Paris is not any stranger to the world’s greatest cyclists battling it out on its cobbled streets and boulevards, but the Olympic Games have opened the biking world’s eyes to arrondissements typically left untouched by the caravan of the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes.
While the Champs-Élysées is synonymous with highway biking, the thirty third version of the Summer Games noticed the highway races enterprise onto the cobbled streets of Pigalle and Montmartre earlier than ending on the Trocadero, within the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.
Despite a late puncture, Remco Evenepoel displayed his one-day racing prowess in all its glory with a well-timed assault to depart his key rivals behind earlier than finally arriving on the end line with time to spare – and for a sponsor-pleasing photograph.
Just 24 hours later Kristen Faulkner arrived on the line in a euphoric however much less flamboyant state than the Belgian, after placing in an equally spectacular trip to safe a gold medal regardless of not being on anybody’s radar forward of the race.
Cyclingnews has curated one of the best of the pictures from our mates at SWpix.com, capturing a number of the greatest angles of the weekend’s motion.
An image-perfect begin line in entrance of the Eiffel Tower.
The peloton passes by the world-famous Musée du Louvre.
The ladies’s peloton flashes previous the Eiffel Tower within the early phases of the race.
Even outdoors the town limits, the surroundings was simply as dramatic.
Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy) tackles the cobbles in entrance of Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre.
Crowds line the slender, cobbled streets of Montmartre.
The steps of the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre hidden by a wave of onlooking followers.
Julia Kopecky (Czech Republic) displaying her appreciation to the crowds in Montmartre.
One French iconic in entrance of one other, Julian Alaphilippe (France) darts previous the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre.
Kristen Faulkner (USA) leads the cost as they reel within the main pack amidst a cauldron of noise.
All eyes, and digital camera telephones, on the soon-to-be-crowned Olympic highway race champion, Remco Evenepoel (Belgium).
Blanka Vas (Hungary) and Marianne Vos (Netherlands) work collectively on the testing slopes of Montmartre.
Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands) and Wout van Aert (Belgium) push on because the race enters its last throes.
London 2012 silver medallist Lizzie Deignan (Great Britain) drives a chase group by the Parisian suburbs.
Remco Evenepoel places the cellphone down on the doubters and naysayers – have been there any?
Kristen Faulkner drives to the road, too entranced to rejoice simply but.
A throw for silver, Vos wins out forward of Kopecky (Belgium) and Vas.
What it means to Valentin Madouas (France) to take silver on dwelling soil.
A shot that may stay lengthy within the reminiscence. The first-ever male to win each time trial and highway race gold on the identical Olympic Games.
Kristen Faulkner raises the celebrities and stripes to rejoice her shock victory.
Charles Kagimu (Uganda) crosses the road. He might have completed final however making the beginning line was a victory in itself for the African rider.
Alison Jackson (Canada) catches her breath after crossing the road.
The feelings on the face of Fred Wright (Great Britain) illustrate the testing nature of Paris’ cobbled streets.
It may simply be Remco Evenepoel holding the medals, however its a group affair to get him onto the rostrum.
Kristen Faulkner raises her arms with glee after holding off the likes of Vos and Kopecky to take gold.