Double world champion Julian Alaphilippe is determined to complete his list of achievements with an Olympic title. This Saturday, the French rider intends to create a surprise in a race that could be decided before the sprint at Trocadéro.
This Saturday, the 90 competing riders will compete for the Olympic title in the men’s road cycling race.
Alaphilippe in dreams
After discovering the Olympic Games in 2016 in Rio, Julian Alaphilippe will compete in the 2024 Olympic Games for the second time wearing the French jersey. A deadline included in his program this year. The double world champion believes he has done “an ideal preparation” for this objective: “My preparation was ideal. I had a different approach to my three colleagues (Valentin Madouas, Christophe Laporte and Kevin Vauquelin) since I didn’t do the Tour de France, I don’t know if it will be the right one but from my point of view, I did the maximum”hammered the French rider.
This Saturday, the French cycling star wants to do battle with his competitors. He expects a tense race and a unique moment on the long route unveiled over a year ago: “I feel good, motivated. I don’t consider myself a favourite but to tell the truth, I don’t think about that, I don’t think about where I stand in relation to the others. I’m here to give my all for the French team. It’s a goal that’s close to my heart. The Games can’t be just any goal. We’ve seen for years that the Games are an increasingly important goal, with an increasingly high level. I had chosen to give up my place in Tokyo (in 2021) for the birth of my son. At the time, I said that I already hoped to be in Paris. It’s been in my head for a while and I’ve been preparing for it. Everyone will have an extra boost because it’s the Games. It will be a unique moment.”
The Olympic Games, an extraordinary event
French men’s road cycling team coach, Thomas Voeckler set the scene before the road race. The former professional rider did not fail to emphasize the importance of such an event in a career: “It’s really something else. I don’t rank a European championship, a world championship and the Olympic Games, but it goes beyond cycling. So it’s something else, but we still have to approach it like a bike race. We’re at home, we have to appreciate how lucky we are, and I’m very proud to be at the head of this team, I won’t hide it.”. Thomas Voeckler is sure of his strength and wants to achieve the feat: “There are several favoritesbut we have no complexes. However, we do not take ourselves for others. Humility does not prevent ambition.”
What time does the men’s road cycling race at the 2024 Olympics start?
The fictitious start of the men’s road cycling race at JO 2024 is planned Saturday August 3 at 11:00 a.m. at the Pont d’Iéna in Paris. The arrival of the Olympic event is estimated between 5:12 p.m. and 5:49 p.m.
On which channel can you watch the men’s road cycling race online at the 2024 Olympics?
Holders of the TV rights for the 2024 Olympic Games, the channels of the group France Televisions And Eurosport will broadcast the men’s road cycling race at the 2024 Olympics.
How to follow the men’s road cycling race at the 2024 Olympics online streaming?
If you want to watch the 2024 Olympics men’s road cycling race online on your computer, smartphone or tablet, you will need to create an account on France.tv or subscribe to a subscription on MyCanal.
What is the route for the men’s road cycling race at the 2024 Olympics?
Known for a year now, the route of the men’s road cycling race at the 2024 Olympic Games will consist of a 273-kilometer loop, with a 2,800-meter elevation gain, starting and finishing at Trocadéro. During the fictitious start, the 90 competing riders will pass by the Eiffel Tower, Les Invalides and the banks of the Seine, before a real start on Rue Gay-Lussac in the 5th arrondissement of the capital. The peloton will cross Hauts-de-Seine, Yvelines and Essonne in particular. This route will allow the contenders for the Olympic title to see other Olympic sites, such as the Golf National, the Vélodrome National and the Stade BMX de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. After returning to the capital, the cyclists will see the Louvre and the Opéra Garnier, before tackling the cobblestones of the Butte Montmartre (1 km at 6.5%), which they will take three times to climb up to the Sacré-Coeur. To finish, they will compete in a sprint with the Trocadéro in their sights.
Who are the favourites for the men’s road cycling race at the 2024 Olympics?
For this Olympic race, several favorites are emerging, starting with the reigning world champion, Mathieu van der Poel. Discreet on the Tour de France, the Dutchman has ticked becoming Olympic Champion as one of his career goals. Although he skipped the cross-country mountain bike event to focus on the road, there is no doubt that he could attack on the last climb located 10km from the finish. 3rd in the Olympic time trial, Wout Van Aert will want to create the feat and win against his best enemy. But he is not the only rider in the Belgian delegation who wants to play a leading role. 3rd in the last Tour de France behind the ogres of world cycling, Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel could create a surprise. The new Olympic time trial champion could attack from afar. On the French side, Julian Alaphilippe dreams of Olympic glory, the former double World Champion did not show up for the Tour de France to prepare for these Olympic Games at home.