The Olympic road race: an event apart

For many athletes, the Olympic Games is the peak of their career. To the average canoeist, rhythmic gymnast or shot putter, it is their everything. Road cycling, however, fits less seamlessly into the fouryearly sports jamboree.

For men’s cycling especially, the Olympic road race may not exactly be an afterthought, but neither is it a priority. It comes quite low down the pecking order of prestige: first come the grand tours, with the Tour de France first, and Giro second, then