When the Dutch team raced the women's road race on Sunday, it was their last chance to win a cycling road race medal at the Paris Olympics. Lorena Wiebes was the team's leading contender, but the team had some very strong options available if the race did not fall into the hands of a sprinter.

After Wiebes and Tour de France winner Demi Vollering were caught in the back of the peloton when a crash split it, the onus was on the Dutch to save their medal hopes, having won their first track gold in Beijing 2008 and London 2012 It fell on the shoulders of the talented and experienced Marianne Vos, who won gold in the road race.

Twelve years later, as she crossed the finish line in a group of three in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, she had already missed the gold medal by a solo run by Kirsten Faulkner (USA), but still had two medals left to chase.

"It was a really close race. I think everyone felt the legs," Boss said after the race in Paris.

"You try to sprint, but there's not much sprint left. You try to sprint, but there's not much sprint left.

The gap between Vos and Belgian favorite Lotte Kopecký and Blanka Vas (Hungary) was only a few centimeters. However, a photo finish revealed that Vos won the silver medal, her third medal in 16 years since her first.

"It's been a huge journey to get here and to be selected to represent the Netherlands," Vos said. 'The Paris Olympics are really special, but coming here has made me want to race for medals and gold. When you are leading you have to make the best of the situation and if a silver medal is the best I can do, I am very happy."

For a while, however, a third gold medal seemed within reach for the athlete who had been diligently preparing for his fifth Olympics. When the pace of the nine-man lead group slowed with around 23km to go and the gap to Vives, who was closing in, Lizzie Deignan (GBR) rejoined with teammate Anna Henderson and chose to accelerate. Vass and Vos, who had also competed in mountain bike cross-country events in Paris and Tokyo, responded. And when Dignan waved the flag, the Dutch and Hungarian riders continued the move caused by the riders from Great Britain.

With a gap of over 30 seconds, it looked as if the gold medal would be decided in a sprint contest between the 22-year-old Vas and the 37-year-old Vos, but the chase in the back group continued. Faulkner and Kopecky finally began to chase alone with less than 10km to go.

"I had a good situation with Blanca," Faulkner said. 'I could feel Lotte and Kristen getting closer, but when they joined up and Kristen attacked, I didn't have the legs to react. Kristen was incredibly strong and I couldn't give her a meter of space."

And it became clear that a silver medal was what she wanted.

"We just have to keep running. Lotte came out of the last corner first and then ran as fast as she could. It was very close, but it was enough for the silver medal."