Although Biniam Girmay will be Eritrea's flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics on Friday, most of the cycling medal contenders will miss the glamorous four-hour parade down the Seine River.

The 16-day competition schedule means that many athletes have not yet arrived in Paris or are prioritizing rest and preparation over the 6,500 athletes participating in the opening ceremony.

The women's and men's time trial will be held on Saturday afternoon, the women's mountain bike race on Sunday, and the men's mountain bike race on Monday. Most of the cycling medal contenders will not be staying at the official Olympic village on the west side of Paris, but at their countries' performance centers in quiet but luxurious hotels on the outskirts of the French capital.

Medal candidates such as Britain's Josh Tarling, Italy's Filippa Ganna, and Italy's Elisa Longo Borghini and Ellen Van Dyke will not participate in Friday's four-hour opening ceremony, which takes place 24 hours before the race.

Ganna will compete in the time trial and then return to Italy to rest and prepare for the team pursuit on the track. French team leader Julien Alaphilippe is still competing in the Czech Tour.

“I don't know exactly what time the ceremony is, but we'll see,” said Tarling, who, understandably, put winning gold in his Olympic debut ahead of the parade.

Gilmey will also represent Eritrea in the time trial, but is prepared to sacrifice some of his chances in order to fly the flag for his country, his agent, Alex Carrera, admitted to Cycling News.

Girmay is the first black African rider to win a stage at the Tour de France and also took the green points jersey, making him a hero in Eritrea, where cycling fever is high.

MTB cross-country rider Nino Schluter is another flag bearer for Swiss cycling.

“It's a real honor,” he said. 'Mountain biking was always the last day and Tokyo was totally different (COVID-19). It's a great honor and a pleasure to be there.”

While the opening ceremony is traditionally held inside the Olympic Stadium, the Paris Olympics uses historic sites and buildings in Paris for each event. Saturday's time trial will start at the Invalides and finish at the magnificent Alexandre III Bridge. The road race starts and finishes at the Trocadéro near the Eiffel Tower, with a final lap around the Montmartre district.

Details of the Paris opening ceremony are being kept secret, but the four-hour, $250 million event has been described as “a show like no other,” with the city's monuments and riverbanks creating a “great fresco” celebrating Paris, France, and the Olympics. 3000 dancers perform on the rooftops of buildings along the Seine, and Therion Delon, Lady Gaga, and French-Italian singer Aya Nakamura will sing classic French songs during the event.

“Why should we build a set when we are on the most beautiful stage in the world?” said artistic director Thomas Jolly.

Unfortunately, rain is forecast for Paris during the event. One inch of rain fell overnight, but up to three inches could fall Friday night in Paris.

“The forecast has completely reversed since Thursday. Models are now predicting a 70-80% chance of rain during the opening ceremony of the Olympics,” Cyril Duchêne of La Chêne Météo told France's AFP news agency.

340,000 spectators will be allowed to watch the opening ceremony from the banks of the Seine, but 45,000 police officers and private security guards will protect the event from any attack under tight security. The area along and around the Seine has been sealed off for several days and bridges have been closed, angering local residents, tourists, and businesses.

The boat parade of athletes will start from the Austerlitz Bridge, passing Notre Dame Cathedral and other landmarks of the French capital before arriving at the Eiffel Tower for a final light show and possibly fireworks at the Trocadéro.

About 7,000 athletes will parade down the Seine in 80 riverboats, with Gil May, American basketball player LeBron James, and tennis player Coco Gauff as flag bearers.

Cyclist Fariba Hashimah will be the female flag bearer for Afghanistan, and Aaron Gate will be the flag bearer for New Zealand before focusing on track events on August 5.

The torch will also sail down the Seine before the Games are officially declared open by French President Emmanuel Macron and two French athletes take the Olympic oath.

President Macron said at the Elysee Palace on Monday, “At first, it seemed a crazy and not very serious idea. But we decided it was the right time to make this crazy idea a reality.”

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