2024-08-03 19:29:42
At the Olympic Games, the peloton of 90 cyclists covered 272 kilometers without any big hills, but with many hills. Skujiņš managed to reach the finish in a very high fifth place.
“I feel very pleased. Of course, I wanted to bring some black in the neck, but it is not always possible. Every time in big competitions I manage to prove again that I am in the right place, in the right sport and I can fight for the podium every time. So far, there has always been a little bit left, but the cards will come together soon,” said the Latvian cyclist shortly after the finish.
“I knew that my physical condition was good, that I was ready to fight for medals, especially with the support of the Latvian team on the side of the track. I knew that I would be able to fight and it was so,” emphasized the athlete.
“The whole distance was quite nervous, as is usually the case at the Olympic Games – no one wanted to lie down.” I knew that the only way I can fight for the result is to wait for the last 70 kilometers,” when talking about the competition, Skujiņš reminded that he was the only athlete from Latvia – the tactical battle took place between the big teams and he alone could not dictate the rules.
“I knew that one of the key moments would be the paved hill in the first lap of the finish, I put quite a lot of cards on it and in one moment it looked like a very good situation, I was with 3-4 quite strong and loud names,” Skujiņš remembered the moment when he got into one in a group with former Olympic runner-up and Paris Games bronze medalist in the individual race, Wout van Aart, last year’s world champion Mathieu van der Poole, and the home favorite, 2020 and 2021 world champion Julien Alaphilippe. “It seemed that if we go to the front group, we will be the strongest there and the four of us will definitely fight for medals. However, the group behind us was still big enough with many riders from the same teams, so they worked together and caught us.”
Immediately after catching Skujin’s group, the Belgian Remko Evenepouls, who also triumphed in the individual race of the Paris Games a week ago, left the peloton. “When they caught us, Remko tactically used the situation very well and shot away by himself. After moving to the first group, he must have thrown them all and then drove to the finish line alone. It was quite difficult to control everything that was happening. Maybe I didn’t read the situation 100%, but you see, in the last two kilometers we were always fighting for medals. It was just a little bit short,” said the Latvian, who is determined to compete in the Los Angeles Olympic Games in four years. “Hopefully, it will be possible to start there with two people. Last year there was a bit of a shortage in the selection, I hope to still see all three of us, who are already at the highest level of cycling, by Los Angeles, and maybe some young athlete will join, helping to accumulate points.”
Thinking about what would have changed if two Latvian cyclists took to the start today, Skujiņš says that in that case one should not worry so much about the first part of the distance and could save more energy for the decisive events. “Also, maybe then there would be someone who would help get to a better position before the decisive moments. When we raced Montmartre for the second time, I wasn’t in a good enough position, so I had to choose – to get a better position or save my strength and prepare for the next one.”
2024-08-03 19:29:42