Chris Froome: Cycling star takes bronze for Team GB

Dutchman Tom Dumoulin, whose place had been in jeopardy after breaking his wrist on the Tour de France, was second.

Thomas will join Chris Froome, one of the favourites for the event, after Britain initially qualified only one rider, Team GB announced.

Thomas also crashed in the men’s road race, injuring his hip in the collision with the curb on the side of the road on the final descent. He still managed to finish 11th as the highest British rider after getting back on his bike.

Geraint Thomas will ride the Olympic Time-Trial on Wednesday 10th August, joining teammate Chris Froome on the startlist.

Fabian Cancellara was the overall victor, taking his second Olympic time trial gold.

“It’s all about pace judgement but I don’t see why I wouldn’t have a good chance of getting a result”.

“I had a McDonald’s with the road boys on Sunday but Usain Bolt has McDonald’s so I thought why not”.

In cycling, the time trial is dramatically called the “race of truth”, because it is simply the rider alone, against the elements, the clock, and his or her threshold of suffering.

“For me, what is important is to enjoy this gold medal”, Cancellara said, “today, tomorrow, when I go home to my family, because this is what is important to me”.

Switzerland’s Fabian Cancellara won the gold medal in the men’s cycling time trial in Rio on a much more drama free day than for Saturday’s road race. Cancellara’s time of 1:12:15 outpaced Dumoulin, who took silver at 1:13:02, and Froome, who took bronze at 1:13:17. Rohan Dennis of Australia was another contender.

On a day when the wind tore at the hastily assembled temporary structures that fringed a starting ramp chosen for its picturesque location, the testing two-lap 54.5km time trial course on sweeping coastal roads should have suited Froome.

Tour de France champion Christopher Froome of Britain had to settle for bronze, more than a minute behind Cancellara.

Eight years after claiming the Olympic time trial title in Beijing, the 35-year-old with the nickname Spartacus reclaimed his crown with a stunning late burst of energy in the course’s final third.