In the 32.4-kilometre Olympic time trial in the French capital, three Team Visma | Lease a Bike riders defended their country's colours. Jan Tratnik and Attila Valter finished 22nd and 27th. After them, Wout van Aert started his race against the clock.   

The rainfall made the course a lot more technical. This clearly did not bother Van Aert, who was on the road with a special front wheel. He immediately managed to set a good time at the two intermediate points. His time at the finish also offered perspective for a medal. Only Ganna and new Olympic champion Evenepoel proved faster than Van Aert in the end. After finishing second at the road race in Tokyo in 2021, Van Aert took his second Olympic medal of his career.  

“I immediately felt I had a good day”, Van Aert responded afterwards. “It had been a long time since I felt like this during a time trial. In the first 30 minutes I had a perfect pace, but towards the closing kilometres I was suffering a lot. Fortunately, I was able to hold on and thus grab another medal. I am very proud of this achievement.”