The British were supposed to dominate the Olympic road race in London, ushering sprint ace Mark Cavendish over the lumpy course in the Surrey countryside and delivering him to the finish at Buckingham Palace.Instead, Kazakh rider Alexander Vinokourov boldly broke away for gold.Four years later, things could be even more unpredictable when riders line up at famed Copacabana Beach on the first full day of the Rio Olympics.The first medal event of the cycling program will feature one of the most challenging road courses in Olympic history, a hilly ride on the Brazilian coast that could whittle the field to a handful of riders by the time they reach the finish at Flamengo Park.Its a really gnarly course, said Jim Miller, the vice president of athletics for USA Cycling.Just as gnarly is the time trial course, which uses a rolling portion of the road course, and at 36 miles for the men and nearly 20 for the women is long enough to tax even the most powerful riders.I think its maybe one of the hardest stand-alone time trials Ive ever seen, Miller said. You are looking at an hour-long TT for the guys, and one thats not at all straightforward.Indeed, the road races and time trials are complex events. Here is a breakdown of what you should know:COURSES MATTERFast, flat courses favor sprinters, and the courses in Brazil are neither flat nor fast. They are more like a one-day race in Northern Europe, complete with cobbled sections and tough climbs. Riders such as Tour de France champion Chris Froome could have a chance to shine.AMERICAN HOPESThere are only two American men in the event, Taylor Phinney and Brent Bookwalter. Phinney has medal aspirations -- he was fourth in both races in London. The American women will arrive at the Rio Games as heavy favorites. Megan Guarnier is the top-ranked rider in the Womens WorldTour and will be backed on the road by a strong cast of veterans, while Kristin Armstrong is the two-time and defending time trial champ.I feel prepared, Armstrong said, and am really looking forward to the challenging time trial course.NAMES TO WATCHAlejandro Valverde and Joaquin Rodriquez of Spain, Vincenzo Nibali of Italy and Rui Costa of Portugal are some of the men with the skills suited for Rios road course. Reigning gold medalist Marianne Vos and fellow Dutchwoman Anna van der Breggen are among the headliners in the womens field, while Britains Lizzie Armitstead will have to survive the tough climbs to have a shot.In the time trial, Bradley Wiggins decided to compete on the track rather than defend his gold, so Tony Martin becomes the favorite with Dutch rider Tom Dumoulin and Australian star Rohan Dennis joining Froome in trying to dethrone the German powerhouse. In the womens race, world champion Linda Villumsen of New Zealand, German star Lisa Brennauer and Ellen van Dijk of the Netherlands should contend.I have great memories of London and winning bronze in the time trial, Froome said. I will be giving it everything I can in Rio to try and win another medal for Great Britain.WHO IS MISSINGVinokourov retired shortly after his road race triumph in London, while Cavendish joined Wiggins in switching back to the track. But the biggest name missing is world champ Peter Sagan, who decided to compete in mountain biking after deciding the road course was too tough for him.The aim is to achieve the best result, said Slovak Cycling Federation executive Jan Zilovec. Peter in the past managed to win the World Cup in mountain biking, so his chances of a good outcome are realistic.AVOIDING CONTROVERSYVinokourov put doping in the spotlight with his victory in London after his much-publicized history with performance-enhancing drugs. But perhaps getting more attention during the run-up to Rio has been mechanical doping, the use of tiny motors inside frames to give riders an edge. The sports world governing body, the UCI, has poured money and research into developing tablets and other devices to test for improper mechanics. Keeping the race controversy-free has never been more complex.Its cheating, and people will always try, UCI president Brian Cookson said. But well be working with the IOC, well have delegates to the technical checks and well work together to ensure a clean race. Cheap Nike Basketball Jerseys . - Oakland Raiders running back Rashad Jennings was speaking to a group of local high school students earlier this week when the conversation turned to the importance of being prepared when opportunities in life arise. Stitched Basketball Jerseys . 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LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- After months of barbs and sparring between Olympic and anti-doping officials, World Anti-Doping Agency president Craig Reedie expects an end to public conflict.The rift has widened since July, when a WADA-commissioned report detailed a state-backed doping program in Russia for the 2014 Sochi Olympics and across summer and winter sports.The International Olympic Committees leadership rejected WADAs call to ban all Russian teams from the Rio de Janeiro Games, and the agency has since seemed to have fewer allies in world sports.Reedie told The Associated Press on Wednesday he sensed a truce after two days of WADA-hosted meetings with Olympic officials that worked beyond my expectations.Any public criticism that there has been, certainly from our side and I am sure now from the Olympic movement side, will stop, said the WADA president, who was also an IOC executive board member in the tense lead-in to Rio.WADAs role in anti-doping will be debated at an Olympic summit in Lausanne on Oct. 8, and IOC President Thomas Bach has called upon his members to bring fresh ideas.Still, asked if WADA was under threat, Reedie says: I would be very surprised. Why would it be?We have been under pressure and strain because of cheating in the biggest country in the world, Reedie said. It shook the IOC, it shook the (international sports federations), it shook us. We move on.The Russian evidence in Canadian lawyer Richard McLarens investigation will bbe revisited, likely within weeks, when his final report is published.ddddddddddddLate October is once more the target for publication, despite McLaren saying last week it was several months away as he analyzes evidence of corruption at the Sochi Olympics and in Russian winter sports and soccer.WADA director general Olivier Niggli told The AP on Wednesday that he spoke with McLaren over the weekend and confirmed the original deadline.It might be early November. This is not prolonging by several months, Niggli said.That timetable would allow WADA to digest the reports impact before Nov. 19-20 meetings of its foundation board and executive committee in Glasgow, Scotland.Reedie chaired a meeting of the WADA executive Wednesday that included two IOC board members -- Ugur Erdener of Turkey and Gian Franco Kasper of Switzerland -- plus the Olympic bodys medical director, Richard Budgett.Erdener and Budgett declined to comment to The AP after the meeting.While WADA has seemed under attack by the Olympic family, it has been the victim of a cyberattack on its database of athletes private medical records. WADA has said hackers linked to Russia are responsible for the leaks of dozens of athletes data which began last week.Niggli said the Montreal-based agency is working with the FBI and RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) on the case. 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