Road Cycling Day 3 Review: Armstrong and Cancellara claim Time Trial gold

(BEIJING, August 13) -- American Kristin Armstrong and Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland earned their first Olympic titles by winning the Women's and Men's Individual Time Trials on Wednesday, August 13.

Emma Pooley of Great Britain finish second to Armstrong with Karin Thurig of Switzerland finishing in third to take her second consecutive Olympic bronze. Sweden's Gustav Larsson took the Men's silver with American Levi Leipheimer claiming bronze.

The day started off with the Women's event where cooler weather, light winds and cloudy skies welcomed the 25 female starters -- far different conditions from the heavy rainfall that drench riders during Sunday's Women's Cycling Road Race.

Emma Pooley of Great Britain set an early fast time, but was knocked down to the silver medal by Armstrong's powerful performance in the second half of the single-lap, 23.5km course up and down a steep climb along the Badaling section of the Great Wall.

Armstrong was four seconds slower than Pooley at the top of the main climbing section, but the 2006 world Time Trial champion powered over the second half of the course to win in 34:51.72 (40.445kph).

"The key things I told myself going into this race is that I have to focus on my own race and no one else's. The time trial is all about racing your own race. It's a race against the clock," Armstrong said.

"The Olympic Games is the biggest day in four years. You can't give up until you cross the finish line."

The gold is Armstrong's first in Olympic competition and the first by the USA Cycling team in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Armstrong's win also marked the record 900th gold medal for the United States in the history of the Olympics.

In the afternoon Men's event, the 40 competitors were divided into three separate groups to run the 47.3km course. Fabian Cancellara stopped the clock in 1:02:11.43 (45.633kph) to earn a gold medal to accompany the bronze he took in the Men's Cycling Road race on August 9.

Gustav 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.

"I have to say that it was a perfect day. I did everything for this day. I had big preparation, lots of sacrifice and today was the day to do it and show everything that I did. I am very happy and proud about this ride," Cancellara said.