2024-08-04 09:18:40
Meanwhile, Belgian Remko Evenepouls, who previously also won gold in the individual race, became the champion. The other two places on the podium were taken by Frenchmen Valentin Madois and Christophe Laporte.
In the Olympic Games, cyclists measured 272 kilometers without climbs, but with many hills.
Athletes who did not claim a high-value result went to the first break. Less than 90 kilometers before the finish line, Kazakh cyclist Alexey Lutsenko, joined by Irishman Ben Healy, was the first to attack from the leading group.
When there were 46 kilometers to the finish, Healy went on a solo breakaway, while in the peloton the Dutchman Mathieu van der Pool and the Belgian Wout van Aart tried to break away, followed by Skujins. Later, this trio, as well as Frenchman Julien Alaphilippe and American Mateo Jorgenson, formed a group that lost 50 seconds to the leader.
As the groups rearranged, Skujiņas did not manage to stay among the leading athletes at one point. On the other hand, Evenepool came to the leading position in a duet with Madua.
After entering the peloton, Skujiņš was very active and several times tried to break away to join the athletes in front.
Meanwhile, at the front with 15 kilometers to go, Evenepool left Madua with the Belgian winning the gold medal after a solo breakaway. The 24-year-old “Soudal Quick-Step” cyclist became the champion despite having to change his bike due to technical problems four kilometers before the finish line. At Kibele’s moment, his lead over Madua was about one minute, so the dramatic setback did not prevent him from winning the gold medal.
Evenepool finished in six hours 19 minutes and 34 seconds, with Madua losing one minute and 11 seconds. Five seconds later, a large group of seven cyclists finished, led by Laports who won the bronze medal, the fourth was the Hungarian Atila Walters, and the fifth – Skujiņš.
Skujiņš was close to repeating Dainas Ozola’s feat in 1992, when the Latvian won a bronze medal at the Barcelona Olympic Games.
Skujiņš has previously competed twice in the Olympic Games. In 2016, in Rio de Janeiro, he ranked 59th in the group race, but three years ago in Tokyo, he took 22nd place. In the Tokyo Games, Skujiņš also participated in the individual race, taking 30th place.
The Olympic Games will take place in the French capital until August 11, and not only in the French capital, but also in 16 other places, including the French overseas territory of French Polynesia. The Games program includes 32 sports and 329 sets of medals will be distributed.
2024-08-04 09:18:40