Narrowly missing Paris Olympics medals 'so close it's painful' for Blanka Vas

Blanka Vas (Hungary) and Marianne Vos (Netherlands) climb the crowd lined street of the Côte De La Butte Montmartre
Blanka Vas (Hungary) and Marianne Vos (Netherlands) climb the crowd lined street of the Côte De La Butte Montmartre (Image credit: Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

In the end game of the Paris Olympics women's road race, Blanka Vas (Hungary) looked to be set to secure at least a silver medal when she escaped with Marianne Vos (Netherlands) in the final 20 kilometres, but in the last 5km, Kristen Faulkner (USA) and Lotte Kopecky (Belgium) caught the duo.

After Faulkner escaped and rode to victory, Vas was left having to sprint for the medals against two of the biggest names in the sport – but finished fourth by millimetres in the photo finish behind Vos and Kopecky.

There was a mix of sadness and joy in the 22-year-old's eyes as she told Cyclingnews, "It was close so it's painful. Again the fourth place."

Finishing out of the medals was heartbreaking but Vas looked on the bright side. "I think I need to be happy because I was in the final. It was an exciting race, I was all the time in the front... I still have some years to improve. I'm still young so it's a big motivation again for the future."

"I remember in my first cyclocross podium in Belgium, I was second behind Marianne Vos, so this was in my head, maybe now, I can go and do it again, just in the Olympics. Unfortunately, not but in cyclocross, we have been fighting together, and I had the same feeling [here] - it's just so special to ride with her."

"I came to the race without pressure. I just wanted to enjoy it - I had some wheels in my head, for example, Marianne's and Lotte's wheel. And I was like, maybe if I'm there, I would like to follow them. So this was my goal. I think I need to be happy because I could follow them, and it was a really hard race. I just need more experience."

Laura Weislo
Managing Editor

Laura Weislo has been with Cyclingnews since 2006 after making a switch from a career in science. As Managing Editor, she coordinates coverage for North American events and global news. As former elite-level road racer who dabbled in cyclo-cross and track, Laura has a passion for all three disciplines. When not working she likes to go camping and explore lesser traveled roads, paths and gravel tracks. Laura specialises in covering doping, anti-doping, UCI governance and performing data analysis.