American Kristen Faulkner keeps her cool to win gold in Olympic road race | Paris 2024 Olympic Games

The best-laid plans of the world’s best female cyclists were shattered in the chaos of the cobbled streets of Montmartre when Kristen Faulkner of the United States took home the gold medal in the women’s road race at the Olympic Games.

On a day of tactical confusion, the absence of race radios only added to the sense of chaos. A cool head was needed to assess the possibilities for victory, and when it came to the decisive moment, just under two miles from the Trocadero, it was Faulkner who had it.

Behind her, Dutch Marianne Vos, winner of gold in London 2012, and Belgian Lotte Kopecky, the current world road champion, lamented the tactical stalemate that saw the American slide out.

But Vos and Kopecky weren’t the only ones who felt this way. The Team GB riders were also left wondering what might have happened, as a potential winning scenario went up in smoke and they finished outside the medals, although Pfeiffer Georgi finished a creditable fifth.

With only three countries, Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy, taking part in a full quota of four participants, the 92-runner race proved even more uncontrolled than the men’s event on Saturday.

Team GB’s original line-up of four riders had been reduced to three before the start, as Anna Morris withdrew to concentrate on track cycling, which starts on Monday.

Anna Henderson, who won silver in the women’s time trial last week, Lizzie Deignan, who won silver in the 2012 London event, and Georgi, the British national champion, were able to fulfil their British ambitions in the 158km race.

As with the men, an opportunistic breakaway emerged in the early stages, but the first serious attacks took place on the Côte du Pavé des Gardes, 90 km from the finish.

Further accelerations ended the early breakaways and saw the main favourites arrive together on the finishing circuit, on the Côte de la butte de Montmartre. At the foot of the first climb to the Sacré Coeur, a crash slowed Faulkner’s American team-mate Chloé Dygert and also held Kopecky back.

That proved to be the catalyst for a select group, including all three British riders, to break away. With Kopecky at bay and other contenders also cut off, the trio suddenly found themselves in pole position. But that situation was short-lived.

The lack of information left the British team unsure of the best tactics and they ended up unconsciously attacking each other.

Meanwhile, Kopecky, who will compete in the omnium at the Olympic track next week, has finally regained the lead in the race. “I had to go all out to get myself back in contention,” she said.

With 22km to go, Vos and Hungarian Blanka followed Vas Deignan in a sudden attack, but then left her behind as the road climbed again towards Montmartre.

From then on, Vos and Vas rode alone, ostensibly heading for the podium, until Kopecky, together with Faulkner, gave chase on the last of the three climbs to the Sacré Coeur.

The final climb on Montmartre was also too much for the British trio. Henderson and Deignan fell back definitively and Georgi could not follow the brutal acceleration of Kopecky.

“I was really hoping that something special would happen and that I would be in contention for a medal,” Georgi said. “But the last time I went up, my legs said ‘No’. I just saw them pull away, which hurts a little bit.”

Deignan acknowledged that her attacks had caused the decisive move by Vos and Vas. “I like being part of the game,” she said. “I like the game.”

The former world champion tested positive for Covid during the Giro Donne in July and was in hospital with a medical emergency 10 days before the road race.

“I had an absolutely abysmal preparation for this race,” said Deignan, who finished 12th, one place ahead of Henderson. “I knew I was in good shape, but I knew I didn’t have a final in my legs. I knew I was going to struggle in the last 120km.

“It’s been one of those build up moments. It’s been an emotional rollercoaster and I’m ready to relax now.”

But Georgi’s fifth place left her frustrated. “I’m a bit disappointed,” said the British national champion. “There are always things that could be better. We could have done a few things differently, but the Olympics have a completely different dynamic to any other race.”

Faulkner, who is competing in the women’s team pursuit this week, fully deserved her success. Selfless in the pursuit of Vos and Vas as they approached the finish, she received minimal support in the chase from Kopecky, who was content to sit in her slipstream.

When the quartet finally came together with 3.5 km to go, the American didn’t hesitate. While Vos, Vas and Kopecky kept lingering, Faulkner, knowing she would be the poor relation in a sprint finish, immediately went on the attack to take gold. “It was my moment and I knew I had to take it,” she said.