Chris Froome never got close enough in the Olympic Road Race to really lay down a challenge in the end, in what was a chaotic and thrilling race around Rio. However, he was never one of the stronger shots to take the Olympic Gold in the event but he will be outright favourite come the Time Trial, where the two-time Tour de France champion will be leading the pack. This will be more of his wheelhouse and Britain expects.
August 10th is the date and it mostly goes over a beach area in Rio. The course will be two laps around the Grumari circuit which is a just under 40 miles in total and in total, Froome will be one of forty riders taking on the challenge. Froome is the only Briton going off in the Olympic Cycling Time Trial. What may help Froome’s chances is that both Australia’s Richie Porte and Italy’s Vincenzo Nibali crashed in the Road Race.
Froome has said that he has a full tank to go after the Time Trial after finishing 12th in the Road Race. Four years ago in London, Froome took bronze and he is running as 6/4 favourite to take the win in the Time Trial. The threatening Tom Dumoulin is clearly going to be Froome’s biggest threat in the field. The Dutchman should be bit and ready to roll on Wednesday as he only went around 10 km in the Road Race before pulling out.
The initial speculation was that he had picked up a new injury, the ride in the Road Race coming straight off the back of a broken hand picked up at the Tour de France this season. But it was announced afterwards that he had pulled out to avoid any injury ahead of the Time Trial and that it had been a strategy, which makes you wonder why he took up a spot in the Road Race at all. The Dutchman is going at 13/8 to take the gold, putting him and Froome clearly at the head of the field.
Another big threat in the field could be from Tony Martin, who is a specialist time trialist. The German took silver in the last Olympics, sandwiching Sir Bradley Wiggins and Froome in the race. He missed out on the World Championship gold last year though, finishing down in seventh. Descent dark horse in the field though with his experience, with Rohan Dennis who was first in the Australian National Time Trial Championships year, potentially getting in the mix as well.
Men’s Cycling Time Trial Outrights
Chris Froome 10/11, Tom Dumoulin 2/1, Tony Martin 7/1, Rohan Dennis 10/1, Vasil Kiryienka 16/1, bar 20/1
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