Tokyo 2020: Everything you need to know about cycling at the Olympics, Road Race results

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Cycling

If you've got the cycling buzz after watching the Tour de France for the last three weeks, you're in luck, with plenty of two-wheeled action to keep you going at the Tokyo Olympics. 

From the road, to the mountains, the velodrome and the BMX track, there's something for everyone. 

Here's everything you need to know about cycling at the Olympics. 

WHEN IS THE OLYMPICS CYCLING ROAD RACE?

The cycling road races will be held on the very first weekend of the Olympics, with the men's race held on Saturday, July 24 and the women's a day later on Sunday, July 25. 

The men's race will start at 11am local time, which is midday on the east coast of Australia. The women's race starts at 1pm in Japan, which is 2pm.

HOW TO WATCH THE CYCLING ROAD RACE AT THE OLYMPICS

TV channel: Seven
Live stream: 7plus

Seven will carry live coverage of all Olympic events through its TV network and streaming services.

The network's free streaming platform, 7plus, will be carrying coverage of the men's and women's road races. 

HOW LONG IS THE OLYMPIC CYCLING ROAD RACE? 

The men's race is 244km, and the women's race is 147km. 

For the first time in Olympics history, the road race will be contested on a point-to-point course rather than a circuit as has been customary. 

TOKYO OLYMPICS ROAD RACE ROUTE AND MAP

The 244km men's race starts in Musashinonomori Park and travels through Kanagawa and Yamanashi Prefectures before ascending the lower slopes of Mount Fuji. 

Riders then do a lap of the Fuji International Speedway racetrack before a climbing the 6.8km Mikuni Pass. Averaging a 10.2 per cent gradient, the climb comes in the final 30km of the course and shapes as the most crucial portion of the race. 

The finish comes after a long descent and a final lap of the Speedway. 

In all, the route includes 4865m of elevation. 

OLYMPICS ROAD RACE MAP - MENS

Mens road race map

OLYMPICS ROAD RACE PROFILE - MEN'S 

Mens road race profile

The women's road race is 137km long, starting and ending at the same points as the men's race. 

The women's route doesn't include the two big climbs of the men's race - Mount Fuji and Mikuni Pass - but still has 2692m of elevation. 

The decision not to include the two big climbs proved a controversial decision, with plenty of frustration from within the peloton. 

OLYMPIC ROAD RACE MAP - WOMEN'S 

Womens road race map

OLYMPICS ROAD RACE PROFILE - WOMEN

Womens road race profile

WHO IS RACING THE OLYMPIC ROAD RACE? 

It's set to be a stacked field, with the vast majority of the peloton coming off the back of the Tour de France, which finished a week earlier. 

At this stage, the favourites are two-time Tour champion Tadej Pogacar, triple stage winner Wout van Aert, talented all-rounder Primoz Roglic and the powerful Remco Evenepoel.

Pogacar is riding high after claiming his second Tour victory in as many years, while van Aert completed a hugely successful Tour, winning a mountain stage, a time-trial and the final sprint stage on the Champs Elysees. 

Former three-time world champion Peter Sagan will be missing from the Olympics after a crash during the Tour. 

There are three clear favourites in the women's race. 

Current world champion Anna van der Breggen travels to Tokyo as the big favourite, while  Annemiek van Vleuten - who finished second at last year's world championships - is also in the running. 

Former three-time world champion, and 2012 Olympic gold medalist Marianne Vos will also be in the mix, alongside Lizzy Deignan and the veteran Elisa Longo Borghini. 

WHICH AUSTRALIANS ARE IN THE ROAD RACE AT THE OLYMPICS? 

Men: Richie Porte, Rohan Dennis, Lucas Hamilton, Luke Durbridge. 

Durbridge comes in as a late replacement for Jack Haig, who forced to withdraw after crashing out of the Tour de France on stage three. 

Women: Amanda Spratt, Grace Brown, Sarah Gigante, Tiffany Cromwell.

HOW MANY RIDERS ARE IN THE ROAD RACE AT THE OLYMPICS? 

The men's race will have a total of 130 riders in teams based on their countries. The women's race will feature 67 riders. 

WHEN IS THE OLYMPICS TIME TRIAL? 

The men's and women's time trials will both be held on Wednesday, July 28. 

The women's event gets underway at 11:30am (12:30pm AEDT) and the men's race starts at 2pm (3pm AEDT). 

HOW TO WATCH AND STREAM THE OLYMPICS TIME TRIAL 

TV channel: Seven
Live stream: 7plus

Seven will carry live coverage of all Olympic events through its TV network and streaming services.

The network's free streaming platform, 7plus, will be carrying coverage of the men's and women's road races. 

OLYMPIC TIME TRIAL ROUTE AND MAP 

The men's time trial is 44.2km and is a two-lap course. The women's time trial is 22.1km and is a single loop. 

Both time trials start and finish at the Fuji Speedway, where the road race ends. 

OLYMPIC TIME TRIAL MAP - MEN TWO LAPS, WOMEN ONE LAP

Time trial map

WHO IS RACING THE TIME TRIAL AT THE OLYMPICS? 

The men's race will see another meeting of some of the biggest names in world cycling. 

Wout van Aert and Tadej Pogacar won the two time trials at the Tour de France and will be hoping their form and fitness holds up for another week-a-half. Primoz Roglic's Tour ended early after a crash, but he should be back on the starting ramp. 

Meanwhile, world time trial champion Filipo Ganna and Australian Rohan Dennis will be in the hunt. 

Anna van der Breggen did the road race-time trial double at the World Championships last year and will be looking to repeat that effort in Tokyo. The Belgian won the road race and finished third in the time trial in Rio five years ago. 

WHEN IS MOUNTAIN BIKING AT THE OLYMPICS? 

The men's mountain biking race will be held on Monday, July 26 at 3pm in Tokyo (4pm AEDT). 

The women's race is scheduled for Tuesday, July 27 at the same time. 

HOW TO WATCH MOUNTAIN BIKING AT THE OLYMPICS

TV channel: Seven
Live stream: 7plus

Seven will carry live coverage of all Olympic events through its TV network and streaming services.

The network's free streaming platform, 7plus, will be carrying coverage of the men's and women's mountain bike races.

HOW DOES MOUNTAIN BIKING AT THE OLYMPICS WORK? 

The Olympics mountain biking event is a cross-country race traversing several laps of a 4-6km loop on dirt tracks. 

The race includes a mass start and between 7-9 laps of a very challenging circuit including 150m in elevation. 

OLYMPICS MOUNTAIN BIKE COURSE 

The mountain bike event will be held at the Izu MTB Course, which is about 100km away from Tokyo. 

Mountain bike course

WHO IS COMPETING?

Dutch ace Mathieu van der Poel is in a rich vein of form at the moment, coming off the back of a stage win and a stint in yellow at the Tour de France. 

The 26-year-old cut his Tour short to prepare for the Olympics and is considered a warm favourite. 

England's Tom Pidcock is the other big favourite in the men's race, while Swiss veteran and defending Olympic champion Nino Schurter is also back. 

In the women's race, there's really only one rider in with a shout. Dominant French rider Loana Lecomte is the unbackable favourite, paying just $1.36 for the win. 

AUSTRALIANS WILL COMPETE IN MOUNTAIN BIKING AT THE OLYMPICS? 

It's a family affair for Australia, with husband and wife duo Daniel and Rebecca McConnell set to line up. 

It will be Daniels' fourth Olympics, while Rebecca is contesting her third. 

WHEN IS THE BMX AT THE TOKYO OLYMPICS? 

BMX at the Olympics consist of either racing or freestyle. The racing event was introduced in Beijing in 2008, while the freestyle portion is making its Olympics debut. 

The BMX racing event takes place on Thursday, July 29 and Friday, July 30. 

BMX RACING SCHEDULE (all times venue local) - 

Thursday, July 29

10:00 - Men's quarterfinal 1 
10:21 - Women's quarterfinal 1
10:42 - Men's quarterfinal 2
11:03 - Women's quartefinal 2
11:24 - Men's quarterfinal 3
11:45 - Women's quarterfinal 3

Friday, July 30

10:00 - Men's semifinal 1
10:15 - Women's semifinal 1
10:31 - Men's semifinal 2
10:46 - Women's semifinal 2
11:02 - Men's semifinal 3
11:17 - Women's semifinal 3
11:40 - Men's final
11:50 - Women's final

The BMX freestyle event for men's and women's freestyle events will be held over the second weekend of the Olympics. 

BMX FREESTYLE SCHEDULE - 

Women's seeding - Saturdy, July 31 at 10:10am
Men's seeding - Saturday, July 31 at 12:30pm

Women's final - Sunday, August 1 at 10:10am
Men's final - Sunday, August 1 at 11:20am 

HOW TO WATCH BMX AT THE OLYMPICS

TV channel: Seven
Live stream: 7plus

Seven will carry live coverage of all Olympic events through its TV network and streaming services.

The network's free streaming platform, 7plus, will be carrying coverage of the men's and women's BMX events.

ARE ANY AUSTRALIANS IN THE BMX EVENTS AT THE OLYMPICS?

Australia will be represented by two women in the BMX race, with Saya Sakakibara set to appear at her first Olympics at the age of 21. Lauren Reynolds is heading to her third Games after finishing 15th in 2012 and 11th five years ago. 

 

The men's race will see Anthony Dean compete at his second Olympics after he made the final in Rio.

 

In the freestyle event, Logan Martin and Natalya Diehm will represent Australia. 

Entering the Games as the world champion, Martin is the hot favourite, while Diehm national championships earlier in the year. 

WHEN DOES THE TRACK CYCLING AT THE TOKYO OLYMPICS START? 

As always, the track cycling program is absolutely jam-packed, with racing scheduled for Monday, August 2 until Sunday, August 8.

HOW TO WATCH TRACK CYCLING AT THE OLYMPICS 

TV channel: Seven
Live stream: 7plus

Seven will carry live coverage of all Olympic events through its TV network and streaming services.

The network's free streaming platform, 7plus, will be carrying coverage of the men's and women's BMX events.

Head here for everything you need to know about track cycling at the Olympics.

 

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