Road Race, Women

This was the first cycling event ever contested at the Olympics for women. The favorite in the race was Jeannie Longo, considered the greatest female cyclist ever. Also highly considered were two Americans, Connie Carpenter-Phinney and Rebecca Twigg. Twigg was also known for her brains and her looks. She had gone to college when only 14 years-old, skipping four years of high school, and also did some modeling. She had also won a silver medal at the 1983 World Championships, behind Marianne Berglund of Sweden. Carpenter-Phinney had competed as a speed skater at the 1972 Winter Olympics, and was married to American cyclist Davis Phinney, who also competed at the 1984 Olympic Games and was known as a great sprinter. The final breakaway in the race came midway thru, and included Longo, Carpenter-Phinney, and Twigg, as well as top Italian rider, Maria Canins. Twigg, known for her sprinting ability on the track, was favored to win the sprint. Less than a kilometer from the finish, Longo and Canins hit their wheels, and Longo’s chain came off, eliminating her. Twigg led out the sprint and appeared to have the race in hand, but Carpenter-Phinney caught her and used a bike-throwing technique she had learned from her husband to win by inches.