"My back wheel hit a rock at the bottom, and it just exploded" - Candice Lill looks back at her shocking mechanical during Olympic MTB race

Many pre-race favourites for an Olympic medal at the women's mountain bike saw their hopes vanish in crashes, mechanical problems and so on. Candice Lill was no exception as her ambitions were crushed in a shocking scene.

Speaking to Cycling Weekly after the event, Lill said she was "disappointed" with how the race played out.  "I rolled down one of the steep roll-offs, and my back wheel hit a rock at the bottom, I think, and it just exploded," she explained. "I honestly don't know [the state of the wheel now]. The rim is completely cracked, so the wheel is not round anymore. I blew the tyre wall off the rim and everything."

"At first it was a shock. There was a big, loud noise, as well. I then had to get off my bike and start running," Lill continued. "I had to run down to the tech zone to change the wheel. It was not actually too far, but it takes time to change the wheel and everything and get going."

Naturally, she lost too much time to return to the mix for medals, let alone a good result. The South African managed to finish the race in 20th place, more than nine minutes behind winner Pauline Ferrand-Prévot. For the 32-year-old lady who came 2nd in the test event in Les Gets three weeks ago, this is not what she came for to Paris.

Lill, too, had hoped to be on the podium at the end of the day. "I wanted to shoot for a medal, for sure," the South African said. "I had a really good season coming into this with the mountain bike World Cups. It's a really disappointing day, a disappointing result, but I think, in a way, I know I did my best. I know I was here to fight for a medal, and I had the shape to do it, but it just didn't work out."