Olympic Cycling: Cancellara Goes Out With Olympic Gold

Olympic Cycling: Cancellara Goes Out With Olympic Gold
Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland competes in the Cycling Road Men's Individual Time Trial on Day 5 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Pontal on August 10, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Bryn Lennon/Getty Images
Chris Jasurek
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In history (and in Hollywood,) Spartacus is a tragic figure, who rises up to fight the good fight but is doomed to go down in defeat.

In cycling, however, Spartacus goes out a hero.

Switzerland’s Fabian Cancellara, known as “Spartacus” for his prowess in cycling’s toughest races, the one-day Classics, announced at the start of the 2016 season that this would be his last. Naturally the 35-year-old hoped to end his career with success—and how much more success could he hope for than to claim his second Time Trial gold medal at the 2016 Olympics at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil?

Ten times the Swiss national time trial champion and four times the world champ, Cancellara was facing fierce competition from England’s Chris Froome, Australia’s Rohan Dennis, and Holland’s Tom Dumoulin. Froome was coming off victory—his third—in the Tour de France, while Dumoulin had crashed in that race, breaking his wrist, and was eager to return and grab some glory.

Tom Dumoulin of the Netherlands crosses the finish line in the Cycling Road Men's Individual Time Trial. (Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
Tom Dumoulin of the Netherlands crosses the finish line in the Cycling Road Men's Individual Time Trial. Bryn Lennon/Getty Images