Welcome to Rio for the 2016 Olympic Games Road Race! 255.6km starting and ending in Fort Copacabana, but with some brutal challenges in between. The weather could have been more Brazilian, it's rather wet and doesn't look like chaning at all today.
Still, we have 144 riders at the startline raring to go. And we are underway!!!
Immediately we have an attack! Marzuki of Malaysia makes the move off the front.
However he gets nowhere.
5km come up fast when we see a second set of attacks. Michely (LUX) heads it up, and with Vysna (SVK), Chamorro (COL), Chiarella (BRA), Afonso (POR), Othman (MAS) and Shushemion (KAZ) it's a strong move. Too strong as it isn't allowed to get a gap.
9km into the longest of all Olympic events. Luxembourg clearly want a man clear, as Kirsch attacks next. Othman and Shushemion again follow, as does Haas (AUS), Paulinho (POR), Uran (COL) and Contador (ESP).
But the teams of Belgium, Russa and Italy arn't happy and are keen the keep the race together a bit long yet.
14km and on a short downhill we see Luxembourg again making a move. This time it's Frank Schleck stretching his legs, but it's not a full assult as he sits up almost immediately.
Taking over on the attacking is Nathan Haas. Shushemoin, Othman, Afonso, Vysna and Contador all make moves again. Plus Herklotz (GER) shows his face.
Yet again it's an ill-fated move as the Belgians and Russians really want to handpick the breakaway if they can.
At the 20km mark news comes over the radio. Joe Dombrowski (USA) has abandoned! No-one knows why, he hasn't fallen. Perhaps he's ill?
Regardless attention moves on fast to Shaw (IRL) as he attacks. Schleck, Chamorro, Paulinho and Haas are there again at the front.
And again it's shut down before it can really even form up. All this is making for a fast opening though, the pace well over 45km/h this far as we head West.
No pausing however, as Afonso comes over the top with Uran, Kirsch, Contador and Shushemoin. And no pause for the Belgians and Russians in the chase.
37km into the race now and we get first real sight of the home nation. Weber (BRA) makes a move with Kirsch, Afonso, Shushemoin, Chamorro, Vysna and Herklotz. Will these guys ever get tired of attacking?
We enter onto the Grumari Circuits now. 4 Laps making up about 100km of the race. Over the first climb something happened at the back of the race we didn't see, as suddenly a group of riders is dropped.
Boswell (USA), P. Velits (SVK), Bellis + Edmondson (GBR), Lecuisiner + Sicard + Demare (FRA), Kump (SLO), Ben Matoog + Hamari (TUN), Senyenov (KAZ) and Smukulis (LAT) have all been distanced. No idea why, perhaps they just were riding too slowly.
Luckily they will all join fairly quickly back into the peloton. Bizarre.
53km passed by and we hit the second climb on the Grumari Circuit. Uran again wants to get going and attacks with Schleck and Herklotz again. Just the trio, could this be a move small enough to get away?
Yes! As we get back to the beach their gap is over 2'00 to the Peloton. And sneakily Nesset (NOR) snuck away as well and is about to junction with the leading trio. We finally have our breakaway.
Another lap of Grunari complete and the quartet's lead is now over 5'30. We've settled right down into this race now.
Some riders relax too much. There's a fall on the final descent of the Grumari! Teklit (ERI), Silva (BRA), Y. Nepomanyaschiy (KAZ), Ahmad Zamari (MAS), Chtioui (TUN), Paulinho (POR), Contador (ESP), Valls (ESP), Beltran (COL), Andy Schleck (LUX), Henao Montoya (COL) and Edmondson (GBR) are the unlucky ones.
Luckily they all get up and get back to the peloton in a few minutes. But you never know what damage a fall will do, so could that be the end of the race for these riders?
Past the halfway point now and we leave the Grumari Circuits to head east towards the Vista Chinesa. The Breakaway holds 6'04 overa Russian, Slovenian and Italian led peloton.
98km to go as the break turns left off the coast road and onto the Vista Chinesa laps. The peloton upped the pace in the breeze to cut the lead to 4'36.
Ten kilometers later the break pases the Vista itself. They climbed well and actually increased the lead to 5'46 as the peloton began to split. Although a clear picture isn't quite clear as the race is very fluid over the summit of the climb.
Spoke too soon! Big crash!
It was said the descent from the Vista was dangerous and in the wet it's taken a big toll. Looks like around 40 riders have come down right in the heart of the pack.
We can pick out: Furdi (SLO), Flugel (GER), Froome (GBR), Kolar (SVK), Koretzky (FRA), Gautier (FRA), Michely (LUX), LL Sanchez (ESP), Kritskiy (RUS), Bilbao (ESP), Roche (IRL), Hiratsuka (JPN), Mohoic (SLO), Cunego (ITA), Martin (IRL), Ulissi (ITA), Gastauer (LUX), McCarthy (AUS) and Ricco (ITA). And there's more we can't identify.
This will completely change the shape of the race with so many potential leaders involved.
We were warned the descent would cause a crash. And in the rain it's had a huge impact.
It's too much for Gautier, and the French leader is out of the race! McCarthy looks really hurt but the's carrying on, although there's not much power in his legs. Ulissi also looks hurt and is dropping away. Similar for Cunego and Ricco.
The Italians have been decimated here, their race looks almost over.
Rounding the summit for a second time the breakaway leads by 4'02 from a rapidly shrinking peloton. Can everyone get down safely this time around?
NO!
It's happened again, same spot on the road! Zeits (KAZ) drops it and takes out Chaves (COL), Gastauer again, T. Meyer (AUS), Silva (BRA), Demare (FRA), Didier (LUX) and Keniath (GER).
Meanwhile Andy Scheck is in trouble! The Tour de France winner has a mechanical and shoots out the back of the peloton.
Lots of riders in difficulty for all sorts of reasons. The breakaway plows ahead though, hoping to take advantage and stabilise their lead on the race.
50km to go now, and the Solvenian's and Latvian's are really upping the pressure on the peloton along the flat coast road section. They want to try and catch the breakaway on this, the penultimate lap of the Vista Chinesa.
10km later at the summit the Breakaway holds just 1'15 now. The peloton are almost in sight. Just about time to prepare for the final flying lap here! Or will we have more crashes?
It's a crash! Andrew Talansky decks it on the way down, luckily no-one else joins him. The reduced peloton can make it safely.
So with 30km to go the riders get a moment to breath on the coast road. The break holding on at 1'20, but it won't be enough surely.
25 to go and we turn right for the final ascent of the Vista Chinesa. Only 58" advantage now, which isn't enough for Uran as he goes to attack.
24km to go and here it all begins! Edvald Boasson-Hagen attacks!!! It's the big move! Bakelants and Skujins are the first to react...
In mere moments they've passed the breakaway, although Uran just dangles up front. The race is on fire now!
EBH and Bakelants sweep up Uran with ease, but Skujins is struggling between them and the peloton. Every rider is at 110% now!
Here comes Trofimov! Followed by Roche and Spilak. Plus Kinoshita and Ponzi want in on the moves. No chance to breathe!
16km to go! The final pass of the Vista Chinesa. EBH, Bakelants and Spilak lead. Trofimov is just behind with Ponzi. Skujins has dropped back to Roche, with Kinoshita barely staying in contact.
The USA and Dutch teams lead the peloton in a panic desparately trying to keep their Olympic dreams alive!
Somehow no-one crashes on the descent! Bakelants, EBH and Spilak exit it first. 37" later Ponzi and Trofimov fly past. Another 23" until we see Roche, Skujins and Kinoshita. The peloton is a full 1'20 behind those three. So it looks like our winner will ceom from the attacking 8 riders.
6km to race and we are back on the coast road into Fort Copacabana. The Trio holds 45" on Trofimov-Ponzi. But the peloton is just 20" back on them and Tayler Phinney is pulling them like a steam train! We could have a very close finish here...
As if to illustrate the point, the Peloton catches Trofimov-Ponzi with 3km to go. It's just 40" up to the lead Trio. The momentum is with the Peloton. The distance is with the attackers.
Who is going to win this?!!!?
Flamme Rouge! 1000m is all that remains. The Peloton is just 10" behind the Trio, if that! Tejay Van Garderen leads the rocketing chase with Bobridge, Kelderman, Flugel and others right behind him!
700 meters and EBH moves out of Bakelants wheel. The two are gapping Spilak who looks completely spent now. Van Garderen still chases first and can feel Spilak now! Then we see Sagan and Lutsenko accelerating like motorbikes as well!
This is going to be almighty close on the line....!
300 to go! Boasson-Hagen and Bakelants are neck-and-neck. Both chruning the biggest gear they have, dying with every crank of the pedal.
Van Garderen is eating the distance to Spilak for the podium...
EDVALD BOASSON-HAGEN!!!!! A last fantastic lunge gives victory and Gold to the Norwegian!
Bakelants can only watch, not even enough energy to look saddened. He gave everything in that sprint.
I don't know how, but Spilak musters magical reserves to clinch the Podium spot. He looks more tired than either of the two ahead of him.
Van Garderen takes 4th as best of the rest. Flugel shook off his fall for 5th place. Kelderman in 6th from a hard charging Lutsenko and Sagan. Trofimov and Ponzi are rewarded with 9th and 10th respectively.
What an incredible race! Crashes and weather played a part, but my word did these riders put on a show. Absoutely driven to the edge at the end, nothing was left on the course today. Roll on Tokyo!
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