Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland (C), Tom Dumoulin of Netherlands (L) and Christopher Froome of Great Britain celebrate at the awarding ceremony of the men's individual time trial of cycling road at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Aug. 10, 2016. Fabian Cancellara won the gold medal with a time of 1:44:26.42. (Xinhua/Ren Zhenglai)
RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland won the men's individual time trial road cycling race at the Rio Olympic Games in a rainy and windy day here on Wednesday.
British cyclist Christopher Froome was arguably the favorite to win entering the event. The 2016 Tour de France winner finished second and first on the Tour's two individual time trials respectively.
However, it is Cancellara, the winner of 2008 Beijing Olympics took the gold with a winning time of one hour 12 minutes and 15.42 seconds.
"It' s pretty special, I still don' t really have the words. After the disappointment in 2012, and many other up and downs that I' ve had, and this is my last season, it' s my last Olympic Games and my last chance to do something." said Cancellara.
With retirement set for the end of the year, the 35-year Cancellara signed off his Olympic career with a second individual time trial gold in Rio.
"I knew that it was going to be a tough day, a challenging day with Chris Froome, Tom Dumoulin and all the others. It was an open course for all different characteristics. I have no words. Finishing after 16 years, with the gold, it' s not bad." added Cancellara.
Tom Dumoulin of the Netherlands snatched the silver in 1:13:02.83.
Froome had to settle for a bronze in 1:13:17.54, taking the same position he finished four years ago in London.
"I can' t be disappointed with that. Of course I would have liked to have been in with a chance of going for gold but I gave it everything that I had today and at the end of the day I have to be happy with that." said the disappointed Froome.
Unlike the mass-start road races, the time trial races feature athletes competing one at a time against the clock.
37 cyclists rode two loops of the Grumari circuit, climbing for 6.8 kilometers along the 54.5-kilometer route.
