The Olympic Cycling Road Race is a storied event with a rich history of diverse winners. Remember Greg Van Avermaet's fight in Rio de Janeiro? And recently, Richard Carapaz taking on Brandon McNulty in Tokyo. Another cyclist will be awarded soon at the Paris 2024 Games.

Interestingly, no cyclist has ever managed to secure two gold medals in this competition, with the exception of Alexander Vinokourov from Kazakhstan, who won gold in London in 2012, following a silver medal in Athens 12 years earlier.

Now, let's take a quick spin through time and check out the champs from the past. From Aristidis Konstantinidis of Greece in 1896 to Richard Carapaz of Ecuador in 2020.

Olympic Road Race Champions from 1896 to 2020

Early Years to 1960s
Aristidis Konstantinidis of Greece took the first win in 1896 and when cycling was back on the menu in 1936, Robert Charpentier from France. Italy's Ercole Baldini and Viktor Kapitonov of the Soviet Union also claimed gold in the 1950s and 1960s.

1970s and 1980s
The 1970s and 1980s brought victories for riders like Hennie Kuiper of the Netherlands and Bernt Johansson from Sweden. Soviet cyclist Sergei Sukhoruchenkov and Alexi Grewal of the United States added to the list of champions.

1990s and Early 2000s
Fabio Casartelli from Italy and Pascal Richard of Switzerland stood atop the podium in the 1990s. Jan Ullrich of Germany and Paolo Bettini from Italy dominated the early 2000s.

Richard Carapaz The Reigning Olympic Road Race Champion

In more recent years, cyclists like Samuel Sánchez from Spain, Greg Van Avermaet of Belgium, and Richard Carapaz from Ecuador have earned their place in Olympic history as gold medal winners in the road race. Carapaz having won in 2021, becuae the Tokyo Olympics were delayed that year due to Covid-19.

Connie Carpenter of the United States took the first women's gold medal in 1984. Other notable winners include Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli of France, who triumphed in 1996, and Marianne Vos of the Netherlands, who secured victory in 2012. And the surprise shock win by Anna Kiesenhofer of Austria in 2020.

But the excitement doesn't stop there! With each new Olympics, a fresh hero takes the stage, making this race one of the most anticipated events on the cycling calendar. So, keep your eyes on the road because we're revved up and ready to see who will ride into glory at the 2024 Paris Olympics!

Men's Olympic Road Race Winners

• Aristidis Konstantinidis (Greece) - 1896 Athens
• Robert Charpentier (France) - 1936 Berlin
• José Beyaert (France) - 1948 London
• André Noyelle (Belgium) - 1952 Helsinki
• Ercole Baldini (Italy) - 1956 Melbourne
• Viktor Kapitonov (Soviet Union) - 1960 Rome
• Mario Zanin (Italy) - 1964 Tokyo
• Pierfranco Vianelli (Italy) - 1968 Mexico City
• Hennie Kuiper (Netherlands) - 1972 Munich
• Bernt Johansson (Sweden) - 1976 Montreal
• Sergei Sukhoruchenkov (Soviet Union) - 1980 Moscow
• Alexi Grewal (United States) - 1984 Los Angeles
• Olaf Ludwig (East Germany) - 1988 Seoul
• Fabio Casartelli (Italy) - 1992 Barcelona
• Pascal Richard (Switzerland) - 1996 Atlanta
• Jan Ullrich (Germany) - 2000 Sydney
• Paolo Bettini (Italy) - 2004 Athens
• Samuel Sánchez (Spain) - 2008 Beijing
• Alexander Vinokourov (Kazakhstan) - 2012 London
• Greg Van Avermaet (Belgium) - 2016 Rio de Janeiro
• Richard Carapaz (Ecuador) - 2020 Tokyo

Women's Olympic Road Race Winners

• Connie Carpenter (United States) - 1984 Los Angeles
• Monique Knol (Netherlands) - 1988 Seoul
• Kathy Watt (Australia) - 1992 Barcelona
• Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli (France) - 1996 Atlanta
• Leontien Zijlaard (Netherlands) - 2000 Sydney
• Sara Carrigan (Australia) - 2004 Athens
• Nicole Cooke (Great Britain) - 2008 Beijing
• Marianne Vos (Netherlands) - 2012 London
• Anna van der Breggen (Netherlands) - 2016 Rio de Janeiro
• Anna Kiesenhofer (Austria) - 2020 Tokyo