Paris Olympics Time-Trials - Global Riders to Watch
Eight riders with opportunities to change their lives as they go against the clock in Paris
For many smaller cycling nations, the Olympic Games are the be all and end all. National Federations have spent the last couple of years working hard to qualify a rider for the Olympics, perhaps the most elite of all cycling’s events.
Just 34 riders will compete in both the men’s and women’s time-trials, likely to be dominated by the likes of Filippo Ganna, Ellen van Dijk, Demi Vollering and Remco Evenepoel.
Alongside the nations more established at the top level of the sport are eight riders from smaller nations who will hope to make a splash. If you have put in a good ride in the Olympic Games, you could just change your life.
Here are eight Global Riders to Watch at the Paris Olympics time-trials:
Olga Zabelinskaya
Uzbekistan
Our list begins with a winner of three Olympic medals. Zabelinskaya picked up two bronzes at the London Olympics in 2012 in the road race and time-trial, as well as a TT silver four years later.
Those results were won as a representative of Russia. The 44 year old now competes for Uzbekistan, and at many WorldTour events this season for the Tashkent team. A fourth medal is unlikely in truth, but the current Asian continental champion in the time-trial is strong and experienced. A top-10 is possible if Zabelinskaya has the form.
Amir Ansari
Olympic Refugee Team
I need to make a confession here. I am supposed to stay neutral and impartial, but I shan’t be doing that when Amir Ansari roll down the ramp on Saturday.
I’ve got to know Ansari over the past 18 months or so and told his story for Cycling Weekly a few weeks ago. Inspirational is a word which will be overused throughout the Olympic Games, but it’s fitting for Ansari. He fled Afghanistan alone as a teenager and now lives as a refugee in Sweden, where cycling and a remarkable community have saved him.
The result doesn’t matter for Ansari, he’s come further than anyone else to make the start ramp in Paris and he deserves to enjoy the moment.
Xin Tang
China
Cycling fans are getting used to ‘firsts’ this year - here’s another. This year Xin Tang, riding for the Chinese sponsored French team Winspace, became the first Chinese rider, male or female, to finish Paris Roubaix.
The 23 year old is racing her first season in Europe and also complete La Vuelta Feminina in May and finished third at the Asian Continental Championships. She will race both the time trial and the road race and will hope to show her significant potential as she rides her first Olympics. As far as I can see, the Olympic TT will be only the third solo effort of Tang’s professional career.
Read more: Four Chinese riders who might just change the sport
Jambaljamts Sainbayar
Mongolia
Another first here - Jambaljamts Sainbayar is Mongolia’s first ever professional cyclist. Sainbayar is still adjusting to life in the professional European peloton where opportunities have been limited so far this year to just the Volta Catalunya in March.
Riding for Burgos BH, Sainbayar has had some success racing in Asia, where the Spanish team are often present. He became Mongolian TT champion for the second time and was also 8th in the Asian Continental Championships alongside solid results on the road at the Tours of Taiwan and Bostonliq.
Sainbayar will ride the TT with one eye on the road race, where the punchy course suits his riding style.
Read more: Jambaljamts Sainbayar is making history
Diane Ingabire
Rwanda
23 year old Ingabire is now in her second season in Europe with Canyon//SRAM Generation. The double national champion has had some solid results so far, including 14th at GP Igartza, a win at the Tour du Burundi Féminin and being part of a 3rd place team time trial ride at the 2023 Thüringen Ladies Tour when on debut for the WorldTour squad.
Ingabire was 60th out of 85 at last year’s World Championships time trial and 11th at this year’s African Games. Don’t expect a big result here, but Ingabire will hope to show what progress she has made over the last 18 months - a home Worlds creeps ever closer.
Yulduz Hashimi
Afghanistan
Yulduz and her sister Fariba will be the first women cyclists to represent Afghanistan at the Olympics in Paris. Yulduz competes in both events, while Fariba will only take part in the road race The pair have both been part of the UCI’s World Cycling Centre team this season and have impressed considerably.
Yulduz has had several top-10s in Europe this season, including in the 1.1 GP della Liberazione PINK in April. She travelled to Kazakhstan last month to place 11th in the Asian Continental Championships time-trial.
Achraf Ed Doghmy
Morocco
Ed Doghmy is one of the dominant forces on the men’s Africa Tour. The 24 year old won the 2.2 Tour du Bénin for the second time in a row this season, backing up stage wins at the Tours of Sahel, Cameroun, Faso and the GP Chantal Biya last year.
He’s much more well known for his ability in the road races and only placed fourth in the time-trial at the recent Morocco national championships.
Phetdarin Somrat
Thailand
Somrat has been one of the pre-eminent female riders in Asia for several years now. She is a five-time national time-trial champion and has competed in several World Championships TTs over the years, so she isn’t new to a big occasion.
She was 6th at the recent Asian Continental Championships, just over two minutes behind the winner Zabelinskaya.
Somrat spent a couple of years at the UCI World Cycling Centre early in her career, similar to several riders on this list.
Who do you think is going to win in the Olympic time trials? And who are you most looking forward to seeing out of these riders?
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