'That was really, really long' - Meet the rider who finished last in the Paris Olympics road race

Charles Kagimu was the only person from the early breakaway to complete the course, just a week after he was bedbound with illness

Charles Kagimu at the Paris Olympics
(Image credit: Alex Whitehead/SWpix)

There was a moment, over half an hour after Remco Evenepoel had crossed the line to win the Paris Olympics road race, when the crowds in the stands at Trocadéro erupted into cheers. 

Riders halted their post-race interviews, and looked back over their shoulders in the media zone. Photographers, who had left their finish line positions, swivelled on their feet, pointing their cameras back towards the Eiffel Tower. Some rose onto their tiptoes to try and see the source of the commotion. 

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Tom Davidson
Senior News and Features Writer

Tom joined Cycling Weekly as a news and features writer in the summer of 2022, having previously contributed as a freelancer. He is fluent in French and Spanish, and holds a master's degree in International Journalism, which he passed with distinction. Since 2020, he has been the host of The TT Podcast, offering race analysis and rider interviews.

An enthusiastic cyclist himself, Tom likes it most when the road goes uphill, and actively seeks out double-figure gradients on his rides. His best result is 28th in a hill-climb competition, albeit out of 40 entrants.