Anna van der Breggen takes the gold medal in Olympic Road Race

Anna van der Breggen (Netherlands) has won the Olympic Women’s Road Race in Rio today outsprinting Emma Johansson (Sweden) and Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy) in a dramatic finale which saw Van der Breggen’s team mate Annemiek van Vleuten crash heavily on the final descent.

The three medallists chased down Mara Abbott (United States) in the closing kilometres and caught her with just 150 metres remaining to crush her hopes of becoming Olympic champion.

A number of breaks had gone clear during the 136.9-kilometre race but were brought back each time. Then as the riders raced towards the final climb – the 9km ascent of Vista Chinesa – a dangerous break went clear.

Trixi Worrack put in a big effort along the coast, and was joined by six others – Malgorzta Jasinska (Poland), Gracie Elvin (Australia), Marianne Vos (Netherlands) Pauline Ferrand Prevot (France), Elena Cecchini (Italy) and Anisha Vekemans (Belgium). With 33 kilometres left, this dangerous break had pulled out a lead of 45 seconds which extended to a minute as they approached the final climb.

Abbott put in a sterling effort to reduce the gap to the leaders and put paid to their chances. The American rider reduced the group of leaders to just four with less than twenty kilometres remaining.

Alongside Abbott were the Dutch riders Van der Breggen and Van Vleuten, Longo Borghini, and these four were chased by Emma Johansson (Sweden).

It was on the second part of the final climb where Van Vleuten pulled clear with only Abbott able to get across. Abbott backed off on the descent prior to a sickening crash for Van Vleuten. The Dutch rider slid off the road on the technical descent to leave Abbott alone for the closing ten kilometres.

It looked for a time that Abbott would be able to fend off her chasers but despite her best efforts, she faded badly inside the last two kilometres to lose out on a medal.