If you didn’t get enough road race action from the Tour de France and USA Crits — the Olympic road races are sure to satisfy. Starting the first week of the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, the world’s best men and women will take to the road for the Olympic road race.
After an unprecedented year of rescheduling the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (now 2021) is finally ready for take-off. There is a tight list of favorites, and as the Tour is still unfolding, the real question is who can recover, stay healthy and be ready for the demands of the Olympic competition.
We have our notions on who can come out on top (likely a climber) but will it be those fighting for the yellow jersey or a rider who can empty the tank fully on a one-day race? Only time will tell, but let’s talk about the course these riders will face and the riders themselves who will face it — stay tuned.
Olympic 2021 Road Cycling Race course description
The 2021 Tokyo Olympics men’s road race takes place on the lower slopes of Mount Fuji and the unforgivingly steep Mikuni pass. The loop will feature a total of 4,865 meters of assent, with some crazy challenging descending that accompanies the climbs.
The women’s loop features the same start as the men’s but omits the Mount Fuji sector entirely. The route is not flat for the women, though, still packing a total of 2,692 meters in elevation.
Both the men’s and women’s routes start from Musashinonomori Park on the outskirts of Tokyo and follow the same route southwest towards the Fuji International Speedway. This climbing starts around 40 km near Donushi Road and the Kagosaka pass, ascending the whole way until the 80 km mark.
There is no place to hide on the steep slopes of Donushi, just before the riders crest to see Lake Yamanaka. Here, the riders will take on the second ascent of the Kagosaka pass, a slightly more demanding sector in pitch but shorter in length. Once at the top, riders will hit a slight descent and skirt the lake offering amazing visuals for the viewing audience.
From this point, both men’s and women’s riders will begin their descent down the pass and eventually split towards different locations. The women start towards the Fuji International Speedway, completing a full lap of the demanding TT course. In contrast, the men keep rolling towards Mount Fuji. After completing the entire lap of the course, the women’s race (and eventually men) conclude on the Formula 1 track.
The men get a ride through the countryside and then start climbing again via the Mt. Fuji toll road, with the ascent topping out at 1,451 meters. The peloton will keep ascending till they eventually meet Mizugatsuka Park, finally getting some reprieve, and descend towards the Mt Fuji International Speedway. Like the women’s race, the men will complete a full lap on the lumpy circuit but leave the sports complex immediately after, heading towards the Mikuni Pass and then the Kagosaka Pass for a second time. Following the Kagosaka Pass, the remaining pack tackles a technical descent towards the circuit entrance, finally, they head towards the track, completing only half a lap this time before the grand finish — check out the video bellow for an interactive course preview.
Olympic Road Race — Top 5 Men to watch
Name:Tadej Pogačar
Country: Slovenia
Trade team: UAE TEAM EMIRATES
UCI rank: 2
Bike: Colnago
Name: Wout van Aert
Country: Belgium
Trade team: JUMBO-VISMA
UCI rank: 3
Bike: Cervelo
Name: Mike Woods
Country: Canada
Trade team: ISRAEL START-UP NATION
UCI rank: 14
Bike: Colnago
Name: Primoz Roglic
Country: Slovenia
Trade team: JUMBO-VISMA
UCI rank: 1
Bike: Cervelo
Name: Simon Yates
Country: Great Britain
Trade team: TEAM BIKE EXCHANGE
UCI rank: 22
Bike: Bianchi
Olympic Road Race — Top 5 Women to watch
Name: Anna van der Breggen
Country: Netherlands
Trade team: TEAM SD WORX
UCI rank: 1
Bike: Specialized
Name: Marianne Vos
Country: Netherlands
Trade team: JUMBO-VISMA WOMEN TEAM
UCI rank: 5
Bike: Cervelo
Name: Amanda Spratt
Country: Australia
Trade team: TEAM BIKE EXCHANGE
UCI rank: 32
Bike: Bianchi
Name: Elisa Borghini
Country: Italy
Trade team: TREK – SEGAFREDO
UCI rank: 3
Bike: Trek
Times to watch:
- Men’s Road Race — July 24th — 4:00 am CEDT — 10:00 pm EST (July 23)
- Women’s Road Race — July 25th — 6:00 am CEDT — 12:00 am EST
Complete Start list Tokyo 2021 Men’s Road Race
Belgium
- VAN AVERMAET Greg
- BENOIT Tiesj
- EVENEPOEL Remco
- VAN AERT Wout
- VANSEVENANT Mauri
Colombia
- QUINTANA Nairo
- URÁN Rigoberto
- HIGUITA Sergio
- CHAVES Esteban
- MARTÍNEZ Daniel Felipe
France
- CAVAGNA Rémi
- COSNEFROY Benoît
- GAUDU David
- MARTIN Guillaume
- ELISSONDE Kenny
Italy
- CARUSO Damiano
- MOSCON Gianni
- BETTIOL Alberto
- CICCONE Giulio
- NIBALI Vincenzo
Netherlands
- DUMOULIN Tom
- MOLLEMA Bauke
- KELDERMAN Wilco
- VAN BAARLE Dylan
- HAVIK Yoeri
Spain
- VALVERDE Alejandro
- IZAGIRRE Gorka
- IZAGIRRE Ion
- HERRADA Jesús
- FRAILE Omar
Denmark
- FUGLSANG Jakob
- GREEN Kasper
- JUUL-JENSEN Christopher
- VALGREN Michael
Germany
- SCHACHMANN Maximilian
- BUCHMANN Emanuel
- ARNDT Nikias
- GESCHKE Simon
Great Britain
- GEOGHEGAN HART Tao
- THOMAS Geraint
- YATES Adam
- YATES Simon
Slovenia
- ROGLIČ Primož
- POGAČAR Tadej
- POLAND Jan
- TRATNIK Jan
Switzerland
- HIRSCHI Marc
- KÜNG Stefan
- SCHÄR Michael
- MÄDER Gino
Australia
- PORTE Richie
- DENNIS Rohan
- HAMILTON Lucas
Austria
- PERNSTEINER Hermann
- KONRAD Patrick
- MÜHLBERGER Gregor
Canada
- WOODS Michael
- BOIVIN Guillaume
- HOULE Hugo
Czech Republic
- SCHLEGEL Michal
- ŠTYBAR Zdeněk
- KUKRLE Michael
Ireland
- MARTIN Dan
- ROCHE Nicolas
- DUNBAR Eddie
Kazakhstan
- PRONSKIY Vadim
- GRUZDEV Dmitriy
- LUTSENKO Alexey
Norway
- FOSS Tobias
- LEKNESSUND Andreas
- HOELGAARD Markus
Poland
- BODNAR Maciej
- KWIATKOWSKI Michał
- MAJKA Rafał
Ecuador
- NARVÁEZ Jhonatan
- CARAPAZ Richard
Latvia
- SKUJIŅŠ Toms
- NEDLANDS Krists
Luxembourg
- GENIETS Kevin
- RIES Michel
Portugal
- ALMEIDA João
- OLIVEIRA Nelson
New Zealand
- BENNETT George
- BEVIN Patrick
South Africa
- GIBBONS Ryan
- DLAMINI Nic
USA
- MCNULTY Brandon
- CRADDOCK Lawson
Slovakia
- SAGAN Peter
Hungary
- VALTER Attila
Slovakia
- SAGAN Peter
Ukraine
- BUDAK Anatoliy
Complete Start list Tokyo 2021 Women’s Road Race
Netherlands
- VAN DER BREGGEN Anna
- VAN VLEUTEN Annemiek
- VOS Marianne
- HOLLERING Demi
Italy
- LONGO-BORGHINI Elisa
- CAVALLI Marta
- BASTIANELLI Marta
- PALADIN Soraya
Germany
- BRENNER Lisa
- LIPPERT Liane
- LUDWIG Hannah
- WOMACK Trixi
Australia
- BROWN Grace
- SPRATT Amanda
- CROMWELL Tiffany
- GIGANTE Sarah
United States of America
- DYGERT Chloe
- WINDER Ruth
- THOMAS Leah
- RIVERA Coryn
Denmark
- LUDWIG Cecile Uttrup
- NORSGAARD Emma
- Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- DEIGNAN Lizzie
- SHACKLEY Anna
Belgium
- KOPECKY Lotte
- DEMEY Valerie
- VAN DE VELDE Julie
Canada
- KIRCHMANN Leah
- CANCEL Karol-Ann
Poland
- NIEWIADOMA Kasia
- PLICHTA Anna
Spain
- GARCÍA Mavi
- SANTESTEBAN Ane
France
- LABOR Juliette
Slovenia
- BUJAK Eugenia
Norway
- BØRGLI Stine
- AALERUD Katrine
Ukraine
- KONONENKO Valeriya
Russian Olympic Committee
- DRONOVA-BALABOLINA Tamara
Sweden
- DAHLIN Emilia
Luxembourg
- MAJARUS Christine
South Africa
- MOORMAN-PASIO Ashleigh
- OBERHOLZER Carla
Belarus
- AMIALIUSIK Alena
Austria
- KIESENHOFER Anna
Switzerland
- REUSSER Marlen
Czech Republic
- NEUMANOVA Tereza
Colombia
- PATIÑO Paula Andrea
Cuba
- SIERRA Arlenis
Trinidad and Tobago
- CAMPBELL Teniel
Israel
- SHAPIRA Omer
Uzbekistan
- ZABELINSKAYA Olga
Japan
- YONAMINE Eri
- KANEKO Hiromi
- Cyprus
- CHRISTOFOROU Antri
Eritrea
- DEBESAY Montana
Republic of Korea
- NA Ahreum
Namibia
- LOOSER Vera
Thailand
- MANEEPHAN Jutatip
Paraguay
- ESPÍNOLA Agua Marina
How to watch
For those in the states, you can watch all the action on NBC/Peacock — though the times are not convenient to those in the USA. So be sure not to miss the action and get some espresso ready!
We’re guessing that the Peacock Premium service should have some event replay similar to the casting of the Tour de France, but we’ll have to wait and see.
For a complete listing of all Olympic Cycling events, check out our first post here.
Mountain biking more your speed? Check out the Olympic XC MTB race information here.
