The Triumph of the Legends

The individual time trial is an extremely specific discipline. Success here depends on countless nuances, and keeping top condition over the years is extremely hard. Even in big teams such a so-called engine is highly valued.

Time trial stars in the world peloton can be counted on one hand, and each of them enjoys special respect, but even among them there is one who stands out most — the legend of the world peloton, nicknamed Spartacus (Cancha): Fabian Cancellara!

 

 

Listing his achievements would take us too far; I’ll list them partially, with the Olympic race in mind:

 

Olympic champion – 2 ITT (individual time trial) (2008, 2016);

World champion – 4 ITT (2006, 2007, 2009, 2010);

Tour de France – 8 stages;

Vuelta a España – 3 stages (all ITT) and 2 team time trials;

Paris–Roubaix – 3 (2006, 2010, 2013);

Milan–San Remo – 1 (2008);

Strade Bianche – 3 (2008, 2012, 2016);

Tour of Flanders – 3 (2010, 2013, 2014)…

 

Fabian announced at the start of the season that it would be his last, and every race this year is his farewell to top-level cycling. Of course, one of his main targets was the Olympic time trial. Depending on the season’s goals, he had often changed the direction of his preparation, gaining endurance on easier climbs at the expense of his time trial; but this year his preparation clearly favored his specialty. He intended to confirm his status in his final season and had the Olympic race in his sights — after all, in London he couldn’t compete properly because of an injury from the road race, a race in which he was among the favorites until the last kilometers. Others didn’t look at the Rio race indifferently either. The main favorite was still the young, ambitious Tom Dumoulin, though, as we remember, Tom was injured in one of his last races and would probably struggle to show his best. This year’s Tour de France winner, Britain’s Christopher Froome, was also mentioned among the favorites. You could say Fabian was still a second-tier favorite — and how joyful it is that he ended the last Olympic race of his career in triumph.

 

 

He rode the opening section brilliantly, then held back the pace, and on the last three sections, as is his habit, he stepped it up. As a result Spartacus beat silver medalist Tom Dumoulin by 47 seconds. The fight for bronze was special. Here three riders — Christopher Froome, Spain’s Jonathan Castroviejo and Australia’s Rohan Dennis — set almost the same time. The difference between them was only four seconds each, while Froome himself was 15 seconds behind Tom and, as I said, had to settle for bronze. Had he not started last, Froome might not have managed even that — he knew all his rivals’ times. The winner’s time on the 54.5-kilometer course was 1:12:15.

 

 

 

Expectations were no lower for the women’s time trial. Here too a legendary specialist was racing, America’s Kristin Armstrong. For illustration, let’s look at Kristin’s achievements too: she is now a three-time Olympic champion (2008, 2012, 2016) and two-time world champion (2006, 2009).

 

 

In rainy weather the race was very tense. Kristin beat Russia’s Olga Zabelinskaya by just five seconds and Dutchwoman Anna van der Breggen by eleven. Yes, this is the same Anna who won the Rio road race gold.

 

 

A podium in both road disciplines is a great achievement in cycling.

 

 

And so the legends of the individual time trial ended their Olympic careers in triumph!

 

 

 

 

 

Featured image: Yuzuru SUNADA/www.yuzurusunada.com

Inside post thumbnail image: Yuzuru SUNADA/www.yuzurusunada.com

 

Special thanks to the Japanese photographer Yuzuru SUNADA for permission to use his works in our publications.

 

 

 

 

 

Translated from Georgian with the assistance of Claude (Anthropic), reviewed by the Velorbola editors.