August 9, 2008 (Beijing, China) – Following an initial escape by two riders Patricio Almonacid (Chile) and Horacio Gallardo (Bolivia) a group of 26 riders including Canada’s Ryder Hesjedal has broken away and caught the two leaders and now has over a 5 min. lead on the main peloton. The 245.19km Olympic race is approximately at the 1/2 way point with about 125km to go – some of the riders in the break include Jens Voigt (Germany), Carlos Sastre (Spain), Kim Kirchen (Luxembourg), Stef Clement (Netherlands), Simon Gerrans (Australia) and Chris Anker Sorensen (Denmark).

100km to go
The lead has dropped to 3:15 as the leaders have come through the start finish with just under 100km to go – starting the fourth lap of seven on the 23.8km Great Wall circuit – as the peloton with defending Olympic champ Paolo Bettini (Italy), Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spain), Alberto Contador Velasco (Spain), Levi Leipheimer (USA) and others are trying to catch the break. With no US or Italian riders in the break they are at the front leading the charge.

Two riders in the break have jumped out front as Ruslan Podgornyy (Ukraine) and Aleksandr Kuschynski (Belarus) now have a 1:15 gap on the break.

71.4km to go
With 3 laps to go (71.4km) the leaders have 1:30 on the break and the peloton has picked up the pace and has now closed up the gap to under 2 minutes.

60km to go
The peloton has caught the break and they’re all together with under 2.5 laps (60km) to go as the pack chases down the two leaders Podgornyy and Kuschynski.

38km to go
The attacks have started as the leaders, who were joined by three who got away from the peloton Thomas Lövkvist (Sweden), Rigoberto Uran (Colombia), Johan Van Summeren (Belgium), have been caught – Spain and Italy are at the front. Canada’s Michael Barry is 26th, Hesjedal is 59th and Svein Tuft is 65th with 38km to go – the riders will soon be on the final lap.

23.8km to go – Final Lap
Christian Pfannberger (Austria) is at the front to start the last lap of the men’s 245.19km Olympic Road Race with the peloton close behind at about 20 sec.

The attacks have started again splitting up the peloton, Barry is near the front. Now a group of 5 riders are up the road lead by Andy Schleck (Luxembourg) and Davide Rebellin (Italy) along with Samuel Sánchez (Spain), Michael Rogers (Australia) and Alexandr Kolobnev (Russia) – Barry is behind in one of the chasing groups.

Rebellin, Sanchez and Schleck have shed the others and are now on their own leading the race with under 10km to go. Cancellara has bridged to Kolobnev and Rogers and they’ve caught the leaders.

It’s a sprint finish as Sanchez wins.

Unofficial

1. Samuel Sánchez (Spain)
2. Davide Rebellin (Italy)
3. Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland)
4. Alexandr Kolobnev (Russia)
5. Andy Schleck (Luxembourg)
6. Michael Rogers (Australia)
7. Santiago Botero (Colombia)
8. Mario Aerts (Belgium)
9. Michael Barry (Canada)
10. Robert Gesink (Netherlands)