The Womens Individual Time Trial (ITT) takes place on Wednesday 11th August at 12.30pm (UK BST). The ITT takes place just before the Mens event.
The Profile
The women race on the same course as the men but they only complete one lap of the Grumari Circuit.
The womans race is 29.8kms in length starting in Praça do Pontal. The riders have a 3km intro before starting the Grumari Circuit and its two climbs.
The Grumari is the first serious climb of the day. It starts at 9.7kms is 1.2 kms in length at a 7% gradient with a steep section at 13%. The Grota Funda comes 10kms later at 2.1 kms with an average gradient at 4.5%. From the top of the Grota Funda the riders descend to the coast and have a 3km ride back to the finish line.
Rain is predicted with about a 50% probability sometime on Wednesday. Given the horrific crash in the finale of the road race, expect the riders to be super cautious if the roads get wet.
The riders who featured strongly in the road race to also be in contention for victory here in Rio.
Womens Individual Time Trial – Contenders
The bookmakers have a clear favourite and then 5 other women that they feel have a decent chance at a medal.
Clear favourite is the Road Race gold medal winner Anna Van Der Breggen (NED). She is priced in the 2.20-3.0 range and has clear daylight on the field. She won the road race with an impressive display of power in the finale winning a sprint from a small chase group. Van Der Breggen showed she could get over the climbs on the course well so she is priced right. Her confidence will be sky-high and I can see her doing the double.
The nest group includes Linda Villumsen (NZL) – the 2015 World Champion in the ITT and Lisa Brennauer (GER) the 2014 World Champion in the ITT. They have pedigree in this discipline so cannot be discounted in the medal hunt. But both have had lean years in 2016. They can be backed in the 4.50-9.00 range so the EW comes into play.
After the dis-appointment of tlosing out on a medal in the finale of the road race, it would not surprise me to see a USA bounce back. Evelyn Stevens (USA) leads the American riders in the pricing. She broke the World Hour Record in 2016 so we know she goes well against the clock. Stevens also won 3 stages at the 2016 Giro d’Italia Femminile, finishing 2nd overall.
Her team-mate Kristin Armstrong won the Womens ITT Gold medals in Beijing and London. She is going for an unprecidented 3rd consecutive win in Rio. In the Road Race, Armstong rode for her team-mates. Here she gets to rider solely for glory. You can back each of the American riders in the 7.50-11.0 range.
Ellen Van Dijk (NED) is the other rider that has been backed in this event. The former speed-skater started her cycling career on the track. She has a strong set of ITT results, winning the World Championship in 2013. Like Villumsen and Brennauer, 2016 hasn’t been that great results wise and I don’t see her winning a medal here.
Womens Individual Time Trial – Tips
As in the Road Race my stakes will be low as I’m no expert on womens cycling.
NOTE – most bookmakers are offering reduced EW odds on this event. You can get a much bigger ‘Win Only’ price for Stevens elsewhere.
Bet on Anna Van Der Breggen to win the Womens ITT with a 1.5/10 stake at 3.00 with Coral.
Back AVDB here:
Bet on Evelyn Stevens to win the Womens ITT with a 0.75/10 stake EW (1/4 odds top 3) at 7.50 with Boylesports.
Back Stevens here:
