The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic GamesAugust 8-24 2008
(BEIJING, August 13) -- Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland powered to the gold medal in the Men's Individual Time Trial as he lived up to his pre-race favorite status Wednesday on a grueling, two-lap 47.3km course.
The two-time defending world Time Trial champion fended off a strong challenge from silver medalist Gustav Larsson of Sweden to become Switzerland's first Olympic Time Trial champion. Levi Leipheimer of the United States won bronze.
Nicknamed "Spartacus," Cancellara marked the winning difference on the descending sections of the course to Larsson and 2007 Tour de France champion Alberto Contador of Spain, who set the fastest time up the climbing sections but settled into fourth at 1:18.08 slower.
Cancellara stopped the clock in 1:02:11.43 (45.633kph) to earn gold to go along with his bronze medal in the Men's Cycling Road race on August 9.
Larsson's bid for gold looked secure when he held a seven-second gap on Cancellara at the top of the second climb, but ceded ground to his powerful Swiss rival in the final 13km. He posted 1:02:44.79, 33.36 off Cancellara's winning pace.
Larsson, 27, becomes Sweden's first modern Olympic Time Trial medalist since the sport was reintroduced in 1996. In previous Olympic Time Trial competition from 1912 to 1932, three Swedes won medals.
Leipheimer earned his first Olympic medal with bronze, stopping the clock in 1:03:21.11, 1:09.68 off the gold medal time.
Leipheimer, winner of a Time Trial stage and third in the 2007 Tour de France, made a late surge to overcome Contador and fifth-place Cadel Evans of Australia to secure the day's third medal.
Leipheimer's bronze marks the third-consecutive Olympic Games that US men have medaled in the Individual Time Trial.
