The best-laid plans of the world’s top racers were blown apart in the chaos of the cobbled streets of Montmartre, as Kristen Faulkner of the USA team emerged to claim the gold medal in the women’s Olympic road race.
On a day littered with tactical confusion, the absence of race radios only fuelled the sense of mayhem. It needed a cool head to assess the possibilities for victory, and when it came to the pivotal moment, just under three kilometres from the Trocadéro, it was Faulkner who had it.
