'Just not my day': Australian women outgunned in Olympic road race

Despite a strong start and good positioning, Australia has been unable to keep pace with the leaders in the Olympic women's road race, finishing outside the top 20 on the streets of Paris.

Lauretta Hanson was Australia's highest finisher after the Aussies were distanced on the first of three ascents of the decisive Côte de la Butte Montmartre.

The 158-kilometre road race had begun promisingly for the Aussie trio of Hanson, Grace Brown and Ruby Roseman-Gannon. They stayed out of trouble in the opening 100km, avoiding crashes and saving energy for what promised to be a chaotic finale.

As the initial skirmishes began on the approach to the finishing circuit, Hanson was one of the first to test the peloton. She launched an opportunistic attack before watchfully marking counter-moves.

Roseman-Gannon also looked to keep Australia on the front foot, at one point following a dangerous attack from Italy as the race returned to inner-city Paris.

Brown, Hanson and Roseman Gannon (Alex Broadway / Getty Images)

Hanson led the peloton onto the lower slopes of the Montmartre climb for the first time, with Brown also in good position. However, disaster struck for Roseman-Gannon when she was caught behind a crash that split the field. Only 12 riders – Brown and Hanson included – made the initial selection.

But, whereas last week Brown had ridden imperiously to win the gold medal in the time trial, today she looked to be labouring on the steep slopes of the cobbled climb.

First Hanson, then Brown were unable to stay with the lead group over the top of this first ascent, and soon drifted back into a larger chasing group that would never again see the front of the race. Roseman-Gannon was able to rejoin this reduced peloton briefly, before again losing contact.

For the rest of the race, their group hovered at around one minute behind the leaders before they eventually came to the finish at Trocadero five minutes down on the winner, Kristen Faulkner (USA). In the bunch sprint, Hanson and Brown finished virtually side-by-side in 22nd and 23rd place respectively.

Roseman-Gannon came home in 39th place.

Grace Brown races past the Sacre Coeur basilica atop the Montmartre. (Jared C Tilton / Getty Images)

"The first few days after last Saturday’s win were pretty crazy,” said Brown about winning gold last week. "There was a lot of excitement and a lot of adrenaline. It takes a little bit out, but I felt like I recovered well so I won’t blame that on not having the best day today.

Brown said her focus on last Saturday's time trial meant she didn't have the edge to follow the accelerations today.

"It wasn’t a terrible day, but to be up there in an Olympic race you need to really be good. So, just not my day," she said.

"It was a tough race. We did everything that we planned to do and were in the right places at the right times.

"But when we entered Montmartre for the first time, I was up there on the wheels that went ahead, but just didn’t have the legs to follow the attack.

"You have to race with the legs you’ve got and my training was really focused on the time trial, which was quite specific, so there were a few things missing to be up there today."

Hanson said her first Olympic road race was an incredible experience.

"Every time up Montmartre you could hardly hear yourself,” Hanson said. "The crowds were phenomenal.

"We went out there and gave it our best. Unfortunately, we had a little bit of bad luck losing Ruby in the crash, but we tried and that’s all you can ask for."

The women's road race completes the road cycling events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Feature photo: Alex Broadway / Getty Images