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Olympics

How To Watch Road Cycling at the Tokyo Olympic Games

By: Angelina Palermo  July 21, 2021

Now is the time to prepare to be the ultimate fan of USA Cycling. Here is everything you need to know about Road Cycling at the Summer Games in July 2021.

How To Watch

Catch all the racing on the Olympic Channel and NBC.

*All times in EDT

Friday, July 23, 2021
10:00 PMMen's Road Race
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Sunday, July 25, 2021
12:00 AMWomen's Road Race
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Tuesday, July 27, 2021
10:30 PMWomen's Road Time Trial
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Wednesday, July 28, 2021
1:00 AMMen's Road Time Trial
Tune In

Who To Watch

Road:

Men:

Lawson Craddock (Houston; EF Education - Nippo) – Road Race & Time Trial

Brandon McNulty (Phoenix; UAE Team Emirates) – Road Race & Time Trial

Women:

Chloé Dygert (Brownsburg, Ind.; CANYON//SRAM Racing) – Road Race & Time Trial

Amber Neben (Irvine, Calif.; Cogeas Mettler Look Pro Cycling) – Time Trial

Coryn Rivera (Tustin, Calif.; Team DSM) – Road Race

Leah Thomas (Santa Clara, Calif.; Moviestar Team Women) – Road Race

Ruth Winder (Boulder, Colo.; Trek-Segafredo) – Road Race

How It Works

At the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Team USA will be competing in the Road Race and the Time Trial. USA Cycling has seen great success in these events, specifically the Women’s Time Trial. Kristin Armstrong has won the Women’s Time Trial in 2008, 2012, and 2016. Chloe Dygert is also determined to medal as the 2019 Time Trial World Champion.

When USA Cycling chooses a team to field the Road Cycling team, the selection committee must consider the individual for the Road Race and the Time Trial. This means the individuals selected to race the Time Trial must also compete in the Road Race.

Road races are team-oriented, mass-start events at the Olympic Games, team sizes are limited to a maximum of five for men and four for women. Road races generally take place on public roads. During a road race, team members work together to gain an advantage over other riders, usually designating one person as its team leader. The leader’s teammates will help in any way possible from fetching food and water to giving up a wheel or their bicycle in the event of a crash or mechanical failure.

Musashinonomori Park

The Road Race will start in Musashinonomori Park and end at the Fuji International Speedway. The course will pass through Doshi Road and Kagosaka Pass, with the men continuing on to Fuji Sanroku and Mikuni Pass. The Time Trial with start and finish in the Fuji International Speedway, making a circuit through the streets outside of the speedway. The course loop is 22.1km with the men doing two laps and the women doing one.

The Time Trial puts individuals against the clock. The Time Trial will feature the most technologically-advanced equipment such as carbon fiber disc wheels, lightweight components, teardrop-shaped aerodynamic helmets, one-piece skinsuits, and special handlebars which allow a rider to get into a more aerodynamic position. Riders start one-by-one at specific intervals, usually one minute, by descending down a small start ramp onto the course.

The Time Trial course starts and finishes at the Fuji International Speedway, making a circuit through the streets outside of the speedway. The distance of the men's course is approximately 44.2km (two laps of 22.1km) and the distance of the women's course is approximately 22.1km (one lap of 22.1km).

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