The race starts harmoniously. Untypically, however, a leading group soon forms on the fast course with the Frenchwomen Pauline Ferrand-Prevot and Loana Lecomte, the Austrian Laura Stigger and the Dutchwoman Puck Pieterse. While Alessandra Keller moves closer to the top three in the pursuit, Stigger drops out of the quartet, and the leading trio was not to last much longer. At the start of the second lap, top favorite Pauline Ferrand-Prevot attacks and quickly gains a lead. Pieterse's attempts to keep the gap within limits also put Lecomte in trouble.

Lecomte held on to third position until the end of lap three, but was then caught by Jenny Rissveds (SWE) and Laura Stigger and now tried to hold on to their rear wheels. Probably battered, the Frenchwoman crashes heavily in the Rockgarden and remains motionless. Her compatriot, on the other hand, stubbornly extends her lead and leaves no doubt about her status. At the start of the fifth lap, Pieterse is the first to follow, over 1:40 minutes behind, followed by Rissveds, Stigger and Haley Batten (USA), who has fought her way back after her puncture, a further 40 seconds later. And Alessandra Keller also closed the gap again, keeping her medal hopes alive, especially after Pieterse lost ground due to a puncture.

Pauline Ferrand-Prevot went into the final lap with a lead of over three minutes and kept up the pace until the end. While she has shown no emotion in every race this season, barely cracking a smile, tears of joy burst from her eyes in the final meters and the French fans start singing the Marseillaise, the French national anthem, before the podium ceremony. "I said to myself: no, it's not possible, it's not for me, it's a dream," says Ferrand-Prevot as she tries to find the words. "It's a great feeling, but to be honest, I don't really realize what just happened. I don't know what to say."

The highly exciting duel between Jenny Rissveds and Haley Batten for second and third place was almost drowned out by the joy of the fans. Batten has the better end of the deal and celebrates silver, while Rissveds is by no means disappointed with bronze. The disappointment was rather on Puck Pieterse's side, who lost the almost certain medal due to the defect and finished fourth. Fifth place went to Great Britain's Evie Richards, Laura Stigger finished sixth. 

Alessandra Keller's last chances of a medal also ran out of steam. After the bike change, the Swiss athlete fought her way up to seventh place and achieved her minimum goal of an Olympic diploma. "The pace was horrendous at the start, almost like the final lap of a short track race. But things came together again afterwards and I was back within sight of the medals. Then I took a bit too much of a risk when I tried to pass Batten and co. and rode into a crawl. In the downhill that followed, I ran out of steam. I gave it my all and am happy with my performance, but not with seventh place," summarized Keller.

The second Swiss rider, Sina Frei, was also unlucky. She lost her shifting battery early on and finished in 21st place.

Results