ACOG - Cycling - IBM

Who to Watch in Cycling-Road

Historically, the balance of power in road cycling has rested with the central European countries, specifically Italy, France and Belgium, a trend that has played itself out in both the Olympics, until this year only open to amateurs, as well as the professional ranks.

Fittingly, a Greek, Aristidis KONSTANTINIDIS won the first Olympic road event in 1986. But as the French, Italians and Belgians started developing the sport with events like the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and the classics that dot the spring portion of the calendar in Belgium and northern France, it was logical that riders from those nations also did well in the Games.

Through 1992, the French have won 10 medals in the men’s road race, the Italians are a close second with eight, while Belgium has six.

Ironically, the Olympic road cycling champion has rarely gone on to greater glory in the professional ranks. This can be attributed in great part to the nature of the beast — the Olympic road race is a single-day event with more emphasis on individuals, whereas events like the Tour de France measure a rider’s ability over a period of three weeks in which team tactics can play a significant role. Until this year, the Olympic Games represented the culmination of an amateur career and thus featured young riders who may or may not have had the moxie to find success at the professional level. Others, like Soviet champions Viktor KAPITANOV (1960) and Sergei SUKHORUCHENKOV (1980), were prohibited from racing in the European peloton by their government.

Hennie KUIPER, the 1972 gold medalist from the Netherlands, was one that bucked the trend. KUIPER not only had success in the important one-day events like the Tour of Flanders (BEL), Milan-San Remo (ITA) and the Tour of Lombardy (ITA), but twice was second in the Tour de France (1977 and 1980) and winner of the 10-day Tour of Switzerland (SUI) in 1976. As a complement to his Olympic gold medal, he was the world professional champion in 1975.

Competing Countries*

ALBAlbania
ALGAlgeria
ARGArgentina
ARMArmenia
ARUAruba
AUSAustralia
AUTAustria
BLRBelarus
BELBelgium
BERBermuda
BIZBelize
BRABrazil
CANCanada
CAYCayman Islands
CHIChile
CHNPeople's Republic of China
TPEChinese Taipei
COLColombia
CUBCuba
DENDenmark
ECUEcuador
ESTEstonia
FINFinland
FRAFrance
GERGermany
GBRGreat Britain
GUAGuatemala
HKGHong Kong
HUNHungary
IRLIreland
ITAItaly
JPNJapan
KAZKazakstan
KORKorea
LATLatvia
LBALibyan Arab Jamahiriya
LTULithuania
MDARepublic of Moldova
MEXMexico
MGLMongolia
NEDNetherlands
NZLNew Zealand
NORNorway
OMAOman
POLPoland
PORPortugal
RUSRussian Federation
SVKSlovakia
RSASouth Africa
ESPSpain
SWESweden
SUISwitzerland
UAEUnited Arab Emirates
UKRUkraine
USAUnited States of America
URUUruguay
UZBUzebekistan
VENVenezuela
ZIMZimbabwe
*Current as of press time.

This is an official publication of The Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games Sports Publications Department. Written by Jennifer Knight.


Olympic Factoid
An estimated 5.3 million visted Centennial Olympic Park between opening day - 13 July - and closing day - 4 August, making the park the most single most visited Olympic site during the Games.