American Mara Abbott drops from 1st to 4th in heartbreaking sprint to finish line
After the Netherlands' Annemiek van Vleuten crashed on a descent while leading the women's Olympic road race Sunday, 30-year-old American Mara Abbott took the lead with around 10 kilometers left until the finish.
Abbott held a 30-second lead on a pack of three riders, but as the distance dwindled the chase began to gradually catch up, taking turns leading the pack to maximize their advantage over the lone rider.
With just a few hundred meters remaining Abbott was in sight of Dutch rider Anna van der Breggen, Sweden's Emma Johansson and Italy's Elisa Longo Borghini - but it seemed she still had a chance to cross the line before she was caught to win an unexpected gold.
Unfortunaely for Abbott, her legs had nothing left. She was caught and passed by the three riders on the final stretch with 150 meters remaining, and van der Breggen would go on to win the gold. Abbott was understandably heartbroken, but she managed a smile in her post-race interview on NBC.
A hug at the finish for Mara Abbott from teammate Kristin Armstrong. pic.twitter.com/2hIvv4Tjxf
— Jason Gay (@jasongay) August 7, 2016
