GEE AND BARIL BREAK THE ICE AT THE PARIS 2024 OLYMPIC GAMES INDIVIDUAL TIME TRIAL
Paris, FRA (July 27, 2024) – Olivia Baril of Rouyn-Noranda, QC and Derek Gee of Ottawa, ON got the ball rolling for cycling at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with a strong showing in the individual time trial on July 27.
Over a distance of 32.4 kilometers through the streets of Paris, starting at Les Invalides and finishing at Pont Alexandre III, passing through the Place de la Bastille, the riders had to endure a rainy day on slippery pavement, causing several falls throughout the peloton.
Fresh from a ninth-place overall finish in his first-ever Tour de France, 26-year-old Gee, competing in his second Olympic Games, clocked a time of 38:28.17m, good for 20th place.
“The conditions were very tricky and I knew my form would be challenged a bit,” said Gee, less than a week after the Tour de France. “It was a tough race for sure. I think that kind of form after the Tour will work better for the road race, because it’s a longer effort and with Mike (Woods) coming up, we’ll have some good options; I think he’ll arrive in good shape. Now I’ll recover a bit to prepare for next weekend.”
He finished 2 minutes 16 behind the new Olympic champion, Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel (36:12.16m), who was joined on the podium by fellow Belgian Wout Van Aert (+25.63s) with bronze. Italy’s Filippo Ganna (+14.92s) rounded off the podium with silver.
Photo Credit: Kevin Light/COC
Silver medallist at the Canadian Championships in the discipline, 26-year-old Baril set off on the course of her very first Olympic Games to finish in 20th position, 3 minutes 25 seconds behind the overall winner, Australian Grace Brown (39:38.24m).
“The course was very flat, so it doesn’t necessarily suit me best as the type of rider that I am,” said Baril. “It was quite rainy, but rainy for everybody, it made the streets of Paris very slippery. I’m happy because I stayed upright on my bike, which is important, contrarily to a lot of my competitors who crashed today, unfortunately. The preparation to get here was the best I could do, and I gave it my all today and I couldn’t have asked for better. I’m super motivated now for the road race.”
Britain’s Anna Henderson (+1:31.59) and American Chloe Dygert (+1:32.46) completed the podium.
Photo Credit: Zac Williams/SWpix.com
Further information, including results and a full schedule of events, is available at olympics.com. Competition for Team Canada cyclists continues on July 28 with the women’s mountain bike race, where Isabella Holmgren will be in action.
