’s cycle club are cheering on their local hero while watching a flaky live stream beamed from Rio.
They’re resolutely proud of Lizzie in this hilly corner of West Yorkshire, with pubs and shops decorated with the Olympic flag and Yorkshire’s white rose.
Jill Birch, a member of Otley cycle club where Lizzie is patron, describes the world champion as an inspiration and said she never doubted her over the three missed doping tests.
“We know Lizzie. It’s probably the worst thing [for her preparation] but we have great faith in her,” she said.
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Armitstead has recovered from that early effort to rejoin the pack, and moves to the front of the pack for a brief spin. Pooley is now at the back of the field of 68, which is still bunched together, save for Kopecky out in front.
Lizzie Armitstead's family and friends in Team Lizzie pose on copacabana. Been a horrible time for them... pic.twitter.com/bMqZ8M8aDT
— Barney Ronay (@barneyronay) August 7, 2016
Kopecky finished ninth in La Course last month, while another unfancied rider who impressed last month – Finland’s Lotta Lepisto, who came second – takes her turn at the front of the pack. There’s now a two-minute gap, with cross winds not having a huge effect yet, as the Olympic Park comes into view.
A response to Kopecky’s move, with American rider Kristin Armstrong upping the pace to stop Germany and Poland, both strong teams, from propelling a rider out of the bunch. Kristin Armstrong is, incidentally, no relation to Lance Armstrong, or indeed his ex-wife, Kristin.
The peloton are setting a sluggish pace early on – just 26km/h – allowing Kopecky to power clear, moving at just over 30km/h. A long way to go, but cobbles and climbs may restrict the pack’s ability to reel in breakaways. Belgium after the hat-trick – women’s gold to go with men’s gold and, obviously, best kit.
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After a very tentative spell among the main bunch, we have our first big move – Belgium’s Lotte Kopecky has pulled away, and leaves the peloton in the distance. That’s impressive for a solo effort, Kopecky demonstrating her junior track pedigree.
Vos: Armitstead "naive" for missing tests
Marianne Vos, who took gold ahead of Lizzie Armitstead in London, has called Lizzie Armitstead “naive” for her missing drugs tests.
After signing on for the women’s road race on Sunday morning the multiple world champion told the Guardian: “We were a little bit surprised about her three missed tests. But then she fought the first one and I think she had some rough weeks, she’s had some rough weeks and we will see what that does with her. “
Asked if she thought Armitstead was clean, Vos said: “That’s a different discussion. I think it’s a bit naive to miss three tests but it doesn’t say that she’s a doper.”
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Speaking of Russia, they have one contender in the field today – Olga Zabelinskaya, who won the bronze behind Armitstead and Vos in London. Since then, she has served a ban after testing positive for octopamine. Zabelinskaya was one of three Russian cyclists banned by the UCI, but successfully appealed the decision.
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Breaking news – as the Guardian revealed yesterday, the IPC have now confirmed that Russia’s athletes are to be banned outright from the Paralympic Games, which take place in Rio next month.
Nikki Harris spent a long time looking over her shoulder with Armitstead adrift, but didn’t drop back to support her, and she gets an earful from the world champion when she catches up. The jist is, that Harris should have come back to help her. But she didn’t. The team dynamics not looking great early on.
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Armitstead has hauled herself back alongside a couple of other stragglers: Luxembourg’s Chantal Hoffmann and Costa Rica’s lone rider, Milagro Mena. She is still a few seconds from the main group, which is started to splinter as they head along the coast.
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Armitstead is trying to ride back into the main group but is still adrift, riding in the slipstream of team cars. Pooley is still pushing the pace forward; there’s no team radios, so Pooley’s move is just an unfortunate coincidence, but this tweet seems pertinent in hindsight...
Lizzie is chatting to Nikki Harris on the startline but has barely exchanged a word with Emma Pooley, who was also late to sign on.
— Helen Pidd (@helenpidd) August 7, 2016
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As they reach the first climb, Armitstead is forced to pull over with a mechanical issue. She’ll get a bike change and will have to fight to rejoin the main bunch. She’s not helped by her British team-mate Emma Pooley upping the pace as they reach the first short, sharp climb. She doesn’t get away but stretches the bunch all the way down the hill.
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Still a gentle pace early on here, with Anna van der Breggen, a former La Course winner and among the favourites, leading the pack. The USA, a team reportedly at odds over tactics, with all four riders fancying their medal hopes, have Kristin Armstrong involved at the front.
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Two hours before his fiancée Lizzie Armitstead was due to start the women’s road race at Fort Copacabana, Irish cyclist Philip Deignan posted a loved-up picture of the couple on Instagram.
“Can’t wait to call this woman my wife very proud of how she has coped over the last week,” Deignan wrote, above the monochrome shot of the couple gazing into each other’s eyes.
Last week the Irishman went on the attack after Armitstead was called ‘shameful’ by her French rival, Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, making allegations on Twitter (in a hastily deleted post) about Ferrand-Prevot’s personal life.
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However unlikely the goal, you won’t find many athletes in Rio whose primary objective isn’t to earn themselves a medal. That is the case in the road race, a team pursuit with individual prizes. The larger teams have riders supporting the medal favourites, including Great Britain’s Emma Pooley, who will be working for Armitstead. Nikki Harris completes the three-woman GB team, while other contenders have four, including Germany, Australia, the Netherlands and the USA .
The peloton are currently rolling along Ipanema beach, flanked by enthusiastic, if slightly sparse, local crowds. The first bump in the road comes in 10km at Joá, before a long, straight run west along the coast.
They will then tackle the two climbs on the Grumari circuit twice, before heading back for one trip over the Vista Chinesa, and down its snaking descent, on the way to the finish at the Copa, Copacabana.
The first attack is a crowd-pleaser, with a Brazilian rider sprinting clear of the pack. She’s quickly joined by a Belgian, keen to make it a one-two after Greg van Avermaet won the men’s race yesterday... but they’re hauled in before I can even identify them.
We're off!
The flag has dropped and the field are away on a blustery day in Rio. A few Union Jacks and even a ‘Go Lizzie!’ sign visible at the start line.
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We’ve just seen Armitstead’s emotional interview with the BBC, where she claims that people will always think she cheated, a situation that has left her “devastated”. The Beeb’s handling of the whole fiasco is, shall we say, light touch.
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Don’t forget, there are approximately 159 other high-class sporting events taking place today. Daniel Harris will keep you updated on every single one:
And there’s live women’s basketball from the young and trendy Youth Arena:
Here’s a couple of Team GB tweets from Helen Pidd, who is at the start line:
Tense faces as Lizzie Armitstead, Emma Pooley and Nikki Harris sign on #CyclingRoad race pic.twitter.com/Yj3aDRkNbn
— Helen Pidd (@helenpidd) August 7, 2016
Just spoke to Lizzie Armitstead's dad, waiting for her to sign on. Said she's "ok but it's been very very tough and very unfair".
— Helen Pidd (@helenpidd) August 7, 2016
Cyclists in the women’s road race are signing in on the beachfront at Copacabana. Biggest cheers for the US and Canada. Belgium refused to play ball over Greg van Avermaet’s win yesterday.
“How high is your morale now?”
“Yes. It’s good.”
“Have you seen his gold medal?”
“No. We saw it on television.”
No sign of Team GB yet. The wind has dropped a tiny bit but it’s still blowy and the sun is now scalding its way through the clouds. Not the easiest conditions on a tough old course.
Hello. Today was always going to be a big day for Lizzie Armitstead, hoping to crown a glittering career with the biggest prize of all: an Olympic gold medal. The events of the last week have pushed her much further into the spotlight than she would have wished.
Armitstead picked up three ‘strikes’ from UK Anti-Doping for infractions over the last year, but successfully appealed to the Cas to have the first, a ‘whereabouts breach’, overturned. She has been cleared to compete in the Olympics, but does so under a cloud. She has offered a lengthy explanation that may appease supporters, but many of her competitors remain skeptical.
Gold was by no means a given before the news broke; the Rio course, an abridged version of the fraught men’s race yesterday, features heavy climbs that better suit other challengers, such as Megan Guarnier and Dutch rider Anna van der Breggen. The latter’s compatriot, Marianne Vos, denied Armitstead gold on the Mall in 2012, and will always be in the reckoning, as long as she’s in the field.
The race starts at 12.15pm local time, 4.15pm BST. Like everything else in Rio, it’s unlikely to be dull.
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Niall will be along shortly. In the meantime, here is some recommended reading on Lizzie Armitstead’s troubled buildup to Rio:
