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<\/a>Louis Meintjes finished in 7th place in the Road Race at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Saturday 6 August. Photo: Douglas Ryder (Twitter Post)<\/span>\n<\/div>\nThe Men\u2019s Road Race was the first event to go on Saturday morning, with Meintjes finishing in an incredible seventh place and Impey attaining a top-30 result with 28th place. There was no doubt about it \u2013 the route was technical and hard and the heat and humidity was telling on the bodies, and the end result showed that the technical nature of the route claimed the world\u2019s best riders with some damaging consequences. But Meintjes and Impey remained out of trouble and safely crossed the finish line. Greg van Avermaet (BEL) was the eventual winner with Jakob Fuglsang (DEN) second and Rafal Majka (POL) third.<\/p>\n
Meintjes (24) said: \u201cI think we had a very good race. It was a pretty technical course and very hard, and it was really hot out there that day. In the end I think Daryl and I worked well together. In general the tactics were pretty good as well. Daryl was there and making sure that no dangerous moves broke away and he supported me into the final climb, where I bridged to the front group. Right until the end we were a small group fighting for the medals and unfortunately it was just seventh for me, but I think we can be happy with that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Impey (31) showed his class by supporting Louis for most of the race, into the final climb. He shared his experience of the Olympic race and what it meant to him. \u201cThe Olympics is a unique event and one of a kind. Although the course didn’t entirely suit me I came here with the idea of giving it my best and preparing as best I could, knowing that representing my country at an event of this quality deserves that. I was really happy with my performance and my early mechanical may have taken that final edge needed to push further into the final but near the end I spoke with Louis and he was feeling good. We decided the best tactic for us would be for him to try ride away on the final climb and so I positioned him well going into it before my day was over.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was an incredible performance from him and a highly credible ride. I would like to thank all our staff here that made our lives as easy as possible and also everyone for their words of encouragement afterwards. I am proud to be an Olympian and to have played a role in Louis\u2019 great ride. Being here in Rio is an achievement in its own right and definitely a career highlight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sunday afternoon saw the Women\u2019s Road Race take to the streets of Fort Copacabana in strong windy conditions. Moolman-Pasio finished in an amazing 10th place, with An-Li Kachelhoffer crossing the line in 39th place. As with the Men\u2019s race, the course was treacherous and the technical descent claimed the Dutch leader, Annemiek van Vleuten, who crashed incredibly hard and lay concussed against the side of the road for quite some time. This must\u2019ve been a shock to the riders who passed her soon afterwards. Anna van der Breggen (NED) claimed the gold medal, with Emma Johansson (SWE) second and Elisa Longo Borghini (ITA) third.<\/p>\n
An-Li Kachelhoffer (28) shared how the race unfolded. \u201cGoing into the race, I knew that it was a climber\u2019s course. For me the tactic was to support Ashleigh as best as I could before the last climb. The first two laps were fine and the weather conditions felt okay \u2013 I didn’t really notice the wind because I was so focused on the race. The wind however, did play a part with the speed going out and coming back.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe main thing was not to let a break gain more than a minute. We had to look at the other teams as well because some of them had more riders and if they had no-one in the break, they could work as well to bring the break back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speaking about her first Olympic experience, An-Li said: \u201cIt\u2019s a lifelong dream! I told my dad when I was four-years-old that I was going to be here one day. If you haven\u2019t changed as a person coming into the Olympic Games, then it wouldn\u2019t mean anything. I am really content and it is everything that I have hoped for. The support from South Africa has been over the top! The messages have been incredible \u2013 thank you!\u201d<\/p>\n