I love the Olympics. For as long as I can remember, I’ve enjoyed both the Summer and Winter Olympics. There’s something about representing your country and crushing it against the world’s best. Naturally, I tuned in for (almost) every second of coverage for the 2020 2021? Tokyo games. Here are some of my thoughts on what was a very exciting two weeks of cycling at the 2020 Olympics.
I should have publicly bet on McNulty
Let’s face it, as an American, the Men’s Olympic RR is painful as there is never an American where I’m convinced they have a shot. After all, the only Olympic champion we’ve had was Alexi Grewal in 1984. Before that it was Carl Otto Schutte in Stockholm in 1912. Schutte averaged just under 29km an hour to finish third in the 315km time trial. He was a mere 9:59 behind the winner.
As you can imagine, my outlook on men’s road cycling at 2020 Olympics wasn’t very positive. My first question was what two riders are USA Cycling going to choose? Heck, what two riders would I choose? To be completely honest, I had no idea. I cannot think of one American rider whom I would say could medal in either the Time Trial or Road Race. However, when the “team” was announced, I kept thinking about Brandon McNulty
I’ve had a few friends who have raced for the Rally Cycling team (or a variation of it) over the years. Therefore, I follow the team closely and have watched riders such as McNulty develop over the years. The fact that he was at the front of WorldTour races with UAE came as no surprise. After thinking about it on one of my rides (maybe I do need to ride with others) – I thought that USA Cycling might be onto something. Frankly, he’s the best American rider in the world this year and can climb. Maybe he has a shot.
And for a few minutes during the race, I was convinced he was going to medal. While he ended up sixth, he rode a near perfect race. Even though he was dropped by Richard Carapaz, he was able to regroup, recover, and finish with arguably the best eight riders in the race. Chapeau!
So, you’re saying there’s a chance?
Anyone who knows me, knows I like aggressive racing. Ironically, that may be my biggest weakness when it comes to my own racing. When it comes to the big races, I almost always root for the breakaway. But, when it comes to the Olympics, my gusto for the break is minimal. Usually it’s a few riders from countries we’ve never heard of showing off their nation’s colors. Honestly, it’s one of the coolest things to see. If you have no chance of winning, why not go for the break and give your country some TV time.
I turned on the women’s race with about 80k to go. I figured the climb up Doushi Pass would show us who’s the strongest and would establish the group that would ultimately compete for victory. However, when I tuned in, there were three riders with about 10 minutes on the field. My gut told me this was a mistake.
In the end, the race seemed overshadowed by controversy over the time gaps the field was shown. Race radios once again became a hot topic. Regardless of what happened out on the road, Austria’s Anna Kiesenhofer went for broke with 40k to go and delivered. The Dutch were the strongest team in the race and everyone who gambled on them bringing it back lost. My main criticism is the USA. With an on form Coryn Rivera, I think they should have helped. Either way, Kiesenhofer’s ride will be remembered for years to come.
Jason Kenny’s 750m sprint was insane
Kenny’s win in the Kerin means that he is now the single holder for most Olympic golds (7) and medals (9) for a British athlete. He is the single holder for most Olympic golds and medals for a cyclist. What Kenny did in the Kerin was nothing short of amazing.
As the pace bike – I’m not sure what exactly it’s called as it’s no longer a gas guzzling motorbike – rolled off with three laps (750m) to go, Kenny went for broke. The honest truth is he wasn’t on top form for these Olympics. Whether it’s his age, the competition, or just not nailing his peak, he wasn’t the fastest sprinter. He is, however, very experienced and very smart. He had a small gap and punched it. And for 30 – 40 seconds he held the gap over the best track sprinters in the world. It was truly a masterpiece of racing.
Finally…America brings home the Gold
This is another chance for me to be a critical homer. America simply does not have a top notch track program. There’s a million reasons for it, but outside of the Women’s Pursuit, we’re just not that competitive of a nation. When the Women’s Pursuit team stormed their way to a bronze medal, I thought we may have lost our shot at a gold medal on the track. I forgot about Jen Valente.
Valente has quietly become a powerhouse on the track. She’s the best all around track racer in the country, which is why she’s perfect for the Omnium. She’s won a World Cup in the past and was third last year at World’s. She was clearly a favorite, but would need a near perfect race to win Gold. Boy did she put on a show. She was clearly the strongest rider in the race and tacitly rode nearly perfect. Even a crash late in the points race couldn’t stop her.
I would also like to give a quick shout out to the rest of the US track team. I felt like all of our riders were competitive in Tokyo. With some more international competition, we could be contenders for multiple medals in 2024.
Let me know your thoughts on cycling at the 2020 Olympics below.