Olympics Time Trial

The individual time trial was introduced for both men and women at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, replacing the track-based individual pursuit format used in earlier Games. It has been part of the Olympic cycling program ever since.

Riders start individually at set intervals—usually 90 seconds to two minutes apart—and race solo against the clock over a point-to-point or circuit course. The rider with the fastest total time wins, with no drafting or team tactics permitted.

The men's Olympic time trial course is typically around 40–50 kilometers, while the women's course is usually somewhat shorter. The exact distance and route change with each host city's local geography.

American cyclist Kristin Armstrong won three consecutive women's time trial gold medals at the 2008, 2012, and 2016 Olympics. On the men's side, Bradley Wiggins of Great Britain won gold at the 2012 London Games.