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Dutch rider van der Breggen wins Olympic gold in road race

Victor of the women’s road World Cup in 2011, van Vleuten was riding as a teammate to Vos, Anna van der Breggen and Ellen van Dijk on Sunday.

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One-time Olympic champion Chris Boardman led the criticism of organisers – claiming not enough barriers were protecting the riders and arguing the race was not safe.

Van Vleuten was negotiating a tight right-hander when she went head over heels.

She laid motionless while medical help arrived. No medical updates are available at this time.

Initial reports on Twitter from the Dutch Cycling Federation said Van Vleuten was “okay”.

Armitstead’s main competition comes in the form of Anna Van der Breggen, from the Netherlands, who is one of the best climbers in the world and won the hilly La Fleche Wallonne in the spring.

Lizzie Armitstead, who was cleared to compete for Great Britain after appealing a suspension following three missed drugs tests, was never able to get involved in the medal reckoning and finished fifth.

“This was way past technical, this was unsafe, and it means people who designed the course have seen it and left it”. Riding is what I love doing and it’s the place I feel calm and happy.

“I’m angry about it because I went down there and had a look at the course and saw those edges”.

“Obviously I’ve lost quite a lot of sleep and it’s been a hard time, but it’s not an excuse”.

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“I didn’t give up”.

Armitstead pride despite missing out on olympic medal at end of traumatic week