On August 3, Remco Evenepoel triumphed in the men’s cycling road race. He dominated the peloton and claimed the gold medal at the Trocadero in the heart of Paris.
The 24 – year – old Belgian cyclist had an unforgettable moment. He free – wheeled across the finish line with his arms outstretched in front of the Eiffel Tower. He became the first male cyclist to win both the road race and time trial in the same Olympic Games. It was a historic feat.
Evenepoel, the new Olympic champion, said, “I achieved all I wanted this month. The Tour [de France] and double gold… it’s my season. I can’t put it into words.”
During most of the race, he sat in the peloton. He had a relaxed ride through Paris’s center and suburbs. But Evenepoel wasn’t in the French capital to sightsee. He was there to win.
When the peloton got close to 100km left, Evenepoel made his move. He chased down attacks and launched some of his own from the front of the peloton. But these moves didn’t decide the race. So, he went back into the group of riders. He waited for the right moment to start his cycling revolution in Paris.
On the first climb of the Côte de la Butte Montmartre, the peloton split. Mathieu van der Poel of the Netherlands, the world champion, and Wout van Aert of Belgium, a medal favorite, led the way. Evenepoel caught up with them on the descent. Then, he launched a strong attack that surprised the rest of the peloton.
With the chance to speed ahead, the Belgian cyclist used his time – trial skills. He caught the leading breakaway riders before the second climb of the Côte de la Butte Montmartre. He used the climb to get rid of the weakest riders in the leading group. Only he and France’s Valentin Madouas were left at the front.
The two of them rode fast around Paris’s center. Their medal hopes seemed more likely. They came to the cobbled Côte de la Butte Montmartre for the last time. On this climb, Evenepoel made the winning move.
He left Madouas behind and rode towards the finish. He pedaled as hard as he could and got a one – minute lead over the French rider. His lead was so big that even getting a flat tyre in front of the Louvre couldn’t stop him. He crossed the finish line in 6:19.34, finishing the 273km course over a minute faster than his closest rival.
Evenepoel said, “Knowing I was almost sure to win with 4k to go and then getting a flat with 4k to go was stressful and exciting. But it’s a dream come true again.”
France’s Valentin Madouas held off the rest of the peloton to win a popular silver medal. He crossed the line in 6:20.45. It was France’s first medal in the men’s road race since Melbourne in 1956.
Fellow Frenchman Christophe Laporte also got on the podium. He left the rest of the peloton behind in the final 300m. He won the bronze medal in front of thousands of cheering fans.
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