July 27/24 13:18 pm - Canadians Finish Top-20 in Olympic TTs
Posted by Editoress on 07/27/24
Both Canadian entrants finished 20th in the individual time trial on the opening day of competition at the Paris Olympics on Saturday. Olivia Baril was the Canadian representative in the women's race and Derek Gee in the men's. The titles went to Grace Brown (Australia) for the women and Remco Evenepoel (Belgium) for the men.
The course was almost entirely flat through the streets of Paris, with many twists and turns, as well as steady rain that saw numerous riders crash on the rough pavement and painted lines.
Both Canadians started in the first half of their respective fields, and Baril posted strong intermediate times, setting early best splits. Gee had a slower first split, but improved through the second half of the race. Both champions were clearly the strongest in their races, leading at all points.
Baril: Kevin Light/COC
Olivia Baril
The course was almost entirely flat through the streets of Paris, with many twists and turns, as well as steady rain that saw numerous riders crash on the rough pavement and painted lines.
Both Canadians started in the first half of their respective fields, and Baril posted strong intermediate times, setting early best splits. Gee had a slower first split, but improved through the second half of the race. Both champions were clearly the strongest in their races, leading at all points.
"It was super tricky conditions out there, but I knew my form going in would be a bit of a question mark," said Gee. "It was a tough one out there, for sure. I think this kind of form is better for the road race, the longer effort, and with Mike [Woods] coming in we'll have some good options. So I'll just recover a bit more and build towards the weekend."
Gee: Zac Williams/SWpix.com
Gee
Baril said, "It was very flat, so it doesn't necessarily suit me, the type of rider that I am. It was quite rainy, but that way for everyone. It made the streets of Paris very slippery, but I'm happy because I stayed upright on my bike, contrary to a lot of my competitors, who unfortunately crashed today. I'm happy, the preparation I did was the best I could do and I gave it my all today. I couldn't have asked for better, and now I'm super motivated for the road race. Until then, I'll have some nice training to do, and I'm also going to try to enjoy the Olympic experience, and maybe go watch some other disciplines."
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