US rider Kristen Faulkner sprints clear to win women's road race at Paris Olympics

PARIS (AP) — Kristen Faulkner timed her attack to perfection to win the women's road race at the Paris Olympics on Sunday, becoming the first American rider in 40 years to win a medal in the event.

The 158-kilometer (98-mile) route started and finished in Paris, with Faulkner crossing the line at the Trocadéro in a fraction under four hours.

Faulkner finished 58 seconds clear of Dutch rider Marianne Vos, Lotte Kopecky of Belgium and Blanka Vas of Hungary, who were separated by a photo finish with Vos taking silver and Kopecky clinching the bronze.

Faulkner and Kopecky caught up Vos and Vas with about three kilometers left. As Faulkner attacked, the other three hesitated and then could not catch her.

She only had the Eiffel Tower and glory ahead of her.

The 31-year-old Alaska native is the first American to win a road race medal of any color since the 1984 Los Angeles Games, when Connie Carpenter and Alexi Grewal swept the gold medals. ___

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games