Power ranking every single sport at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics

31. Cycling (Race Types)

We made it! Race types! And honestly, it didn't take very long. There are so many races at the Olympics, and if we're being transparent, that's how it should be. We start with cycling. It’s not the worst race type in the Olympics, but it’s up there. We love the endings of the races, but they are long. Let’s focus on the road race because it can be insane from start to finish. Unlike the time trials, the road race starts with every cyclist on the line. They all go at once. 

There is a major issue here. The race is 273 kilometers long. For those doing the math in their heads, that’s just under 170 miles long. The races take more than six hours. Who has time for all that?

Often, there is an exciting ending, so that does save this sport’s ranking. At the last Olympics, Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz won the race by a full minute, but the race for silver and bronze was insane. Eight cyclists technically produced the exact same time as they raced to the finish. They were bunched together pedaling as hard as they physically could after a six-hour literal marathon. It was a sight to see. 

These hours-long events just don’t need to happen anymore. We appreciate celebrating endurance, but this feels like something straight out of Fear Factor. Setting limits to endurance events would create a better viewing experience, and as much as we want to talk about the ethics of the Games, this is truly just a TV product at the end of the day.