“No, definitely not! I said at the beginning of the year what was going to happen this year – 35 or 44, whatever it changes nothing”.
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Froome was bidding to emulate Sir Bradley Wiggins by winning the Tour de France and Olympic gold in the same year, 17 days after riding into Paris in the yellow jersey for a third time.
Froome, who also won time trial bronze at London 2012, had been co-favourite for gold with Dumoulin but was not disheartened by another third place. But he was never able to match the pace of Cancellara, falling behind at the first check-point and finishing 1:02 behind him. I gave it everything I had out there today, but Fabian was unbeatable.
Though Rohan Dennis moved in front by the second check, at 19.7km, the Swiss came back to lead the Australian rider by nearly 18 seconds at the end of the next sector, at 34.6km. The change was calm and quick, but the precious seconds that Dennis lost likely cost him a medal.
But Cancellara had other ideas, storming to a farewell gold by 47 seconds from Dumoulin, with Froome more than a minute behind.
And it paid off – the gold in Rio being the icing on the cake for the 35-year-old, who bows out of professional cycling on a high.
In the earlier women’s time trial over a Britain’s Emma Pooley – a silver medallist in Beijing eight years ago – trailed in a disappointing 14th after coming out of retirement to race in Rio.
Cancellara rolled through as fans pounded the barricades lining the road.
“But I want more than this (from life)”. After missing out on gold in London and all the ups and downs I’ve had since then, this is just wonderful to win the gold today. And he will leave the quadrennial gathering much more satisfied than he did four years ago, when he crashed out of the leading group late in the London road race.
Froome had tried to cling on to his Tour-winning form, which included a stage win in an Alpine time-trial, but was unable to do so. “After winning the Tour this summer, to be back on the Olympic podium is just fantastic”.
Dumoulin and Froome were considered the favorites heading into the race, and the Dutchman didn’t look bothered by his ailing hand.
Dumoulin’s silver was the first ever medal in an Olympic time trial by a Dutch rider.
“No regrets today”, Froome said. “Everyone is telling me I should be very proud of myself, especially with the last couple of weeks, how it was after the injury”.
As for Froome, the last two months appeared finally to catch up to the British star. “To come here and to try to back it up and to come away with a medal is really special”.
“I wasn’t going to be making up a minute on Fabian”, Froome said.
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“I had my objective at the beginning of the year, that was the gold medal – I didn’t succeed”.
