Rio 2016 - Moolman-Pasio's gallant ride

It was another gritty display from South Africa’s leading road racer. 

Lying seventh after the first 10km split she hit the deck shortly afterwards and despite hanging in there with every fibre of her tiny body was unable to make up more time as she ended 2min 02.69sec behind American Kristin Armstrong.

Armstrong will start her 43rd birthday celebrations a day early. 

Moolman-Pasio, who will sport some battle scars on her left hip, can still stand way taller than her 1.63m frame. 

She may not look back at her Olympic performance as being a great success but she will return to her Italian base and then back to South Africa in the knowledge that she’s been SA’s best female road racing performer at the Olympics to date. 

‘It’s really tough when you come to an Olympics having put so much into it and hope everything comes together but unfortunately that wasn’t the case for me, both in the road race and the time trial," said Mollman-Pasio.

In the road race [where she placed 10th] she experienced some mechanical problems with her brakes, which she only discovered after the race and then on the first steep descent in the time trial, she tried a conservative but fast descent and slid out. 

So another Olympic Games done and not the results she was looking for, but she still did her best to make her country proud. 

" Conditions weren’t great but I’m normally a good technical rider so when I saw the rain I thought that counts out those who are scared," she added.

" Usually I would make it through but must have just hit some oil on the road and went sliding along the tar. But it is what it is. I’m not usually scared.

" I knew that was a steep technical descent but didn’t think it was a spot where the race could be won but definitely where it cold be lost and unfortunately it had to be my loss. 

" As I’ve always said over and over again, cycling is a very strange sport … you can prepare as much as you like, be in the best possible shape but then it’s just not your day."