Cycling at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Women's individual road race

Cycling at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Women's individual road race

The women's road race was one of the cycling events at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. It happened on 10 August 2008 and had 66 women from 33 countries. This was the seventh time an Olympic women's road race had been held, and it had a longer course than any of the previous races.

The race took place on the Urban Road Cycling Course, one of Beijing's temporary venues. The total distance was 126.4 kilometres (78.5 miles), which was shorter than the men's race. Heavy rain made the conditions difficult for the cyclists.

A group of five cyclists worked together during the final lap until the last sprint, where Nicole Cooke won the race. Cooke won Great Britain's first medal at these Games. Emma Johansson of Sweden and Tatiana Guderzo of Italy came in second and third place.

Qualification

Main article: Cycling at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Qualification: Road

The 2008 Summer Olympics included a women's road race for the seventh time. Countries could send up to three riders if they were in the top 16 rankings, or two riders if they were ranked 17th to 24th. Some extra spots were given out at the B World Championship, and three more spots went to South Africa, New Zealand, and Mauritius. Finally, 66 cyclists from 33 countries joined the race.

Preview

Judith Arndt, a German cyclist who came in second at the 2004 Summer Olympics, was one of the top riders to watch. She had recently won the 2008 Coupe du Monde Cycliste Féminine de Montréal and was in great shape. Other strong riders included the leader of the UCI Women's Road standings, Marianne Vos from the Netherlands, and Nicole Cooke from Britain. Noemi Cantele of Italy was also a contender. The Australian team was seen as strong, with Sara Carrigan, the defending champion, Oenone Wood, and Katherine Bates all able to help each other.

Cyclists prepared for possible tropical weather and pollution in Beijing. Some riders chose not to wear certain clothing because they thought it would be very hot, but the weather turned out to be cooler than expected. Others, like Katherine Bates, used special gear to stay cool and kept ice packs with them during the race.

Course

The women's road race was held on a special course in Beijing, China. The race was 102.6 kilometers long, but the total distance was 126.4 kilometers because of loops around the Great Wall. The race started at Yongdingmen Gate and passed many famous places in Beijing, like the Temple of Heaven and Tiananmen Square. The course had some steep climbs, especially near the Great Wall, which made the race difficult.

Because of security rules for the Olympics, fans were not allowed to watch the race along the road. Some important people in cycling were unhappy about this because they thought it made the race feel less exciting without cheering fans.

Race

The race began at 2:00 PM and was set to end at 5:30 PM. The weather was cool and cloudy when it started, but rain began during the race, making it harder for the riders.

Some riders had trouble during the race. One rider lost control of her bike and brought others down. Another rider had to stop to find her way at a confusing intersection.

A few riders tried to get ahead early, but they were caught by others. As the race went on, different groups took the lead. Near the finish line, Nicole Cooke from Great Britain passed the other riders to win the gold medal. Emma Johansson from Sweden got silver, and Tatiana Guderzo from Italy got bronze. Marianne Vos from the Netherlands led the main group but finished a little later than the winners.

Later, it was found that Cooke had used special tires that were not best for rainy weather, but her team had planned this to help her win. They had practiced the course before the race.

Doping incident

One day after the race, a cyclist from Spain named María Isabel Moreno was found to have used a banned substance. She had given a sample before the race but did not compete. The officials did not let her take part in the Olympic events and sent her case to another sports group. Moreno later said she was not ready to explain why she left.

Final classification

In the women's road race at the 2008 Summer Olympics, 66 cyclists from many countries took part. Many cyclists helped their teammates, especially those better at climbing hills, by working together as a team. If a cyclist fell behind the leader on a tough part of the course, they had to stop, but this did not happen in this race. The mark “s.t.” means a cyclist finished at the same time as the one before her.