The Olympic Games

Heartbeat finale at the Copacabana

As for the men, the women’s road race is a thrilling Thriller. And again, the dangerous circuit decides to exit with victory and defeat. Joscha Weber reported from Rio.

And, again, this departure. Five kilometres long, steep sloping, densely wooded and dark, neuasphaltiert, but it is also narrow and very curvy. The way Chinesa was down from the popular vantage point of the Vista down to the Botanical garden in Rio is one of the main actors of the Olympic cycle race. On the previous day in a row the favorites in the rushed here
The men’s race and the medical Bulletin on the Morning after reported, among other things, from a broken Pelvis (Sergio Henao), a clavicle fracture (Vincenzo Nibali) and a shoulder blade fracture (Richie Porte). And the women who had to rush, fortunately, only once in the descent through the urban jungle, there was a serious Crash: In the lead, the Dutchwoman Annemiek Van Vleuten verbremste and landed instead on the Podium in the hospital. The Dutch suffered a severe concussion and three small fractures in the lumbar area. The public and the field of riders were shocked. The track was too dangerous?

No, say the majority of cyclists on the inside and cyclists, the technical descents are usual. But borderline, said Lisa brennauer in the DW-interview. “The descent was tricky. But we knew the course is all, and knew exactly what to expect. There is a fine line between risk and success,” said brennauer is always that exactly how
Simon Geschke sees the responsibility for their own safety, rather the athletes themselves. Van Vleuten had lots of luck in the misfortune, and was, according to initial information, no serious injuries: “it seems to be okay,” said the Dutch Cycling Federation HNWU. “I’ve seen you lie, and I was very shocked,” said Olympic champion Anna van der Breggen about your team colleague, “but then Emma came Johansson and Los said: ‘we do this for Annemiek!’ This has helped me flip the switch.”

Abbott will be placed 100 metres in front of the goal

Succeeded van der Breggen very successful. Because together with the Swede Emma Johansson and Italian Elisa Longo Borghini, she managed the seemingly impossible: they took the Van Vleutens fall alone drove off American Mara Abbott just before the finish and won the Sprint Gold for the Cycling Nation, the Netherlands. A true heart-stopping finale at the Copacabana. Very unhappy was Abbott, however, was only 100 meters in front of the goal and
in a DW Interview, tried to put their disappointment into words. “The Chance was there, but at the end of a have, then, two seconds missing.”

Missing in the final the Germans have. Captain Claudia Lichtenberg was chosen as a strong climber, to get the coals for the Federal German cyclists from the fire. However, the miss long. Lichtenberg caught a black day and lost in the steep climb up to the Vista Chinesa fast connection to the top. “It is a great pity that our work reflects in the results,” said Lisa Brennauer, the as 19. The best German was, but actually for Claudia Lichtenberg. “Because up there everything went very well and as planned.”

A varied race around Rio, and always the German flags were at the front – except in the final

Thus, brennauer said the offensive tactic, the German Team of choice coach Ronny Lauke showed from the beginning. After managed to sell Lotte Kopecky of Belgium early from the field, attacked Trixi Worrack on the way from Rio in the direction of the West. As they are not escaped properly, jumped Romy Kasper in the Wind, and afterwards went for a long time as a soloist with the lone Belgian top rider. The cost in the tight side wind on the coast of Barra, however, a lot of power. And since the low countries increased inside the pace on the course of Grumari, it was soon over with Kaspers escape. Behind the leading Belgian a group of pursuers, all of a sudden all favored Nations wanted to: escape-initiator Ellen van Dijk (Netherlands) was formed, concluded, among other well-known riders such as the Italian Ex-world champion Giorgia Bronzini, as well as the two-time time Olympic champion Kristin Armstrong of the USA and again Worrack.

Trixi Worrack: despite the renal loss is a real performance winner

The 34-year-old all-rounder was constantly at the top present and that alone deserves high esteem. Because Worrack lost in a crash in March, a kidney, and race again, as if nothing had happened. “And now I’m going to be here in the Olympic race, crazy, right?!“, she said before the Competition, the “FAZ”. Your group was put on the undulating course but also by the attentive field, as the lone soloist Kopecky. On the flat way back to Rio, along the that day the stormy coast, broke up again a group. Of course, with the tireless Trixi Worrack. Next to her, but also two very serious contender for The Olympic champion of 2012, Marianne Vos from the Netherlands, and the French world champion of 2014, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot. Quickly this prominent leading group pulled out a lead of over a Minute and challenged the front non-represented Americans in the main draw and reached, together, increase the conclusion.

The was then but for the all of the breakaways of the interior to be difficult, and the favourites quickly took the scepter. Up to the brow of the hill, Van Vleuten and Abbott showed themselves as the strongest riders, but both failed shortly after, a tragic one.