Richard Carapaz has become only the second athlete from Ecuador to win a gold medal at the Olympics after taking victory in the men's road race in Tokyo 2020 today with two perfectly timed efforts in the finale.
All three Irish riders - Dan Martin, Nicolas Roche and Eddie Dunbar - finished the race; Martin the best finisher in 16th place.
Dunbar was in a brief breakaway with Remco Evenepoel (Belgium) and Vincenzo Nibali (Italy) after he responded when Evenepoel attacked. That group got clear with just over 50km to go and as it was a strong move it was closed quickly by the remains of the peloton.
A little later on in the race, Dan Martin was right in contention until the hardest climb on the course, Mikuni Pass, with about 40km to go.
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Unfortunately, Martin was just about unable to live with the pace up that climb; remaining at the front when the lead group was down to about 25 riders but losing his place as it was whittled down further to about 15 men.
On that climb, Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia) pushed the pace, with Brandon McNulty (USA) and Michael Woods (Canada) getting across to the Tour de France winner when he attacked on the climb.
That trio pressed on for a prolonged period all the way up the climb and it briefly looked like they may be riding away with the medals, though almost 40km remained in the race.
Behind them, a chasing group of about 15 riders emerged on the climb and they caught the leading trio after the ascent, when there was something a regrouping. Dan Martin was in the first chasing group behind at that point, with Eddie Dunbar and Nicolas Roche having been distanced on the climb.
In the front group, there were then constant attacks for the next 15-20km, with Wout van Aert (Belgium) doing most of the chasing when the moves were darting off up the road only to be closed down again.
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And with 25km to go, it was McNulty who put in the key attack; jumping hard and being let go by the front group. Carapaz then attacked after him and that duo were clear, riding well together.
They pulled out a gap of over 40 seconds, with Van Aert again taking on much of the responsibility for chasing in the group behind. Others, including Pogacar and Woods, made efforts to catch the leading pair and with about 6km to go, the gap was under 20 seconds.
Up front, on a drag with just under 6km to go Carapaz squeezed on the pedals and dropped a fading McNulty; the American soon caught by the chasing group after paying for his efforts.
McNulty was disposed of by Carapaz at the perfect moment; the Ecuadorian knowing McNulty was at the end of his resources and that he, Carapaz, was close enough to the finish to make it all the way on his own.
It was clear Carapaz had plenty in the tank when he struck out alone and when his gap did not come down as the race entered the last 5km it became more tactical in the chasing group. That played into the hands of Carapaz, when rode flat-out all the way to the line and won solo by 1:07 from the chasing group.
Van Aert won the sprint for 2nd place, just about holding off a fast-finishing Pogacar, who seemed delighted to take an Olympic medal of any colour. The chasing group sprinting for silver and bronze numbered just eight men on the line after 233km of racing.
Bauke Mollema (Netherlands) was 4th, Michael Woods (Canada) 5th, Brandon McNulty (USA) 6th, David Gaudu (France) 7th, Rigoberto Uran (Colombia) 8th and Adam Yates (Great Britain) 9th, all on the same time.
There was then a gap of 14 seconds back to Max Schachmann; the German completing the top 10 some 1:21 down on the winner. Dan Martin finished in 16th place, in a group that was sprinting for 13th and which was 3:38 down on the winner on the line.
Nicolas Roche and Eddie Dunbar finished the race side by side - in 75th and 76th. They were part of an 18-man group some 16:20 down and having played their part in the Irish team performance, in support of Dan Martin. There were 85 finishers, with 45 riders abandoning.
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