Day 5 BBC Two: 12.15-13.45 Olympics

Good afternoon to you. Hello. A front has rumbled in off the

Atlantic this morning here in Rio. It looks OK but I am afraid winter

has hit. There is the proof. It is too windy I am afraid for rowing.

For the second time, rowing is off will stop all the more of a shame

because we were due to see the first two finals today. They will have to

reschedule that. We will get a firm idea of how it will look in the next

hour or so. That is when the new schedule will be out for the rowing,

but it is off today. However, there is plenty of live sport going on.

Not least, we are back in the saddle again for the time trials. We offer

round Rio's rather treacherous roads again and yes, they will tackle some

of those hills again. It is hard enough going up, but it is pretty

treacherous going down again. But Britain's Emma Pooley cannot wait to

tackle those hills. A renowned climber she has come out of

professional cycling retirement for another crack at a medal. Olympic

silver four years ago. Chris Froome is going to try and win the Tour de

France and Olympic gold in the same summer. He will be joined by Geraint

Thomas today. And whilst the rowing is delayed, we will still be on the

water in canoe slalom with Joe Clarke in semifinal action this

afternoon in the kayak single. That is his semifinal this afternoon. And

this is our rather reject timetable between now and seven o'clock. Three

items on it but they do take a fairly long time, it has to be said!

The key moments, there are plenty of those our on programme. One of the

great events in any Olympic Games, thoroughly looking forward to this

one. After a bit of a taster in the gymnastics, it is the men's

individual all-around gymnastics. Uchimura is the champion since 2009.

Matt -- Max Whitlock and Nile Wilson will try and challenge him. And

swimming with the individual medley, Michael Phelps having won 22nd gold

medal last night, I note with interest he has taken over in the

overall medal taken ill -- table in the Olympics to overtake Argentina.

He is now only two medals behind Brazil on the overall countries

list. That is extraordinary! He is up to 39th overall. Amazing! Final

preparations are on going ahead of the road race this morning. I know

Jill Douglas and Chris Boardman have bagged their place down there. It is

a little bit blowy, windy and slicked on the roads. Tell us about

the difference between the course they will tackle today versus the

one they did at the weekend. There are some subtle differences. Good

morning from a blowy coastal route this morning. One thing the cyclists

would not have wanted to see when they look out of the window is rain.

It is the enemy of the cyclist and wind, they do not like that either.

We don't like anything! We like Sunny, smooth, calm and gentle but

it is not like that today. Hazel was just asking about the difference on

what we can expect on the course today compared with what we saw on

the road race. Obviously, it is a significantly shorter route? It goes

around the shorter circuit with a slight spare on the end to get them

to and from it. They will face a slight headwind today. They are in

jungle canopy for most of it. They go alongside the cobbled section we

saw in the road race. There is a section of smooth tarmac. It is a

bit sticky and there are some stones so we may see some punctures. Then

there is the climb which is incredibly steep. That will take

three or four minutes to cover. Then they tip over into a really steep

descent with hairpins so they will have to be so careful today. Once

they are either that, a big chunk of flat. A big road and a big descent

as well. All in all, there is a bit less climbing than I was expecting.

About 15% of the whole race is spent climbing. Not too technical either.

Some of the bigger ride as you would think would not perform to well may

actually claw back on the two rain. What will be teams and riders think

this morning? What will they be doing to cope with the conditions?

One of the things I would do, we saw the weather forecast, and I would

have a set of wheels with road tyres on, not slick, direction or I can

stay safe on the descent and make sure I can have the confidence to

push hard on the steepest descent. Other than that, the setup will

remain the same. A lot of caution called for specifically on that

descent. The one thing you want is a level playing field for the

cyclists. You don't want the conditions to change because it can

have a huge influence on where the medals will go. You almost feel if

it should rain, you want it to be damp for the whole race. It is

cloudy and we have had rain overnight. I think it will probably

stay wet. The wind might take it off a little bit. By and large, I think

it will be the same conditions. It doesn't matter if it is raining, if

the surface is wet, everyone will have to treat it the same way. We

will see Chris Froome later in the men's race and Geraint Thomas. We

have the women's race taking off reasonably soon. Emma Pooley riding

for Great Britain. She has come out of retirement. She likes this

course. The term dark horse has been used a lot for her. She has been

doing some work with Lizzie Armistead. Climbing well, little bit

less climbing than Emma would possibly have hoped for. I think we

can assume that her form will be good. Not a big racing background

this year. We haven't got lots of indicators but her pedigree says she

is an outside bet for at least a medal. Some great names amongst the

start list. Kristin Armstrong going for a third gold medal. The women's

race will get going at around half past eight Rio time. You mentioned

Kristin Armstrong, she will turn 43 tomorrow. She is aiming to win this

time trial three times in Olympic history. Plenty of big names about

to start pushing down that ramp shortly. I'm afraid the news is not

so good. There is not much happening at label. I am not sure what our two

Bond villains will be doing. Actually, Bond heroes, gentlemen! It

is not a great day for sightseeing, John is that it is pretty mournful

and grey down here. The only thing that brightens the horizon, isn't

that classic timing, there were about 50 boats with bright yellow

cagoule is behind us but they have now vanished. It is a mournful

sight. Grey everywhere and we are not going to have any racing today.

Understandably so, by the way, because they must have got a pretty

austere weather forecast going forward. You can see what the

conditions are like. Occasionally, you get these massive gusts of wind

which almost blow you off your feet. I suspect this was a no-brainer.

They inspected the course at 7:30am and at 7:31am they knew what the

answer was. Be sailors will be happy today. When you look at those

pictures, it is pretty obvious why it has been delayed again. It has

been delayed twice, four more days to go, all final days. It will be

interesting to see if we can get through the next few days. Do we

assume we will be racing on Sunday and they will knock the schedule by

one day? I don't think they will like to do that. We have lost two

days in four. They would like to catch up and have the spare morning

on Sunday. I gather they are talking about having a double hit on Friday,

we are just hearing that in the last ten seconds or so, so presumably,

they will move today's programme to tomorrow and then on Friday have a

morning and an afternoon session. There were two finals today, men and

women's wants and four finals for the last three days. They could be

mixed and matching -- men and women's quods. I have no idea for

the weather forecast for the rest of the week. It seems to vacillate. But

the bottom line is, there ain't nothing happening here today. Thank

you, gentlemen, that is a shame. A second day of rowing has been lost

so we are in catch-up mode at Lego. We have heard about Emma Pooley

coming out of professional cycling retirement to take part in this

race. It is not as if she has been sitting with a cigar and her feet up

on a lounger. She has been working hard because she is a professional

triathlete and due at one rider. She has been busy since we last saw her

at the Commonwealth Games. She is a renowned climber and was tipped the

wink about this particular course and was persuaded to come out of

retirement and she is very much looking forward to add to this

silver event -- this event which she won in Beijing eight years ago. This

is very different from London in terms of location and the course.

And also because I left cycling for a bit to do long distance triathlon,

I was not expecting to do this so I am really looking forward to it. In

2014, after the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, I decided I wanted to

try and have a serious go at long distance triathlon. It is difficult

to combine them and do two sports at the top level is not easy, but

actually, I always had at the back of my mind, the possibility of

trying for Rio. I was quite careful to never say never. The thing that

brought me back to cycling and to try for the Olympic team in Rio is I

saw the course details and profile. It is released tough and it has some

decent climbs in. That suits me as a rider. Having done more cycling this

year, I have really enjoyed it. That might sound silly, I enjoy cycling

but I enjoy racing and two years ago I was getting quite stressed about

it and putting myself under the wrong kind of pressure. I have

really enjoyed seeing old friends in the cycling world again. I have a

very clear goal which is to go out there and give it everything and be

the absolute best I can and that is all you can do in a time trial.

There is no tactic, there is no one to interact with, you just do your

best. Part of the preparation for me for a time trial is trying to

exclude results orientated thinking. I cannot influence how the other

riders go and obviously, they are very, very good. Worrying about that

impacts negatively on performance so I am trying to focus on being the

best I can, which is all any athlete can do.

And this is the scene as we look down on the beautiful coastline on

this wonderful part of Brazil. This is the situation, a few spots of

rain on the lens. We are very close to these riders rolling down the

ramp and the start of the women's time trial. They have about 30

kilometres to ride and there are two very significant ascents and

descents. The first rider ready to rock. Chris Boardman and Simon

Brotherton looking forward to this one.

Thanks, Hazel. We came to look at the course yesterday on a beautiful

hot, sunny day. 24 hours later we are sitting on the finishing line

under a large sheet of plastic on a dark, damp, stormy morning. It is

damp at the moment. Anna Plichta is the first rider off from Poland. She

rode in the road race at the weekend. The interesting thing is,

Chris, the weather makes such a difference. Absolutely. Everybody

has reviewed the course. We have seen this coming for about a week

but ultimately, there is nothing you can do. You can see the first corner

is extremely slippery. Everyone will have to take it cautiously.

The majority of the course, I have to say, is quite nontechnical, good

surface roads. The majority of the time the climbers will be safe.

After the majority of the climb, there is a very steep and technical

descent. Everyone will have to be very cautious. Three minutes, a very

hard climb and sections with a one in four gradient. And then it tips

over in media to the into that this went, taking them down into a good

relatively straight road. This is Lotte Kepechy of Belgium. She is the

national road trial champion of Belgium. She finished ninth in the

big race on the Champs-Elysees in Paris which coincided with the end

of the Tour de France. Good track rider as well, European junior

champion. Lotte Kepecky now out on the wet roads around this circuit.

Many of you may be wondering whether the descent which caused so many

problems is on this circuit again today and the answer is no it's not.

You may member there were two -- kits within the road race course

which were linked by the coastal road. This is the first of the two

circuits, so it's tough but actually not as treacherous as the other one

was. No, it's actually very safe. Good service and good roads for the

majority, probably about 50% of the entire race is climbing and

descending, so the second descent of the climb is very fast. Grota Funda.

Some of the riders will have they can road tyres for the course today.

Road tyres would help to give confidence on some of these wet

descents. This is a rider who we have seen do well on the roads of

Britain. Nine times the national champion of Luxembourg in this

particular discipline. She is a stage winner in the women's tour.

She crashed out of the women's Giro earlier this summer, but a team-mate

of Lizzie Armitstead during the season. The women, by the way, doing

one lap of this circuit for a distance of 29.7 kilometres, safely

negotiating that first corner. This is a little run out from the course.

They go effectively in a sort of a sending order. In theory you have

those fighting for the medals going out last. There is a first seed of

what was the result in the last Olympic Games by country. In this

case, Christine Armstrong was the winner, so she is at last. Also the

commissars have the dispensation to fiddle with the start a bit or make

sure the people go off towards the back. They try to leave the ride is

very much alone on this race, racing against the clock. The Japanese

rider the next to leave the start, Eri Yonamine. Not too long to wait

for Emma Pooley. She is halfway through the field having come back

to work in the Games, having retired from cycling after that silver medal

in the time trial after the come on wealth games in Glasgow two years

ago. Duathlon, triathlon, running, she's just an athlete to the court,

Emma Pooley. That fitness has been while she has been away from the

sport of cycling. I think Emma, as has been said several times, she is

the dark horse for today. Not that a lot of racing to judge because she

has been away from competition. Were you surprised with the amount of

fairly flat road on this circuit as well? The vast majority is time

trial territory. We just saw a picture, you can see that the roads

are good and wide and very short as they go around the headland on the

Atlantic coast. Still very steep but 150 metres long. This time they

don't ride over the cobbles, a two metre wide tarmac section which they

will use. There are some great and stones on it, I don't know if it has

been swept. These conditions lubricated by water. The Norwegian,

born in Latvia and spent a year in Norway at the age of 18, met her

future husband, moved that and obtain citizenship. Only really

began cycling at the age of 25, she is 31 now and here she is in the

Olympic Games. Quite blustery for the riders out there, look at the

Palm trees in the distance. Steadily taking that corner. They have to

deal with the wind for a very short portion of the day's outing. It is

the section where the cobbles are that you are really exposed to some

potential crosswind and after that they are into jungle canopy a lot of

the time. The foliage at the side of the road is giving adequate shelter

to the riders. There's no getting away from it, is there, Chris, the

fact that it is raining. It is dramatic conditions and certainly

adds something to us for sure. But I rode quite a few races in these

conditions and it's no fun as a rider because it's a sheer judgment

call, you don't know whether there is any these along the road can you

don't know what the conditions are. She is more of a sprinter actually,

second on the course on the Chantilly Z -- on the Champs Elysees

yard week. The only rider from Finland here riding on the road. So,

half a dozen riders out on the course right now. Just over this

band of cobbles which they are all being very careful about. The yellow

flags are out, just to take them across to the main road which will

see them out on the two kilometres to the circuit where Lotte Kepecky

is now. Familiar sight, she was raiding an -- riding on her own on

this circuit in the other race, having made the breakaway, putting

up stubborn resistance until they caught up. Plichta, You can see the

gradient is really starting to kick in here. It's only about 200 metres

long and then they drop down to the cobbled section. But as we said,

they are not going over the stones in this particular event. The one

part of the circuit that concerns me today given the weather conditions

is the first if -- first descent. Separated by two reasonably straight

sections. Encouraging to let the speed build-up and then suddenly

you're into another hairpin. Probably chastened somewhat by the

amount of crashes we saw in the road race on that final descent. It's

also earlier in the race than it was for the road race final as well. On

the road now, the High-5 rider. She has looked far more comfortable than

the others. Somebody who rides well in the rain

makes a big difference. Not known for technical skill but form wife

she is in great shape the moment. Now, Tara Whitten, the final few

seconds before she heads off. A pretty rough time when she came out

to Rio earlier in the year two recce the road racecourse and ended up

riding into the back of a bus. Quite a serious injury act -- Syria's

injury actually, a fracture to the skull. Two operations but she

recovered well enough to be here. She took a break for almost three

years after the London Olympic Games, she pursued a doctoral degree

and came back and has made it into the Olympic Games once more. The

national champion of Canada. We will be able to give you some information

as the riders go around the course. We have got time checks, assuming

everything is working well, ten kilometres, 19.7 kilometres, and of

course at the finish. We will be able to get an idea of who is doing

what. Just back with the rider from Luxembourg at the moment, Christine

Majerus. A real course of extremes, this one. Those big wide roads for

the time trialist, interspersed with these short, sharp lines. It's going

to be a real all-rounder who wins today. I think to be honest the best

place to look if you want to know who are the favourites is the road

race result, because it is by and large a course for road racers. It

is a good course and we will have a good winner, I reckon, as we follow

Tara Whitten here as she splashes along the first couple of kilometres

before heading to the first climb, which goes out on the headland.

Katarzyna Niewiadoma from Poland, really exciting young talent. Silver

medal in the European games and the best young rider of the last couple

of years at the women's Giro. Six at the weekend in the road race. How

will she fare in this different discipline? You can see the

different riders going around, comfortable in the wet and maybe

half a second in a single turn, that will add up to about 20 or 25

seconds. It's interesting, we saw Audrey Cordon come around and a lot

of her good results have been when the weather has not been great and

the wind can be a factor. The wind is certainly getting up a bit here

at the finish line at the moment. It is gusting up and down. I was

interested to see whether every rider would opt to use rear disc

wheels for this event but some have opted to go spoke front and back.

There is an aerodynamic disadvantage for that but you would gain in

confidence. The 20 seconds you may lose on aerodynamics, you could gain

that back in the ability to handle the bike cannot get pushed around by

the wind. The women's Road race champion from last year, lives in

Italy, from Belarus. Form good going into these Olympic Games. Such a

shame that they can't go more into this time trial today because of the

treacherous conditions. The pacing strategy is quite interesting. The

climbs are followed immediately by a descent which means you can ride

into the red and really push hard on the climbs because you can't keep

the pressure on the pedals for the descent. Getting round the corners

in an upright position, you're flying on the seat of your pants

because of the treacherous nature of the roads. It may be a case of get

the power down while you can today. Steady rhythm here from Tara

Whitten. And here now is Emma Pooley. It looks as if they're

struggling to hold her up. The wind is blowing strongly where she is.

There is the face of somebody who's going to go for it here. You can see

the pent-up aggression, just ready to get this thing under way and a

bit of a steady start there. A problem with gears by the look of

it, straight out of the gate. Took her a few seconds to get sorted. Not

quite the start she was looking for but Emma Pooley is away and on the

road in her bid for Olympic glory. she was the silver medallist in

Beijing eight years ago in the women's time trial. Can she go one

better this year? She was also here to work for Lizzie Armistead at the

weekend in the road race. That was possibly the steadiest corner we

have seen so far in this event. A look there to see what is the

problem with Emma's bike. That is Eri Yonamine from Japan. She

is able to avoid the cobbled section. There is a corner which is

quite sharp and the narrowness of the road does have an impact on the

riders' styles because they do not have much room to manoeuvre.

Karol-ann Canuel of Canada. Away she goes from the start of's ramp. A

decent record as a time trialist. The third in a race last year. She

will do well to trouble the top of the leaderboard come race end today.

Some of the favourites are still warming up, getting ready. Anna van

der Breggen, already with a gold medal in her pocket from the

weekend, from that very dramatic road race. And here is Emma Pooley

of Great Britain. Certainly in her stride now. This is a fast section

of the course. There is a slight left in a few hundred metres time

which takes them into the circuit. Emma Pooley has a great pedigree. It

is not just the Olympic silver medal from eight years ago. She was the

world champion in Australia in 2010. The second of the Dutch riders now,

Ann-sophie Duyck was about to head off into the wind. A very Shari

morning now. I don't think it is raining at the moment. It is hard to

tell under our plastic sheet. She is covered in droplets of water.

She has won a couple of time trials this year on the women's calendar.

And the national champion of Belgium. Anna Plichta meanwhile, the

first rider out on the course. Starting the climb of Grota Funda.

It is one in four, 20 5% for a few seconds. Quite remarkable. Then a

dip and back up again here. Actually, she is over the top. Now

then, this is a very technical descent. It would be nice to stay

with her to see how she is able to handle the descent, but instead, we

go back to the wide, windswept area where Christine Majerus from

Luxembourg is. There is no protection from the elements on this

stretch, the other flat part of the course. The wind is blowing off the

Atlantic stop the wind is not having too much of an impact. Trixi Worrack

of Germany. She was a silver medallist in the World Championship

a decade ago. Quite a major player in the women's road race at the

weekend, riding very, very strongly. It is great to see Trixi Worrack

racing again. She had a horrible crash in one of the World Cup

matches in the spring. She needed emergency surgery and lost a kidney.

She began racing again in June. Clearly riding well from what we saw

at the weekend. Lotte Kopecky from Belgium. It is

hard to tell how these riders are going because they have not gone

through any time checks out the moment. Anna Plichta was the only

one. With yesterday's conditions I thought it would take 45 minutes to

complete this course, for the good riders. Foot out. That is a

standard, I've overcooked it slightly. Get the foot out to try

and mitigate things if it does happen. Already, you can see the

conditions here have changed things completely. It would be great to

stay with one or two of the riders on that dissent because it would be

important. I would not like to be a motorcycle cameraman, would you? No.

Katrin Garfoot from Australia. Our makeshift tent is threatening to

take off here. If you hear some flapping in the background, that is

what it is. She was a bronze medallist in the Commonwealth Games,

Katrin Garfoot. We are now riding with Tara Whitten. Riding strongly.

We are not seeing any weaving across the road, there is no buffeting. I

think they have largely a headwind on that section, the wind has come

around. Christine Majerus is noticeably slower than Anna Plichta

on this part of the course. It encourages you to let the speed

build and suddenly, there is a stronger bend. It looks like the

rider from Finland is being caught by Tara Whitten. I would say she

must have had a problem to be caught so quickly. Actually, it is Audrey

Cordon. She must have had a problem. There is no reason for her to have

been caught by Tara Whitten so quickly. It is a lonely place, the

time trial. You would know that, Chris. Being anti-social, it was my

favourite place to be, on my own! They call it the race of truth for a

reason. No hiding place. If it was a mechanical crash or some sort of

incident, we will be able to see shortly, because Audrey Cordon now

has Tara Whitten as an incentive. At the moment Whitten is riding away

here. That is very surprising. It does not look as if Audrey Cordon

has had a crash. We missed the rider from South Africa entering the

course. This is Elisa Longo Borghini from Italy. She was third in the

time trial in the Gia Roe and that was a hilly one so I think we could

expect something from her -- G a row. She comes from a sporting

family. Her mother competed in cross-country skiing at the Olympic

Games three times. And her brother was a professional cyclist as well

for a number of years. But a really good rider in her own right. The

winner of the tour of Flanders last year and the Philadelphia classic.

One of the best riders in the women's peloton. And back with Tara

Whitten who is really powering around the circuit. She has moved

away from the coast and is rolling towards the bottom of that Grumari

climb. 1.2 kilometres in length. Hopefully we will be able to stay

with it so we can give you an indication of the severity of the

climb. About four minutes of climbing in total because of its

severity. And followed by the biggest challenge of the day, the

technical descent. Waiting to get going. She is a

former Commonwealth champion. She went well at the weekend. She rode

well in the time -- road race. Hanna Solovey is capable of doing a

good race. She lost her job with her team last year, with the Cadillac

team and Ukraine federation claimed it was because she did not want to

switch to her nationality of Kazakhstan for the Olympic Games,

but she found herself another team. Now we're riding behind Emma Pooley.

I don't think she will be enjoying this particular bit of the course. A

very high style of riding since the start, Emma Pooley. Probably about

110 rpm which is very high therefore a time trialist. I am wondering if

anything has forced that or is it is a chosen style. Quite unusual. The

fastest rider so far, as we watch the former world champion Ellen Van

Dijk preparing to leave the start behind and head off to cover the

29.7 kilometre course. Not one of the best climbers in the world but

on great form at the moment. I think she is going to sniff the potential

for a win. She will go well on the flat road. She does not mind these

conditions. No problems with cobbles. I think she could do

something today. She won the time trial stage in a big stage race

recently. She finished third overall in that. But showed her form coming

into the Olympic Games. We saw how strong she was in the Olympic Games

-- at the weekend as well. And here is Tara Whitten coming up to the

first time check. She will be the fastest rider. That is no surprise.

We thought she would be the early leader. Healthy lead it is as well,

one minute and nine seconds to the good. Wisely taking it cautiously as

the road tips over. Let's hope the camera stays with her and we can

give you an idea of just how treacherous a descent it is. Forced

to cross these lines in the centre of the road. Trying hard not to

cross them. Evelyn Stevens now from the United States.

She is another major player in the women's peloton. With three stages

and second overall and the King of the Mountains Crown earlier this

year. Another team mate of Lizzie Armistead. She was 12 in the road

race and I think she will be disappointed with that. Audrey

Cordle and not having a great time so far.

Well, this is the footage of Tara Whitten that we've just seen,

actually. Another shot of her going over the top. Here is Emma Pooley,

approaching the climb. The area of the cause she will feel most at home

at. One or two parts of the course where she will really need to press

home any advantage. Olga Zabelinskaya from Russia.

Bronze medallist in London four years ago, in this event and in the

road race, actually. 36 years of age now.

Here is Katarzyna Niewiadoma. You can push on here. Already taken off

the glasses, folded up on the helmet, finding it tough. Slower

than her team-mate, Anna Plichta. Considerably so. Considerably slower

than Tara Whitten, the fastest so far.

Here is Elisa Longo Borghini from Italy. Still early days for her.

She's still on the Coast Road, has got to the cobbled section yet.

We're going to keep referring to it as bad just as an identifier,

despite the fact that they don't actually touch the stones

themselves. What a difference a day makes. Yesterday those beaches

looked absolutely spectacular. Lisa Brennauer, the world champion from a

couple of seasons ago and had a great season last year, won the

women's tour in the UK. Not quite so strong in terms of results this year

but showed her face at the front of the peloton in the road race at the

weekend. She's not at her best, 19th I think in the road race. Not on top

of her form. Yes, she was... Here is Emma Pooley once more come on one of

the Stieber sections. -- steeper sections. Just dancing away there,

one of the lighter riders in this race, not the lightest, but climbing

out of the saddle. You can see here, even when you are a very good rider

like Emma Pooley, it's slow progress. When she retired, she was

widely thought of as the best climber in the world, so this is the

section of the course where she will feel most at home. The second climb

of the two is longer, nearly twice as long, but the radiant is not as

steep. We saw the clock just ticking away, not the fastest time for Emma

Pooley, she will be disappointed by that because this is the area where

she should have the advantage. Most of the favourites are still haven't

gone through the first time check. Turned into that very early and

everybody trying to avoid the white line, or in this case, the yellow

line in the centre of the road but inevitably it needs to be crossed if

you want to use the full width. Looking for the next rider on the

road which should be Karol-Ann Canuel from Canada. It may be a

while before we get a sight of her. Tara Whitten once more, our leader

on the road at the moment. A strong ride if she has put 33 seconds in

the first chunk of this course into a rider of Emma Pooley's calibre,

who was here hunting for a medal, a sizeable gap at this level. Tara

Whitten we're seeing, Commonwealth Games champion in 2010 in Delhi, she

won the silver medal in this event in the Pan American Games last year

in Toronto as well. Not the lowest oppositions but certainly looks

comfortable. Good cadence, there. These roads ever so slightly wind

back and forward for seven kilometres between the two climbs.

Good that this all the way. Staying on those bars for the inside time

between the climbs. Here is the world champion from New Zealand,

Linda Williams all -- lender will Helmes. Her form looked very good,

she looked very comfortable in that road race at the weekend, I thought.

-- Linda Villumsen. Her performance in the road race, she is not known

as a climber but she performed extremely well in the road race.

Secondly, when I actually saw the course yesterday and saw not the

climbs but the terrain between them, I thought they were perfectly suited

to Linda Villumsen. Is aiming today to become only the second woman to

add an Olympic title to her world crown, as a reigning world champion.

She stepped away from riding in Europe and she is largely based in

America right now. We don't have a lot of indicators, she has not

ridden against a knot of the riders here. That 23rd in the road race

shows that she can hold her own. Anna Plichta through the second

check now, at 19.7 kilometres. She has set the mark to beat. It looks

like it will be running a bit slower than we estimated in the conditions

yesterday. Kristin Armstrong, looking for a hat-trick of Olympic

titles. Back-to-back in this event. A winner in both Beijing and London.

42 now, she will be 43 tomorrow. The most experienced rider in the field,

isn't she? Both men and women. She retired from cycling a couple of

times but came back last year and certainly again was able to pull the

peloton along in the women's Road race at the weekend. Saw Armstrong

out on the course yesterday. It looked like hot, hard work for her

on the Grota Funda climb at the time. Conditions could hardly be

more different at the moment. Fifth in last year's time trial in the

World Championships but with a pedigree like hers, she cannot be

ruled out for a podium position today. Ellis Longo Baldini is still

some way away from that first time check but 13 riders from the field

have gone through and Tara Whitten is still the fastest. At the moment,

Emma Pooley went through half a minute behind. -- Elisa Longo

Borghini. Back with the second of the Belgian

riders, Ann-Sophie Duyck. Just come down the dissent off the Grumari

climb. With her experience, she spotted something was trying not to

touch painted surface. That is what the road looks like, you can see a

head Fred leased seven kilometres. We're looking at Ann-Sophie Duyck..

Lotte Kopecky is further along the road.

The road surface is good throughout on this time trial course. Clearly

relayed for it and very smooth. I liked the fact that we have a little

bit of everything. Technical skill but also pure physical ability

required today. Well, Ann-Sophie Duyck was well

down, three quarters of a minute slower than Tara Whitten, going

through the first time check. I don't think she's going to be a

factor today. Here is pristine matcher is -- here is Christine

Majerus, a bit slower than Anna Plichta but the same time as Lotte

Kopecky in front of her. Eri Yonamine of Japan, sets the second

fastest time for the moment. Back on the climb now with Elisa Longo

Borghini. If ever there was a course favouring the road rider, I think

this is it and she will like this terrain. Already a medallist here.

In the road race. Driving up this climb. Ellen van Dijk. She looked

really fired up for this and I know you would expect her to with it

being the Olympic Games, but sometimes you can see it on their

faces and I think van Dyck really set on performing here. This is the

part of the course where she needs to take every advantage. There is a

lot of road here that is well suited to Ellen van Dijk and I think she

spotted the opportunity. Everyone talks about it being a climber's

course but only about 50% of this race is spent climbing and

descending. She's good on the downhill parts, for sure, one of the

best in the world. Ashleigh Moolman from South Africa, a really good

rider herself. The closest so far to Tara Whitten. Roughly a third of the

way through the course now. Very much in touch and pushed over the

top there, probably one of the quickest if not the quickest rider

we have seen starting on the dissent. That could make a

difference today, technical skill. This will be interesting, how close

to the top is Elisa Longo Borghini here? That little lump in the back

of the skin suit as you can see is a radio, they are getting time checks.

They will know she has been the fastest rider and she is, six

seconds ahead of Tara Whitten at the moment. Excellent start from Elisa

Longo Borghini of Italy. She will need to take it a little more

cautiously along -- the longer this dissent runs, because it does get

tighter. Braving the line in the centre of the road by trying as hard

as possible to take it on a sharp angle, spending the minimum amount

of time on it on gaining the width of the road. Switching back to Ellen

van Dijk, who is now well into that climb. It will be addressing to see

where she is at... Oh! A momentary lapse in attention and off the edge

of the road. Well, what a disaster there. Just missed it, just wasn't

looking. Tried to keep it an ace -- as tight a line as possible. She was

into the scrub there. It looked so innocuous for Ellen van Dijk, that

was the last place you would expect her to a problem. If you're going to

come a cropper on this course can do it on the climbs, that is for sure.

But that has broken her rhythm and just as she gets to the foot of the

climb... Well, what a surprise. Just a slight wobble, found herself too

close to the edge and couldn't correct wait to police to. I to you

-- to pull it back. An unexpected stop at the side of the road for

Ellen van Dijk. If she has to climb not her favourite terrain but this

would be what she would choose, short and sharp, get it out of the

way, power up most of it. That was a real shocker, there. You don't see

those very often. Sticking towards the centre of the road now. She

certainly fared well enough on those short couple climbs in Belgium

during her career. Elisa Longo Borghini is the fastest rider so far

to have gone through the first time check. Only six riders have gone

through the second time check, and Eri Yonamine... Tara Whitten has

just gone through, miles quicker than the other six who have gone

through. And I mean she's a long way ahead in terms of time, the second

fastest of the seven who have gone through. Armstrong looking good on

the coastal road. She comes to the first little blip, 200 metres of 15%

and then straight down alongside the cobbled section for the Grumari

climb. Ellen van Dijk doing her best to power her way over the top, she

is catching someone here. Cars and motorbike taken out, Ellen van

Dijk... I tell you what, if she is within 20

seconds and you consider that she spent that time off the bike, she is

on a par with the other riders. That may end up at the end of the day

costing her very dearly. But she has quite a long, fairly flat section to

come once she gets to the bottom of this dissent.

This is evil in Stevens from the United States. Not known to be a

good descender but known to be one of the best climbers -- Evelyn

Stevens. Really pushing hard. Some of these

corners, as I mentioned earlier, 24%, 25% for a few metres, averaging

about 13 for a lot of this climb. They are very familiar with this

course as they covered a couple of laps as part of the road race at the

weekend. No nasty surprises. But it is says the pier at the bottom.

Stephen is fighting her way up the climb. Luckily, the rain staying

away at the moment. It is still a greasy road surface. Another factor

to take into account is some of these riders choose to bail early or

ride into the finish on the final climb in the road race, others like

Evelyn Stevens fought all the way to the line. Well, she is off the pace

now, that is the shore. That is a little bit surprised when. I thought

she would be closer to Elisa Longo Borghini than this. She is quite a

way off the pace, especially when you consider she has not been in the

saddle for long. Evelyn Stevens' time will be a minute slower than

the Italian rider. What a ride by Elisa Longo Borghini. An interesting

character, Evelyn Stevens. She used to work as an investment banker at

Lehman Brothers. She left before the crash to work on her cycling career.

She has certainly had considerable success on two wheels. She turned

into that bend very early there. The ride is just getting down this

descent as best they can as we switch back to Ellen Van Dijk, who

is back on the two rain that she loves back. I presume that must be

Hanna Solovey she is closing on. Hanna Solovey is a former silver

medallist in this race. Here is an Plichta from Poland coming into the

finish. The first out on the course and the first over the line. Here

she comes, with 100 metres to go. The first to put her time up on the

leaderboard, 47 minutes and 59.66 seconds, the time for the rider from

Poland. She will forever be able to say to children and grandchildren, I

remember when I led the Olympic time trial. They have a little area where

the top 36. They have some nice beach lounging chairs under a cover

and a little marquee, and they sit in the hot seat until bedtime is

beaten. Plichta may just about have time to sit down, but she shouldn't

get too comfortable. Ellen Van Dijk about to catch Hanna Solovey.

Driving along, making the most of every metre of this part of the

course which suits her so well. It is quite a long stretch between

these two climbs. Going through on the inside. Everything to take the

shorter route. She is taking it to the limit. I hope she is able to put

that stumble behind her. And Napoleon from Great Britain. -- Emma

Pooley from Great Britain. She is nearly 40 seconds down on the best

time from the first check. Lotte Kopecky from Belgium. The second

rider to reach the finish at the 20-year-old. I think we will hear

more of her in the years to come if she keeps going with her cycling. A

very talented rider. Emma Pooley is nearly a minute in arrears now. I

think it is fair to say she is out of the running today. Not going as

Emma Pooley would have liked at all. The first shot we have seen all day

from the gold medallist from the road race, Anna van der Breggen. She

has a chance of doubling up. It will be close. She is very close to Elisa

Longo Borghini's time. She is over a second down. I would have put her as

the favourite for the day. Good at going uphill, very good at going

downhill. Elisa Longo Borghini is the time trial champion from Italy.

We got a glimpse of her form, she took a medal in the road race. I

think she is in a hunt for a win here. Zabelinskaya. Eri Yonamine

comes in. I think she has set the fastest time so far, of the early

finishers. I think she has caught Christine Majerus. Eri Yonamine from

Japan, by some distance, will set the time to beat, a minute and a

quarter quick than Plichta of Poland. Christine Majerus comes over

the line as well. We have a new leader. We know Tara Whitten is the

fastest time out on the course. Her lead, a minute over Emma Pooley. And

nearly three minutes over Christine Majerus. Even faster again than we

had anticipated. Zabelinskaya was 17 seconds down at the first time

check. Here is Linda Villumsen. Still in contact, but lost some

ground. 13 seconds is quite a lot in a time trial of this length. She

will not be happy with that starting position. She has got time to

rectify things. We switch back to Zabelinskaya. She is already down on

the flat lands between the two climbs. She is from a real cycling

family. Her father won a gold medal in the road race in the Olympics in

Moscow in 1980. She is a rider who was only included in the last

minute, of Friday, as a Russian athlete who has previously tested

positive. We thought she would not be able to compete. Ellen Van Dijk,

an open road in front of her now. And Kristin Armstrong. That is an

extremely fast time for Armstrong. She is still approaching the summit,

but this would not be Herath live favourite part of the course, but

nevertheless, she has gone five seconds in front now. Armstrong, the

fastest on the course at the first time check. Looks like she has got a

nosebleed there. But it does not look as if she has fallen off and

the time doesn't suggest that either. She has a nose dilating

clip. You wonder if that has nicked something. Once the blood vessels

start to dilate, as blood is pumping around the body, the slightest nick

can look quite dramatic. Here is Ellen Van Dijk. She is going up to

the Grota Funda Road. The camera motorbike is staying with her which

is good so we get an idea of this part of the course. It is a very

different part of the course. The descent is of a similar nature as

well. A real judgment call for the riders but plenty of space to ride

about. Lepisto of Finland now, coming

towards the finish. We have not seen much of her. We are right on the

seafront here but you would not know it on a day like this. And Lepisto

with the second fastest time. Among the early finishers. Eri Yonamine is

still the early leader, in the clubhouse, as it were. She will be

sitting in the hot seat. And Lepisto, judging by the look on her

face, will be glad it is over. Armstrong will be pleased with her

start. She was something of an unknown coming into this. She is now

on the Touraine that she likes. She has the potential to build a buffer

now. Tara Whitten is coming in now. She has produced an excellent ride.

She will have to fight for a medal. Fourth fastest at the first cheque.

She will set the fastest time by far. Some considerable margin. Tara

Whitten from Canada, the former Commonwealth Games champion, set the

new fastest time. That Mark will stand for sometime, I think. The

next riders are not particularly close. We are looking at Katrin

Garfoot from Australia. She is not having such a good day to diva. She

was 11 at the first cheque. Not ideal for her stop Anna van der

Breggen briefly we saw. And Heine from Norway, way down today. Anna

van der Breggen is in bronze medal position after the first cheque. The

first three riders are separated by 6.3 seconds. It is all to play for.

It was close in Richmond last in the women's World Championship. Very

close between the top four riders. Just ten seconds separating the top

four in Richmond. It shows you what a momentary lapse of attention might

have cost Ellen Van Dijk who was very much in the running, but

probably lost 20 seconds extricating herself from the foliage and getting

back under way on the first climb. Anna van der Breggen riding well.

Definitely a contender for a medal. Shows you how close it will be. You

mentioned Ellen Van Dijk and whether she will pay for the slight mistake

she made. In London four years ago, Linda Villumsen missed out on a

medal by 1.83 seconds. Elisa Longo Borghini has just gone through the

check in the fastest time. She is better than Tara Whitten by 20

seconds. Not much gain. Nine seconds gain on the intervening seven or

eight kilometres. Here we are with the world champion, Linda Villumsen.

New Zealand have never won a road Olympic gold. She was on the podium

five times in a row but has not quite pushed it over the line, as it

were. They finally got a gold medal last year, you did wonder if she

would forever be on the podium but not the top step. Karol-Ann

if you're wondering what the small boxes are on the back of the riders,

they are not allowed radios for the road race but they are for the time

trial so they can get real-time checks. This woman, Kirsten

Armstrong, a former Olympic champion, she will know exactly

where she is on the road now and will take real motivation from that.

What an extraordinary athlete she is. If she is able to win this race

today, she would equal the all-time record of three gold medals in

women's cycling, a record from the Netherlands. Amialiusik coming up to

the line. She will set the second fastest time that's far, going ahead

of the rider from Japan. Amialiusik of Belarus is in. And over the line

comes Niewiadoma. She is way down. Who I think will be another star

over the next few years. This is Ellen van Dijk, the former world

champion. Second fastest of those who have gone through. 17 seconds

slower at 20k. She is pushing the edge of the road again here to try

to take the fastest line. All or nothing strategy from Ellen van Dijk

here. It has to be, doesn't it? She's managed to claw back a couple

of seconds from that first checkpoint, but she gave away an

enormous amount in a race of this calibre. Without that unexpected

detour into the scrub she would be right there with Elisa Longo

Borghini in terms of time at this point.

One of the best descenders in the field, Ellen van Dijk. The first we

have seen of Lisa Brennauer since she left the start. Let's see how

she is and how she's going overall. A minute in areas. Here comes Emma

Pooley coming down towards the finish. Her face a picture of

determination, she is eating out every second she possibly can but

it's not going to be hurt they -- her day-to-day. Emma Pooley over the

line in 46 minutes and 31 seconds, a minute and a half slower than the

current leader, Tara Whitten. Emma Pooley will be some way short of the

medals today. Yes, she will be disappointed with that, I imagine.

Back now with Anna van der Breggen, nicely settled into a top position,

isn't she? Anna van der Breggen was going very well at that first time

check. Third fastest. Just six seconds in arrears. Definitely means

it's still possible to win this race, absolutely. The fastest in

this race still Ellis along their Borini. Evelyn Stevens will not be

in the reckoning. Olga Zabelinskaya is on her tail. Karol-Ann Canuel the

second of the two riders from Canada, over the line. 46.30.9

three. A minute and they have shy of her compatriot and team-mate. --

minute and a half. So, half of the riders are in and restart to get to

the real business end of the race. With so many of the big names still

out on the course, including this woman here, the world champion,

Linda Villumsen. She competed for Denmark in the Olympic Games in

Beijing and now a citizen of New Zealand. Lisa Brennauer just hasn't

found that form this year that she had last year. Just one stage win

for her during the come current season amid all the races she has

written. A minute in Harriers, she is definitely out of the hunt for

medals today. Lisa Brennauer, not her day, I don't think. A little bit

laboured, perhaps, here, as she tackles this climb. She's not far

the hind that all. Lisa Brennauer makes her way up the climb.

Steady written but it won't take her anywhere near the podium today. --

steady rhythm. So I think we need to see some of the other riders, to be

perfectly honest with you. There you can see the nature of this climb,

completely different to the other one. Big, wide, open expansive road

and no sharp, steep sections of it at all. Twice the length of the

previous climb to two kilometres, doesn't sound like much but it all

adds up. Lost a little bit more time.

Tips over into the descent. Fast descent, similar to what we've just

seen on the way up, low, wide sweeping bends and curves, they will

have to keep an eye on the speed but by and large a lot easier to

negotiate. Olga Zabelinskaya is just behind her, not in front of her. As

Duyck of Belgium is ringing out every last second that she possibly

can. Just to let you know, and Anna van der Breggen goes through in

third position, 16 seconds in arreas. She certainly gave her best,

as Trixi Worrack comes in as well. Petrina Garfoot, the medallist in

the come on wealth games, 83 seconds down on the time of Tara Whitten. It

will not be a ride that will put her on the podium today.

That's a replay of a point I've just made, 16 seconds in arrears.

Understandable that she may just be carrying a bit of fatigue, after her

gold medal success at the weekend. This gold medal descent is fast and

encourages you to go quickly. Lulling you into a false sense of

security. Thankfully the rain has mostly stayed away and the sky does

look a little clearer than earlier. The cloud is certainly higher in the

sky and it was earlier and it's a bit brighter. It was very dark when

the riders set off. Linda Villumsen, now 24 seconds in arrears. Fort

fastest, just outside the medals. Kristin Armstrong is behind her on

the road as well. Kristin Armstrong going very, very well so far today.

She's going to be challenged by Van Duyck and Armstrong. She may slip

off the podium this year. Van Dijk just the hind her. 20

seconds in arrears. As we watch Armstrong powering up this final

climb. Remarkable athlete, as we've mentioned several times, twice the

world champion. Ellis along their Baldini comes into wards the finish.

I think we will have a fastest time here, the way Longo Borghini has

been riding, and we most certainly are, as Longo Borghini sprints up

towards the line. Very, very close! And she has beaten the time of Tara

Whitten by just under ten seconds and is followed rapidly over the

line by Ashleigh Moolman-Paso South Africa. In the meantime, Armstrong

has gone through in second position. We are being shown the second check.

That is a bit of a surprise. Less than three seconds in it? Just three

seconds behind. That's something of a surprise, there. So, Olga

Zabelinskaya going very well. She was 22 seconds adrift at the first

cheque and has come crawling back. Something of a surprise but she's

very much back in the hunt. Here we are with Ellen van Dijk, we haven't

seen her for a little while, still powering her way around the course

and she's still powering her way to the finish line. Just a minute or

two away from reaching the finishing line. Heading back towards the

beach. Can she eke out another second or two to try to make up for

that minor little detour on the side of the road earlier on? Some quotes

coming in from Emma Pooley, saying she was disappointed but she doesn't

regret giving it a go today. Wasn't her day, she said, same conditions

for all, so can't blame the weather, but" it just wasn't my day, I gave

it my all". Can she hold it all the way to the finish? Headwind all the

way today. Meanwhile, back on the course is Anna van der Breggen.

Fourth fastest, Anna van der Breggen. The 19.7 kilometre mark.

She too has slipped off the podium thanks to a fantastic middle section

by Olga Zabelinskaya. There is Linda Villumsen from New Zealand. Fifth

position for her at the intermediate check. Still in the hunt, but here

comes Ellen van Dijk from the Netherlands powering along the road

and looking to eke out any little extra second that she possibly can

now. The Sprint for the line is on for Ellen van Dijk, and she will

just finish inside the time of Elisa Longo Borghini, by just over three

seconds. Van Dijk is the new leader. Longo Borghini of Italy down into

the silver medal position and Tara Whitten of Canada down in third.

Katrin Garfoot of Australia down now. She was six

at the middle cheque, so that 20 second loss by riding off the side

of the road could end up costing her very dearly. She will be very

disappointed as we switch back to her team-mates, Anna van der

Breggen, who is supposedly on the road 12 seconds to the good. How

will she finish? This is the race for the medals now. It's very much

an, not just in terms of her speed or time compared with Ellen van

Dijk, but other riders including this one here, Kristin Armstrong,

going very well out on the course and Olga Zabelinskaya of Russia too.

Anna van der Breggen was quite a way off at the last check, fourth at the

last check. Armstrong just under three seconds behind Olga

Zabelinskaya. This looks like Hanna Solovey -- Solovei of Ukraine. Olga

Zabelinskaya has taken everybody by surprise. That's why we haven't seen

many images but she has had a storming middle section. The race

for the medal is very much on here but Britain's Emma Pooley will not

be on the podium today. It's not her day. Solovei comes across the line

and now we're just waiting for the big favourites, the fastest riders

on the course to come to the line and decide the medals.

STUDIO And we would like to welcome viewers

on BBC One now to coverage of our Olympic time trial here. Ellen van

Dijk in pole position here. Our coverage of this event will continue

on BBC One, so for those of you enjoying it on BBC Two now, we