As it happened: Gold for Australia in rain-soaked and crash-marred women's Olympic time trial

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Follow all the action from Saturday's first road cycling event of the 2024 Olympic Games

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Hello and welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of the women's individual time trial at the Paris Olympic Games!

The cycling is getting started at the Paris Olympics with the first women's rider Urska Pintar (Slovenia) scheduled to set off at 14:30 CEST, which is in just over an hour and a half.

Make sure to catch up on all the start times for the day to ensure you don't miss your favourite:

Here's a look at the 32.4km route heading out-and-back from central to eastern Paris, starting at Les Invalides and making the turn to finish on the Pont Alexandre III. It'll be the same route taken on by both the women and men in today's time trial.

Some great last-minute information from CN's head of news Stephen Farrand, who is on the ground in Paris for the Olympic time trial. Rain is set to be a big factor in both races today:

Grace Brown has established herself as one of the top ITT riders in the world having taken second place at the last two World Championships. Can she match her form with an Olympic medal today or even go on better with gold?

Here's the pancake-flat profile for the time trial, with the flat course best suiting the purer ITT specialists: Dygert, Van Dijk and Brown. Wet roads, potholes and slippery conditions in the Bois de Vincennes park will play a much bigger factor than any uphill sections. 

Reminder that it's been a torrid time for three-time World Champion in the time trial, Ellen van Dijk after an ankle fracture in June put her participation in doubt. She has made it though and the Olympic ITT is one of the few goals missing from her illustrious palmares:

Under an hour from the start of the ITT and reports from our team on the ground are that it is still pouring with rain along the course. 

Hard to say for two of the best riders in the world, but for Lotte Kopecky and Elisa Longo Borghini, today's time trial will be about trying to medal instead of maybe winning against the likes of Dygert. However, with the rain, their expert bike handling could put them in with a shot at gold:

Despite not having the smoothest build up to the Olympics, Chloe Dygert is looking well poised to compete for victory. The two-time world champion has earned Olympic silver and bronze medalist as part of USA’s team pursuit line-up, but never gold.

Demi Vollering might be more fancied for the road race next weekend, but such a quality rider can’t be discounted from success in the time trial either. She should be coming into form, too, with the Tour de France Femmes now just a few weeks away.

Annemiek van Vleuten is reigning champion having triumphed in Tokyo three years, but won’t, of course, be here to defend her title having retired last year. That means that no rider taking part has previously won the Olympics time trial, and therefore a rare chance to add one of the most prestigious races in the sport to their palmares.

Another rider who won't be here is Tokyo silver medalist Marlen Reusser. The Swiss rider would have been among the favourites for gold, but misses out due to ongoing fitness problems and injuries that have blighted her season.

Just a few minutes now until Urska Pintar rolls down the start ramp to get the time trial underway.

Former men’s champion Fabian Cancellara is here at the start ramp, as a special guest to see them off.

Time trial begins

It's not raining at the moment, but the roads are still wet. The first few riders are taking the first corner out from the start ramp very tentatively.

The first big name of the day is up and running — Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig, representing Denmark. She’s likely more invested in the road race, but how she goes here will be indicative of what her form is like.

America’s Taylor Knibb has just begun her ride. She has the unique schedule of also riding the triathlon later these Games.

Slight hiccup for Eugenia Bujak at the start, who had to extend her arm out to keep her balance after mistiming her lunge out of the start ramp. She stayed upright though, and is off and running.

We’re rattling through riders quickly. 12 of the 35 competitors are already out on the course. 

Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig at the start ramp.

The wet roads haven't claimed any victims yet, although Taylor Knibb did almost lose balance going over a speed bump.

Ludwig is the quickest of the five riders through the first time check so far - but only just. Afghanistan’s Yulduz Hashimi was only one second slower.

Yulduz Hashimi

Afghanistan's Yulduz Hashimi (Image credit: Getty Images)

There's a new fastest time at the first time check, by Marta Lach, who has beaten Ludwig's time by 19 seconds. 

But moments later, Lach's time too is bettered by Taylor Knibb, by a whole 30 seconds. 

Bad news for Ludwig, who becomes the first faller on today's wet roads. She's back up again quickly, but will have lost several seconds and likely quite sore. 

Home favourite Audrey Cordon Ragot is off the start ramp, to plenty of cheers from the French spectators. 

Now here comes one of our major medal hopefuls - Ellen van Dijk. This is a huge moment in her career.

Another faller, and it's the leader at the first time check, Knibb. She's fallen at the same corner that Ludwig did. She's also back up and running, but won't now post as strong a time as she was on course for. 

Knibb has fallen again. She's really struggling out there, but has once again got up and back up to speed. 

Umbrellas are up on the roadside and the rain is falling. These roads aren't going to get any dryer at this rate. 

A third fall for Knibb, unfortunately. She had to be careful not to hurt herself ahead of the triathlon. 

Ludwig is fastest at the second time check, despite her fall. 

Knibb's misfortune continues - she's now had a mechnical, and had to change bikes. And even the mechanic slipped and fell as he rushed to hand her the new bike. 

Lotte Kopecky is off! It'll be fascinating to see how she gets on today. The time trial isn't her speciality, but she's such an all-round brilliant rider these days that you can't discount her from anything.

Lach arrives at the second time check with by far the quickest time, a whole 30 seconds faster than the next best, Ludwig.

Now Elisa Longo Borghini is off - fittingly, just after her Giro d’Italia rival Lotte Kopecky. 

For all her problems, Taylor Knibb has somehow arrived at the second time check with the second quickest time, slower only than Marta Lach so far.

More for the French to cheer, as Juliette Labous starts her ride.

Both Olivia Baril and Eugenia Bujak have reached the second check faster than Lach.

Now Demi Vollering starts her ride. Could this be the day she is crowned Olympic champion, one of the few things missing on her palmares?

Ellen Van Dijk is through at the first time check…and she’s actually only the 5th fastest. That’s a surprise, and she’ll have to speed up a lot if she’s to deliver what was expected of her.

Another new fastest time at the 2nd fastest check, from Mieke Kröger. She's 7 seconds quicker than Baril. 

The day's penultimate starter, Grace Brown, is off. Which leaves only Chloe Dygert left. 

And now Dygert starts. Everyone is now off - this is going to be an intense 40 minutes or so!

Seven riders have finished so far, and Lach is easily the fastest of them all. Her time of 43-03 was 1-08 quicker than the 2nd best, by Ludwig. 

Knibb has just finished her ride — and extraordinarily, it’s only a fraction of a second slower than Lach. How quick would that ride have been had she stayed upright?

Another new fastest time at the second check, this time from Kim Cadzow.

And now Lotte Kopecky sets the new fastest time at the first check. She’s the first rider all day to beat Knibb’s time there.

Lach’s time as leader at the club house is over, as Bujak beats her time.

Borghini’s through the first time check and she’s just a couple of seconds slower than Kopecky. She’s in medal contention for now.

Lotte Kopecky has crashed! Her back wheel slid out going around a corner. She had been flying but will lose vital time now.

Van Dijk is still only the fourth fastest at the 2nd time check. 

Juliette Labous is giving the home crowd something to cheer, as she reaches the first time check second fastest, in between Kopecky and Borghini. 

Now Vollering is through, with virtually the same time as Labous. This is proving to be very close between many of the biggest names.

Meanwhile at the finish, Bujak’s best time is beaten twice in quick succession  — first by Mieke Kröger, then by Kim Cadzow.

Anna Henderson goes marginally faster than Kopecky to set the fastest time at the first check. That’s a turn up for the books! Could the Briton be in medal contention at the finish?

Now Grace Brown goes through, and she’s smashed Henderson’s time, by a whole 20 seconds!

Not even Dygert can match that - she’s five seconds slower. 

So all the riders are through the first time check now, with Brown the fastest, followed by Dygert at 5 seconds, Henderson at 21 seconds, Christina Schweinberger at 29 seconds, Kopecky at 32 seconds, and both Vollering and Labous at 34 seconds. 

All of those riders are still out on the course, so although Audrey Cordon-Ragot has just finished with the second fastest time behind Kim Cadzow, she won't remain that high for long.

Kopecky looks unhurt by her crash, as she catches and passes Anna Kiesenhofer ahead of her.

Ellen Van Dijk has finished, with the third fastest time. She won't be in contention for a medal.

There’s a new front runner at the second time check - Juliette Labous. She’s just smashed the times of Borghini and Kopecky by over 20 seconds. Considering that they were on about the same time at the first check, she must be accelerating.

Vollering also can’t compete with Labous time at the second check, trailing by 13 seconds.

But Anna Henderson can! She's a whole 12 seconds faster than Labous.

Amazingly, Grace Brown has overtaken her minute woman Christina Schweinberger prior to reaching the second time check.  She's almost 40 seconds quicker than Henderson. This is the ride of her life!

Dygert crashes! The American falls as she goes over some cobblestones around a corner. She was perhaps the only rider who could challenge Brown, and she will have lost significant time.

Despite the crash, Dygert still has the second best time at the second time check, but adrift to Brown by 51 seconds. The gold medal is now the Australian's to lose.

Back at the finish, Cadzow's lengthy spell as leader at the club house is over, as Kopecky bests her time. But neither rider is likely to be in the medals when the rest of the big hitters arrive. 

Borghini finishes, and she's third, behind Cadzow and Kopecky. 

There have probably been more crashes we don’t yet know about. Some of the riders have reached the finish bearing torn jerseys and tell-tale signs of having hit the deck.

Juliette Labous finishes with the best time so far, 15 seconds quicker than Kopecky. Will that be enough for a medal?

Vollering arrives at the finish...but it's slower than Labous, by 10 seconds. 

Now here comes Anna Henderson...

...and it's the quickest so far, 10 seconds faster than Labous.

Just three riders to go now, Schweinberger, Brown and Dygert.

Depending on how well Dygert has recovered from the crash, this could be heartbreak for Labous.

Now here comes Brown...

Incredible! She's 1-30 faster than Henderson! That will be gold for Grace Brown.

Schweinberger is 9th, which means Henderson is guaranteed a medal. But will it be silver or bronze?

All eyes now on Dygert, the last finisher.

As things stand, the medals are gold for Brown, silver for Henderson, bronze for Labous.

Dygert reaches the line...and it's bronze for the American.

Dygert was 1 second slower than Henderson, but beat Labous by the ultimately comfortable margin of 9 seconds.

GRACE BROWN WINS GOLD

What a final season Grace Brown is having! First a maiden monument victory at Liège–Bastogne–Liège, now an Olympic title.

Here's the top ten in full:

Here's Grace Brown, on her way to gold.

Much talk from riders at the finish is about how slippy the roads were, and many don’t look happy. “I tried to enjoy the Olympic spirit,” said one of the day’s many fallers, Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig. “But it’s really painful at the moment.”

One rider who is very happy is of course Grace Brown. Her margin of victory really is astonishing. Even if Dygert hadn’t crashed, it seems unlikely she’d have been able to come close to the Australian.

Here's our report of how today's race unfolded.

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