Individual Time Trial, Men

Had Helen Glover and Heather Stanning not won the coxless pairs event earlier in the day, Bradley Wiggins would have certainly been Britain’s best hope for bringing home its first gold medal of the Games. With a decorated past as a track cyclist that included six gold medals at the World Championships and four at the Olympics, his more recent successes as a road cyclist included second place in the time trial at the 2011 World Championships and an overall win of the Tour de France less than two weeks prior. This made him the favorite to capture the gold in the 2012 Olympic Time Trial, but he had to contend with Tony Martin, the reigning World Champion and perhaps the only rider who could truly challenge Wiggins for the top spot; Martin’s injury-plagued season, however, left his ability to challenge for the gold in doubt. The defending Olympic champion Fabian Cancellara was a potential challenger as well, but the crash he suffered during the road race several days earlier hampered his speed during the time trial and he was never a factor for the podium.

There were no surprises in the race: Wiggins dominated the course throughout and Martin came in with a comfortable second-place finish. Wiggins’ teammate Christopher Froome, who had come in second overall at the most recent Tour de France, took home the bronze. Wiggins’ victory gave him the highest lifetime total of medals for a British Olympian with seven, although the man he surpassed, rower Steven Redgrave, still held the title of most successful Olympian with five gold medals compared to Wiggins’ four.