Kristen Faulkner Wins Olympic Gold in Women’s Road Race

The women’s road race at the Olympics took place on Sunday in Paris, just a day after Remco Evenepoel from Belgium won gold in the men’s race. The women raced a 158 km course, which was similar to the men’s route.

This year marked the 40th anniversary of the women’s road race being part of the Olympics, and to everyone’s surprise, American cyclist Kristen Faulkner claimed gold with a time of 3:59:23.

Faulkner made her move early after the riders crossed the River Seine, and no one could keep up with her. The final two medals came down to a nail-biting finish between London 2012 gold medalist Marianne Vos, who took silver, and Belgium’s Lotte Kopecky, who secured bronze. Vos became the fifth woman to win multiple medals in this event.

Kopecky remarked on the shocked reaction from her competitors after Faulkner’s explosive attack, saying, “It’s a move you can expect. You know she’s going to do it. Then the three of us look at each other, so we are just stupid.”

Interestingly, Faulkner wasn’t originally slated to compete in the road race. Just a month before the Olympics, she entered the race when her teammate Taylor Knibb decided to focus solely on her triathlon. Faulkner only began cycling in 2017, making her win even more remarkable.

After the race, Faulkner struggled to articulate her feelings. “I don’t know – you tell me what happened,” she said. “This is a dream come true. I’m still looking at that finish line sign wondering how my name got there.”

About an hour into the race, the excitement heightened with individual attacks across the course. Notable riders, including Slovakian Nora Jencusova and Afghan Yulduz Hashimi, pushed themselves forward, with Yulduz making history as one of the first Afghan cyclists to participate in the Olympics.

Meanwhile, the Netherlands team, featuring strong riders like Vos and Kopecky, led the main group while keeping a close watch on the competition. Under two hours into the race, the peloton began to close in on the lead, with the gap significantly decreasing as they entered the final climbs.

Unfortunately for American Chloe Dygert, she was involved in a crash early during the climb on Cote de la Butte Montmartre, which split the peloton, leaving many medal favorites behind. Dygert, who won bronze earlier in the Games, had to get back on her bike but was far behind at that point.

Faulkner, however, skillfully avoided the chaos and executed an effective attack, gaining the lead with Spain’s Mavi Garcia and leaving behind the crash aftermath. As the race continued towards the final climb, Vos and Hungary’s Blanka Vas were in a 30-second lead over the main pack.

Close to the finish, Faulkner surged ahead again, creating a gap that left her competitors behind. With her family cheering from the stands, Faulkner thundered toward the finish line, fulfilling her Olympic dream while marking 40 years since the last American gold medal in this event.

Her strategic moves were clearly calculated; she said, “I knew I had to attack them as soon as we caught them. I knew they were sprinters, but if I got a small gap, they would have to race for second.” With intense focus, Faulkner simply counted down until she reached the finish line.

Dygert’s comeback attempt was commendable, but sadly she finished in 15th place. In the final results, Faulkner claimed gold, Vos silver, and Kopecky bronze, marking a historic day for American cycling.