Summer Olympics 2016 Rio: Favourites road race – women

The Olympic road race for women is played out on a mountainous circuit, while the finale is on flat roads. So in order to win you definitely need to be a climber, yet that's not the whole story. Given the finale a fast sprint or time trialing skills would come in handy, too.

The women face the Grumari (1.2 kilometre at 7%) and Grota Funda (2.1 kilometres at 4,5%) before the 8.9 kilometres two stage ascent up Canoas/Vista Chinesa comes a steepest section at 11.9%. After the last peak a technical 6 kilometres descent takes the women to a flat section of 16.7 kilometres that's leading straight to the finish line.

Obviously, one would say a select group is going to battle it out in the finale. Be it with a sprint or with a late attack.

Evelyn Stevens is in the form of her life. She took three stage wins in the Giro Rosa - a hilly stage, a time trial and a mountain stage. Megan Guarnier grabbed the maglia rosa without winning a stage, yet she was close to stage wins, too.

Favourites Olympic Road Race for women

*** Evelyn Stevens, Megan Guarnier, Anna van der Breggen
** Marianne Vos, Katarzyna Niewiadoma, Giorgia Bronzini
* Elizabeth Armitstead, Linda Villumsen