CANYON//SRAM Racing and CANYON//SRAM Generation will have eight riders compete at the upcoming Olympic Games Paris 2024. Diane Ingabire (Rwanda) and Ese Lovina Ukpeseraye (Nigeria) from CANYON//SRAM Generation will compete at their first Olympic Games. From CANYON//SRAM Racing, Elise Chabbey (Switzerland), Chloé Dygert (USA), Antonia Niedermaier (Germany), Kasia Niewiadoma and Agnieszka Skalniak-Sójka (Poland) and Maike van der Duin (Netherlands) will also take to the start line across the individual time trial, road race and track disciplines. Niedermaier, Skalniak-Sójka, and Van der Duin are making their Olympic debuts, while Chabbey competes for the second time but in a different sport.

The women’s Individual Time Trial is on 27 July, the Road Race is on 4 August, the Team Pursuit final is on 7 August, the Madison is on 9 August, and the Omnium is on 11 August. The complete list of riders is:

Elise Chabbey – Switzerland – Road Race.
Chloé Dygert – USA – ITT, Road Race, Team Pursuit.
Diane Ingabire – Rwanda – ITT, Road Race.
Agnieszka Skalniak-Sójka – Poland – ITT, Road Race.
Antonia Niedermaier – Germany – ITT, Road Race.
Kasia Niewiadoma – Poland – Road Race.
Ese Lovina Ukpeseraye – Nigeria – Road Race.
Maike van der Duin – Netherlands – Omnium, Madison.

RIDER REACTIONS

Hear from some of the riders ahead of one of the biggest races of their careers.

Elise Chabbey: “I’m going to enjoy my second Olympic Games. It’s an advantage to have been at the Olympics before, but competing in London in 2012 with Kayak Slalom is an entirely different sport. In Kayaking, the Olympics is the only opportunity to show the sport and perform in front of many people. It’s a lot of pressure because it’s once every four years. In cycling, we have so many nice races—the Giro, the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, the spring classics—we have many opportunities to shine, so I feel like it removes the pressure of performing on the one day of the Olympics.”

“The road race is unique because it’s a small bunch, hard to control, and has different dynamics than all other races. You have to be strong and smart and have some luck on the day to make it happen. Tokyo Olympics reminded us that everybody has the opportunity to shine, and things need to fit perfectly to get on the podium’s top step. We want a medal for Switzerland, and gold is the target. It’s ambitious and a hard challenge, but everything can happen, so we will play all our cards and see what happens.”

“I’m recovering from my crash in the Giro where I have contusions in two ribs and a minor fracture in my foot. It’s painful, and my foot is swollen, but luckily, I don’t need surgery. I need to handle the pain and usually be back training soon. It’s not the ideal preparation, but it is like this, and I’m lucky it’s not that bad, and I can still compete.”

Chloé Dygert: “I’m excited to be selected for my third Olympic Games. Looking back at Rio in 2016, I took everything for granted. I remember Rio better than Tokyo because I was happier and healthier. I respected and felt so much more grateful for being able to go to Tokyo after my accident. I realised and understood better that being selected for the Olympics is such an accomplishment and that it’s such a massive dream for everyone.”

“The experience of having already been to the Olympics and the demands around that one-in-four-year event depends on the rider’s mindset. I can’t put the Games on a pedestal, or I won’t be able to perform. I see Paris as a race, like national or world championships.”

“I have Kristin Armstrong as my coach again. She’s been to four Games herself and won gold three times in the same event I’m trying to win. She shared her experience of handling pressure on and off the bike, and that’s helpful. I feel blessed by God with a strong mindset and ability to take on pressure and adapt to all situations.”

“The original plan was to do our team camp in December, go to Australia for Tour Down Under super fit, do the spring classics, hit the first part of the season hard and then have a break before the Olympics. But that didn’t go to plan. I had an Achilles injury in December and tried to push things too fast to get back to spring racing. After Flanders, with the trauma from the two crashes in the race, flaring up the Achilles injury running up the climb, and the Olympics coming up, a decision was made to stop and fully recover to be prepared for the Olympics.”

“I had three weeks off the bike, and when I got back on the bike, it was thirteen weeks before the ITT at the Games. I remember thinking I couldn’t do it; there was not enough time. But the team and my coaches Kristin and Gary (Sutton) reassured me I could as long as I had no more setbacks. Halfway through the lead-up, I’d been at a track camp in Zolder, Belgium, with the USA team, and after that, I got Covid. I thought this was the setback that I couldn’t have.”

“I came back to the US, had some days off, relaxed, restarted, did my altitude preparation, and then started to break times that I hadn’t broken ever and see power numbers I hadn’t seen in a very long time. It shows again that it’s about trusting the process, believing the team around me, and trusting God’s plan. There were times when I thought I wasn’t going to make it. But I’m here in Boise for the last preparation and feeling good.”

“For me, it’s important that the ITT is the first event. I race on the 27th and fully focus on the 27th for the 40-minute effort. I’ve seen footage of the ITT course. We will only know what road furniture has been removed once we ride it closer to the day or what roads have been repaved. It is a power course. After the 27th, it’s ITT turned off and I’ll leave the village to spend some time on the track with the team to prepare and do some sessions on the road course. Hopefully, the road race will be raced hard enough to eliminate some sprinters.”

Diane Ingabire: “I’m incredibly excited about the opportunity to compete in the Paris Olympics 2024! It’s a dream come true and a chance to showcase my hard work and dedication. I’m looking forward to representing my country and experiencing the incredible atmosphere of the Games. It’s an honour and a motivation to push myself even further.”

Kasia Niewiadoma: “With ten years of racing experience and having already prepared twice for an Olympic Games (Rio, Tokyo), I find myself with a calm focus and relaxed going into the Olympic Games Paris 2024. In the past, I have been overwhelmed and stressed before major events, but now it’s different.”

“I understand there are only two outcomes: either I get a great result or not. All I can do is prepare myself to the top shape and race my heart out; the result will be the sum of both things. I’ve gone through many ups and downs in my career, and now I know how to manage my feelings.”

“The Olympics is enormous for my country, the Polish public, and people who don’t necessarily follow cycling closely. I take this race as an opportunity to help women’s cycling grow in Poland. It always takes one good result for the country to be interested in certain sports. As a child, I remember watching Justyna Kowalczyk winning medals at the Olympics in cross-country skiing; all I wanted to do was be like her. Fifteen years later, I want to be like her for other young girls in Poland.”

“I haven’t done a recon of the course yet, but from the profile, I see the course looks suitable for many riders. I hope that makes the racing dynamic and aggressive from the start.”

“My preparation has been going to plan. I always feel like I want to be doing more, but thankfully, my coach keeps a close eye on my training and recovery. I’m hungry for the big efforts in the race. We want to race for a medal! I dreamed of that moment, and our Polish team is strong enough to make that dream a reality. I know the road race differs from the time trial, in which you only fight against yourself and time. Anything can happen, but I believe luck will also stay on our side.”

Agnieszka Skalniak-Sójka: “These are my first Olympics. Since childhood, I have dreamed of performing at the Olympic Games. This dream is becoming a reality and is the reward for all my dedication over the years.”

“I have recovered after racing the Giro d’Italia. This is my biggest goal for this season. I know how hard it is to get to the Olympics, so I want to make the most of these chances. I’ve only seen the courses on Veloviewer. The ITT course looks fast, and I like it!”

“At the big events, as shown in the World Championships last year, sometimes the favourites are under tremendous pressure and don’t make it. And someone on whom no one bet has a chance to stand on the podium. I have no expectations of the event or the race. I want to give my best on the day, be proud and not feel sorry for myself after crossing the finish line. Of course, I have dreams of what I want to achieve, but I set myself a top eight.”

Ese Lovina Ukpeseraye: “Going to the Olympics has been a big challenge for which I worked hard. It involved a lot of sacrifice and a lot of patience. I live far away from my family, which is a difficult task. But it’s my dream, and I get up every morning to be better and realise my dream. Being a professional athlete and going to the Olympics is an enormous opportunity, especially because it means I can help my family in the future.”

“I never really believed I could race at the Olympics. A lot of people dream of participating, but most never have the chance. It’s one of my biggest races, but I don’t want just to participate. I’m alone in the peloton, so I must be vigilant and wise to do my best.”

“My training is going well. Sometimes, I find it difficult, but when I look at what is in front of me and what I am targeting, I know I must push hard. Paris will be a fight from the beginning to the finish line.”

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