The start and finish locations for this Olympic race were exactly the same.
After setting off from Trocadéro Square, the riders would first follow the race director's car for a 5 km ceremonial ride, with 90 riders from different countries taking part.
Once they reached the 0 km mark, the peloton would be released for the official start, allowing all the riders to head west out of Paris.
They would then ride out into the suburbs, complete a large loop, and return to Paris from the east.
With roughly 50 km remaining, the riders would pass the famous Seine River, enter the final climbs of Montmartre Hill, and circle the renowned Sacré-Cœur Basilica three times.
After completing the final ascent of Montmartre Hill, the riders would change course, return beneath the Eiffel Tower, cross Jena Bridge, and head back to the finish line in front of the Palais de Chaillot: Trocadéro Square.
Once the ceremonial ride ended, the peloton burst forward like a herd of unleashed wild horses. Five riders immediately launched the first breakaway.
They were Eric Manizabayo of Rwanda.
Thanakhan Chaiyasombat of Thailand.
Achraf Ed Doghmy of Morocco.
Christopher Rougier-Lagane of Mauritius.
And Charles Kagimu of Uganda.
For riders from these five countries to launch a breakaway, nations with genuine gold-medal hopes naturally had no need to pay them any attention.
Professional racing was, after all, full of unspoken courtesies.
Knowing these smaller nations lacked the strength to contend, the stronger countries let the breakaway go at the start simply to give these less capable athletes a chance to show themselves.
Huang Chong and Lü Xianjing, meanwhile, stayed tucked into the middle-to-rear section of the peloton, conserving their energy.
Having raced in the UCI WorldTour for so long, Huang Chong was already thoroughly familiar with the style of