Road Race, Men

The US-led boycott definitely affected this event as the favorite in the race could not compete. That was Greg LeMond, the first great American road cyclist at the international level. In 1979, LeMond had won the Under-23 World Championships road race, and also won silver and bronze medals on the track at that event, although he was only 18-years-old. He would later become one of the greatest professional cyclists ever, winning the Tour de France in 1986, 1989-90. The favorite in LeMond’s absence was Sergey Sukhoruchenkov (USSR), who had dominated the 1979 season and won the Peace Race, known as the “Tour de France of Eastern Europe.” The home rider did not disappoint. He first rode away on the third lap, but was joined by a group of riders two laps later. The leading pack included two former World Champions, Swiss Gilbert Glaus (1978) and Italian Gianni Giacomini (1979). Sukhoruchenkov broke away again with 32 km. remaining and won by almost three minutes, with fourth place 7:44 in arrears, the largest margin of victory since the event had become a mass start race in 1936.

Far from the leading pack finished Irish rider Stephen Roche, slightly hampered by a knee injury. Seven years later, he would stun the cycling world by winning the World Championship, the Tour de France, and the Giro d’Italia in the same year, a feat only achieved once before up to that time, by cycling legend Eddy Merckx.