Kristen Faulkner timed her attack perfectly to win the women’s road race at the Paris Olympics.
Faulkner completed the 158-kilometer (98-mile) route in just under four hours, crossing the finish line at the Trocadéro.
She finished 58 seconds ahead of Dutch rider Marianne Vos, who took silver, with Belgian Lotte Kopecky and Hungarian Blanka Vas separated by a photo finish for the bronze.
Race Details
The route began and ended in Paris, featuring eight hilly sections and notable climbs such as Côte des Gardes and Montmartre.
Afghan sisters Fariba and Yulduz Hashimi were part of an early breakaway but were soon caught.
Slovakian Nora Jencusova initially broke away but was eventually joined by the Hashimis and two others before being absorbed by the peloton.
A new leading group formed featuring Vos, Italian Elisa Longo Borghini, and Faulkner.
Kopecky caught the lead group with about 40 kilometers left, while Lorena Wiebes and defending champion Anna Kiesenhofer finished further behind.
With 20 kilometers remaining, Vos and Vas attacked, but Faulkner waited for the right moment to launch her successful attack.
Her victory marks the first American road race medal since the 1984 Los Angeles Games.
Current Team: EF–Oatly–Cannondale, UCI Women's Continental Team
2024 Paris Olympics: Gold medal in the women's road race
2024 USA National Road Race Championships: Gold medal in road race, 2nd in time trial
2024 La Vuelta Feminina: Stage 4 winner
2024 Omloop van het Hageland: Solo victory
2022 Giro d'Italia Donne: Mountains classification winner, two stage victories including the prologue time trial
2022 Tour de Suisse Women: 2nd overall, stage 2 time trial winner
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