{"id":184955,"date":"2021-08-09T11:21:49","date_gmt":"2021-08-09T11:21:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=184955"},"modified":"2021-08-09T11:40:05","modified_gmt":"2021-08-09T11:40:05","slug":"the-absolute-highlights-of-womens-olympic-cycling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2021\/08\/09\/the-absolute-highlights-of-womens-olympic-cycling\/","title":{"rendered":"The Absolute Highlights of Women\u2019s Olympic Cycling"},"content":{"rendered":"

With the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games officially behind us, it is time to look back on some of the most stunning moments that unfolded over the last few weeks. Women gave us plenty of reasons to stay on the edge of our seats throughout the cycling events, including everything from new records being set and dreams fulfilled to dashed hopes and confusing finishes. Here are a few of the highlights that we\u2019ll be talking about for years to come.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jennifer Valente overcomes a crash to take the gold medal in the final cycling event of the Games<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Following a crash-defined opening round, Jennifer Valente of the United States regrouped to take home the gold medal in the final cycling event of the Tokyo Olympic Games \u2013 the women\u2019s Omnium. You\u2019d be forgiven if you found yourself holding your breath throughout most of the race, too.<\/p>\n

\"Jennifer<\/a>
Valente reached out for gold. \u00a9 Profimedia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The opening race saw nearly half the field come down in two dramatic crashes, and falls didn\u2019t stop after that. The reigning world champion from Japan came down alongside Valente in the final points race. However, they bounced back quickly and Valente managed to maintain her medal position. “Olympic gold, still the sound of it, I can\u2019t get over,” Valente said<\/a>. “It\u2019s hard to believe, it\u2019ll sink in eventually, but it hasn\u2019t quite yet.”<\/p>\n

Laura Kenny makes history for Great Britain<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Laura Kenny was the proud bearer of Team Great Britains\u2019 flag for the Closing Ceremony, following her crowing as Team GB\u2019s most successful female Olympian \u2013 thanks to an incredible gold medal-winning ride with Katie Archibald in the first-ever Olympic women\u2019s Madison. The duo won the event that sees pairs of riders from 15 nations rack up points through sprints, covering 30 km in 120 laps of the velodrome.<\/p>\n

\"Laura<\/a>
Laura Kenny made history for Great Britain. \u00a9 Profimedia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kenny has also surpassed Dutchwoman Leontien Zijlaard-Van Moorsel to become the most successful female cyclist in Olympic history. Hats off to her!<\/p>\n

Three women BMX riders did NOT hold back <\/strong><\/h2>\n

In another Olympic first \u2013 the women\u2019s BMX freestyle<\/a> \u2013 riders had two attempts to put up their best run. In the final, unlike the preliminaries, only the score from the best run would count for the medal. With the inaugural BMX freestyle gold medal on the line, the riders went full out \u2013 and crashes were dramatic and abundant. No trick was too big for these women to try out, and their brazenness paid off.<\/p>\n

Great Britain\u2019s Charlotte Worthington went for a backflip right at the start, following it with a backflip 360\u00b0 attempt. Unfortunately, her first go ended in a crash just 15 seconds into the round. American Hannah Roberts, meanwhile, nailed her first run, successfully pulling off two backflips and a double tailwhip, which earned her a decisive 96.1, nearly ensuring her a gold medal.<\/p>\n<\/lite-youtube>\n

In the second round, though, Worthington opted to make a second attempt at her original run and managed to capture the 360\u00b0 backflip that has alluded her at first. She also threw in a front flip for good measure. With the world\u2019s first full-circle backflip for women in competition, the fantastic performance was good for a massive 97.5 (and the accompanying gold medal).<\/p>\n

A road race surprise made for some confusing (and awkward) moments <\/strong><\/h2>\n

As we\u2019ve detailed here<\/a>, the women\u2019s road race involved an element of surprise. So much surprise, in fact, that the other cyclists didn\u2019t know the winner had already won when they crossed the finish line.<\/p>\n

Austria\u2019s Anna Kiesenhofer, who claimed gold in an upset, was part of an early breakaway. Unbeknownst to the riders<\/a> in the peloton, she successfully opened a gap on that group, raced the final 40 km alone, and won the race by over a minute. The Netherlands\u2019s Annemiek van Vleuten won silver but threw her hands up in celebration when she crossed the finish line, not realizing the top prize has already been claimed.<\/p>\n

\"Anna<\/a>
Anna Kiesenhofer took everyone by surprise. \u00a9 Profimedia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Annemiek got her gold<\/strong><\/h2>\n

After the upset at the road race event, though, it didn\u2019t take long for the Dutch legend to claim the prize she had travelled to Tokyo for. At the time trial event a day later, Annemiek van Vleuten rode her way to the fastest time of the day in women\u2019s racing, finishing the 22.1-km course in 30:30.49.<\/p>\n

The race was indeed extra sweet for van Vleuten as she redeemed herself following the road-race debacle. The look on her face during the time trial revealed that she would do everything she could to get the gold, and she delivered a fantastic performance.<\/p>\n

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What a day! \ud83e\udd47 Update: https:\/\/t.co\/7JYQT6W9Rw<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/KZfH8LcROV<\/a><\/p>\n

— Annemiek van Vleuten (@AvVleuten) July 28, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n