Former pro cyclist Alex Howes stopped by the studio to give his thoughts on how the road races unfolded for both the men and women at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. He begins his Olympic road race analysis by explaining the biggest differences between Olympic race structure compared to WorldTour racing, including how the lack of radios factor into strategy and the effect of clamorous crowds on athletes’ mental focus.
For the men’s race, Howes outlines the factors that led to Remco Evenepoel’s winning ride and Team Ireland’s outstanding performance. With Evenepoel’s gold in the time trial event earlier that week, he became the first cyclists to sweep both events at the Games. Howes also touches on France earning silver and bronze on home soil—especially significant as it was the first time the country had medaled in the event in 68 years.
On the women’s side, Howes recounts how Kristen Faulkner dropped the lead group (including cycling legend Marianne Vos) and rode to victory. As he explains above, “the one that gets you is the one that you don’t know, and that was Faulkner.” Her win was the first women’s road medal for Team USA in 40 years.
If you enjoyed this Olympic road race analysis, check out the following Fast Talk episodes for more strategy tips and breakdowns from Alex Howes:
