# Cycling at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's road time trial

The Men's road time trial at the 2008 Summer Olympics took place on 13 August at the Urban Road Cycling Course. It was won by Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland.

## Pre-race favorites

Included among the favorites for victory were Cancellara, the reigning world time trial champion, and Germany's Stefan Schumacher, who won both time trials in the 2008 Tour de France, defeating Cancellara in each. Other cyclists considered to be possible medalists included American Dave Zabriskie, and Australians Michael Rogers and Cadel Evans. Evans had originally announced that he was withdrawing from the time trial with a knee injury, giving his place in the event to Rogers, but he recovered faster than expected. The UCI thus gave him a wildcard entry to let him compete. American Levi Leipheimer, Spaniard Alberto Contador, Italy's Marzio Bruseghin and Denis Menchov of Russia were also thought to be contenders for the podium.

## The event

The men's road time trial took place on a mountainous 47.6 km course consisting of two 23.8 km laps each containing an approximately 305 m climb followed by an equal descent. The 39 riders in the time trial were broken into three groups, who would race the clock one hour separate from one another. Most of the medal favorites were in the last group. Each rider started the course a minute and thirty seconds after the rider who went before them.
The leader at the end of the first group of 13 was Svein Tuft (Canada), completing the course in 1h 04' 39". This was 23 seconds clear of the next closest competitor Robert Gesink (Netherlands). They were still the top two riders after the second group, with American David Zabriskie and Russian Denis Menchov, thought to be podium contenders, both turning in disappointing rides.
The medalists all came in the third group. Gustav Larsson of Sweden, starting seventh from the end, beat Tuft by nearly two minutes. The man after Larsson, American Levi Leipheimer, was 36 seconds slower than Larsson, but held on to win bronze. The event's prohibitive favorite, world time trial champion Fabian Cancellara, started last, and though he was six seconds behind Larson's pace at the final time check, he wound up winning the gold medal by a margin of 33 seconds. The other major gold medal favorite, Stefan Schumacher of Germany, finished over three minutes behind Cancellara.

## Final classification

| Rank | Rider | Country | Time |
| | Fabian Cancellara | Switzerland | 1:02:11 |
| | Gustav Larsson | Sweden | 1:02:44 |
| | Levi Leipheimer | United States | 1:03:21 |
| 4 | Alberto Contador | Spain | 1:03:29 |
| 5 | Cadel Evans | Australia | 1:03:34 |
| 6 | Samuel Sánchez | Spain | 1:04:37 |
| 7 | Svein Tuft | Canada | 1:04:39 |
| 8 | Michael Rogers | Australia | 1:04:46 |
| 9 | Stef Clement | Netherlands | 1:04:59 |
| 10 | Robert Gesink | Netherlands | 1:05:02 |
| 11 | Steve Cummings | Great Britain | 1:05:07 |
| 12 | David Zabriskie | United States | 1:05:17 |
| DSQ | Stefan Schumacher | Germany | 1:05:25 |
| 14 | Bert Grabsch | Germany | 1:05:26 |
| 15 | Vincenzo Nibali | Italy | 1:05:36 |
| 16 | Ryder Hesjedal | Canada | 1:05:42 |
| 17 | Rein Taaramäe | Estonia | 1:05:47 |
| 18 | Vladimir Karpets | Russia | 1:05:52 |
| 19 | Chris Anker Sørensen | Denmark | 1:05:55 |
| 20 | Denis Menchov | Russia | 1:06:10 |
| 21 | Vasil Kiryienka | Belarus | 1:06:12 |
| 22 | Marzio Bruseghin | Italy | 1:06:20 |
| 23 | Kim Kirchen | Luxembourg | 1:06:29 |
| 24 | Andrey Mizurov | Kazakhstan | 1:06:32 |
| 25 | Santiago Botero | Colombia | 1:06:35 |
| 26 | Maxime Monfort | Belgium | 1:07:12 |
| 27 | László Bodrogi | Hungary | 1:07:27 |
| 28 | Simon Špilak | Slovenia | 1:07:34 |
| 29 | Matej Jurčo | Slovakia | 1:07:52 |
| 30 | Matías Médici | Argentina | 1:07:53 |
| 31 | David George | South Africa | 1:07:55 |
| 32 | Andriy Hryvko | Ukraine | 1:08:01 |
| 33 | Brian Bach Vandborg | Denmark | 1:08:10 |
| 34 | Przemysław Niemiec | Poland | 1:08:43 |
| 35 | Hossein Askari | Iran | 1:08:46 |
| 36 | Raivis Belohvoščiks | Latvia | 1:08:54 |
| 37 | Denys Kostyuk | Ukraine | 1:09:04 |
| 38 | Matija Kvasina | Croatia | 1:09:06 |
| 39 | Fumiyuki Beppu | Japan | 1:11:05 |