The best names in cycling came to the Olympic Games in Rio to compete for gold, either on the road, in rocky terrain or on the track.
Some riders flourished on Rio’s tumultuous road course. Anna van der Breggen won gold on the women’s road race and bronze in the time trials. Others, however, didn’t even have a chance to cross the finish line, see Annemiek Van Vleuten below.
The British cyclists owned the track events, both on the men’s side and the women’s. Team GB’s power couple Jason Kenny and Laura Trott combined for five gold medals on the track.
The BMX course proved to be risky, but fast for the riders. Connor Fields held the lead from right out of the gate and gave the United States its first-ever BMX gold medal. While some of the favorites on the men’s side fell victim to untimely crashes, the top rider on the women’s side delivered. Colombia’s Mariana Pajón won every race and took home her second-straight BMX gold medal.
The mountain biking cross-country races produced two very different types of victors. On the men’s side, the overwhelming favorite Nino Schurter captured the gold. For the women, Sweden’s Jenny Rissveds, the youngest rider on the course, outrode experienced veterans to claim the victory.
Here are some of the best moments from Rio: