2024 Cycling Review: Olympic Show Stealers

2024 has been a stellar year both in the Velodrome and on the road. The sensational Tadej Pogačar took his rivalry with Jonas Vingegaard to new levels as he reclaimed his Tour de France throne.

After reigning supreme in 2020 and 2021, it was his Danish rival that asserted his dominance in 2022 and 2023 with back-to-back victories. This year, however, the Slovenian superstar reclaimed his throne as he ripped the yellow jacket back from the Scandinavian star. Now, the pair’s storied rivalry is set to head into a fifth year in 2025, with the bet online making the reigning champion a -200 favorite to emulate his rival by successfully going back-to-back.

While the showdown at Le Tour was certainly a spectacle. There can be no denying that the highlight of the sporting calendar this year was without a doubt the 33rd modern Olympic Games in Paris. The French-hosted showpiece provided plenty of excitement, controversy, and viral moments. Whether it was a questionable opening ceremony, a 100m sprint final for the ages, or a Turkish gunslinger's nonchalance, the Games had something for everyone.

One discipline that shone as it always seems to do was cycling. For the first time in a generation, the Olympic events weren't dominated by Great Britain. The Brits have been the dominant force both on the track and the road, finishing with the most gold medals in each of the last four Games, rising to the summit of the overall medal table as a result.

But this year, their reign of dominance finally ended. Several nations shone brighter than others throughout the two-week-long showcase, but who came out in top overall?

The host nation always seems to find a way to take things to another level at the Olympics, and 2024 was no different. Les Bleus has the finest rugby player in the world in their ranks in the form of Antoine Dupont, and he helped his nation to gold in the Rugby Sevens.

Arguably the country's greatest ever football player Thierry Henry became a manager of the French football team. They made it to the final of the football tournament, but they were downed by Spain who reeled off their third major title of the year. In cycling, the French weren't satisfied with second place and ultimately came out on top for the first time since Sydney 2000.

The hosts earned a total of three gold medals, level with three other nations. However, as they had more silvers than two of them and more medals overall than the other, they were deemed the overall table toppers. And let's face it, they were deserving victors.

One of the most memorable moments was their complete sweep of the men's BMX racing podium. Joris Daudet, Sylvain Andre, and Romain Mahieu captured gold, silver, and bronze respectively, marking the only podium sweep by any nation in any event at these Olympics and the first since Usain Bolt led a Jamaican 1-2-3 in the 200m at London 2012. Benjamin Thomas added another gold to the tally by winning the grueling men's omnium race, while Pauline Ferrand-Prévot claimed a grueller of her own by winning the women's cross-country.

The Netherlands secured three golds of their own this summer, en route to claiming seven medals overall. The Dutch have emerged as a powerhouse in recent years, finishing second to Great Britain in each of the last two games. With the Brits falling off their pedestal this summer, the Oranje may well view this as a missed opportunity to have topped the cycling medal table overall. Had they provided ample backup to their main man, then they may well have done exactly that.

That star of the show was, of course, Harrie Lavreysen. He competed in an unprecedented sprinting hat trick. winning golds in both the individual and team sprints, as well as the keirin race as well. The 27-year-old was the undisputed king of the velodrome, and he is now a five-time Olympic champion to boot. Providing him with ample support in four years in Los Angeles will be crucial should the Dutch wish to top the charts outright.

Australia was the most recent nation to top the cycling medal charts before Great Britain's dominance, claiming a whopping six golds in Athens two decades ago. They made their mark once more in Paris and came within a whisker of usurping the French.

The team of Oliver Bleddyn, Sam Welsford, Conor Leahy, and Kelland O’Brien, delivered a flawless performance to claim gold in the men's team pursuit, while Saya Sakakibara was another highlight, securing the top step of the podium in the women's BMX racing. Meanwhile, Grace Brown shone on the road, winning the winning time trial ahead of Britain's Anna Henderson.

The United States have topped the overall medal table in each of the last four games and seven times in the last eight, but this year they managed the top spot by the skin of their teeth. Both the Stars and Stripes and China finished with 40 golds overall, but it was the Americans who came out on top by having more silvers than their rivals from the Far East. One event that the US hasn't shone in over the years is cycling, sitting way down in seventh in the rankings overall.

This year, however, they too managed to claim three golds. Kristen Faulkner claimed gold in the women's road race, while also helping teammates Chloe Dygert, Jennifer Valente, and Lily Williams win their first-ever gold in the women's team pursuit. Meanwhile, the aforementioned Valente added a second gold to her tally by successfully defending her title in the women's omnium.