Date | 26 July 1992 — 17:30 | |
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Status | Olympic | |
Location | Sant Sadurní Cycling Circuit, Sant Sadurní d'Anoia | |
Participants | 57 from 26 countries | |
Format | 81 km. ( miles) mass start race. |
As always, Jeannie Longo of France was the favorite, hoping to win the Olympic gold medal that had eluded her in 1984 and 1988. Strong competition was expected from the Dutch team, which featured defending champion Monique Knol and reigning World Champion Leontien Van Moorsel . However, Knol and Van Moorsel had a personal feud and refused to work for each other during the race. Near the end of the race, Longo rode with a group of 33 riders when she broke away three kilometers from the finish. She stayed away and at first thought she had finally won her gold medal. But due to poor information from the course directors, most of the pack had missed the fact that Australian Kathy Watt had pulled away from the field at the beginning of the final lap. Watt made this break while the pack was catching an earlier break, and it was not noticed. Watt opened up a big lead quickly and stayed away for the entire final circuit to win the gold medal. Watt was a top rider, having won the 1990 Commonwealth Games gold medal, and finishing third that year at the female Giro d’Italia. Longo was second, ahead of defending champion, Monique Knol, who sprinted to the bronze medal ahead of the pack.