Remco Evenepoel of Belgium appeared unphased by the conditions, racing to the gold medal in the men’s cycling individual time trials with a time of 36:12.16. Filippo Ganna of Italy had a strong performance of his own, taking home the silver with a time of 36:27.08 while Wout Van Aert of Belgium grabbed the bronze with a time of 36:37.79.“I have so many emotions going through my body right now,” said Evenepoel. “It’s one of the most beautiful moments of my life.”
Josh Tarling of Great Britain, who was considered a medal contender, had to switch bikes during his race, which ultimately cost him a chance at the podium. He finished in fourth with a time of 36:39.95, just moments behind Van Aert.“I had some bad luck with the puncture, obviously. It hurts a bit when there’s not a lot you can do with it — it happens,” Tarling said. “There’s not a lot I could do. I felt the front wheel get spongy, and then I felt the rim, and I was like, ‘Oh, I’ve got to change the bike as quick as I can before the corner and try and just settle back down.’ But it was hard to get back in the rhythm.”
Brandon McNulty of the United States also had a strong showing, finishing fifth with a time of 37:16.60. The rain’s impact was felt throughout the event with two riders, Lucas Plapp of Australia and Soeren Wærenskjold of Norway, unable to complete the race. Several riders suffered falls and many others had close encounters.
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