Olympic time trial 2024: the most important facts in brief
- Date: Saturday, 27 July, from 14:30
- Distance: 32.4 kilometres
- Start & finish location: Paris
- Current title holder: Annemiek van Vleuten
The TOUR favourites by stars
* Antonia Niedermaier, Elena Hartmann, Audrey Cordon-Ragot, Juliette Labous, Anna Kiesenhofer, Agnieszka Skalniak-Sojka, Taylor Knibb
** Lotte Kopecky, Christina Schweinberger
*** Demi Vollering, Elisa Longo Borghini, Anna Henderson
**** Grace Brown, Ellen van Dijk
***** Chloe Dygert
Dygert is the top favourite for gold
As the reigning time trial world champion, Chloe Dygert is the top favourite going into the Olympic individual time trial in Paris. After missing out on a medal at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, the course in Paris is better suited to the US American's strengths: she feels particularly comfortable on the flat. There is a small question mark over her fitness. She only had three World Tour race days in 2024 and also had to battle with Achilles tendon problems. If Dygert is healthy, rested and in shape, the gold medal will only go to her.
Brown and van Dijk want to annoy Dygert
Grace Brown is in her last season as a professional cyclist. Nevertheless, the 32-year-old Australian is far from tired. She finished a strong second in the individual time trials at the 2024 Giro d'Italia Women and fourth at the 2023 Tour de France. At the last two World Championships in 2022 and 2023, she also narrowly missed out on victory both times with two second places. She finished fourth at the 2021 Olympics, making her the best rider to compete again in Paris.
At 37, Ellen van Dijk is also an experienced rider. The Dutchwoman has already enjoyed numerous successes in her time trial career: She has been world champion three times and won the European Championships four times. Even after becoming a mother in 2023, she fought her way back to the top of the world rankings: van Dijk also won all three time trials in which she competed in 2024. Only an ankle injury, with which she has had problems recently, could prevent her from a top finish. Experience and form speak in her favour.
Vollering and Longo Borghini are travelling with confidence
Ellen van Dijk's compatriot Demi Vollering is travelling with plenty of self-confidence. Although she is not a proven time trial specialist like van Dijk, she celebrates victory after victory in the World Tour. In 2024, she won every tour in which she competed. Her strengths in the time trial also helped her to these victories. At the 2023 Tour de France, for example, she finished a strong second in the time trial on stage eight. She also took sixth place at the time trial world championships in the same year. Only her third place at the Dutch Championships somewhat overshadows Vollering's outstanding achievements.
Longo Borghini also feels particularly at home in tours - she last won the Giro d'Italia Women 2024. Her strong time trial on stage 1 also helped her to overall victory. At the age of 32, the Italian is in the form of her life and has been fuelled with plenty of self-confidence after winning the Tour of Italy. She can therefore hope for a medal in the time trial.
In addition to the two tour specialists, Anna Henderson should also be reckoned with. Although her performances in time trials fluctuate time and again, she is there when it counts. She finished second at the 2023 European Championships and fourth at the World Championships in the same year. She recently became British champion - possibly an indication that Henderson is once again a force to be reckoned with.
Two Austrians in the lurking position
With Christina Schweinberger, Austria has a good time trialist at the start in Paris. She finished third at both the 2023 World and European Championships. She is therefore one of the best in the sport and has an outside chance of winning a medal. She recently beat her compatriot Anna Kiesenhofer at the Austrian Championships and also proved at the last Olympic Games in 2021 that she can excel at major events. In Tokyo, she surprisingly won Olympic gold in the road race. Both riders could potentially cause a furore.
Will Niedermaier surprise for Germany?
Antonia Niedermaier only came second at the German Championships behind Mieke Kröger, who will also be competing for Germany at the Olympic Games. Nevertheless, she has justified hopes of a top result. She came a strong second at the 2023 European U23 Time Trial Championships and finished eleventh at the Women's World Championships. Recently, her development has been on a steep upward trajectory: She finished a strong sixth overall at the Tour de Suisse and the Giro d'Italia. She is therefore going into the Olympic Games with a tailwind.
