Huge cheers from a horde of orange-clad Dutch fans as multiple world TT champion Ellen van Dijk gets underway. This is a massive chance for her.

Taylor Knibb has also just crashed twice in quick succession: first at the exact same spot as Uttrup Ludwig, then moments later on another corner.

Uttrup Ludwig goes down! Her bike completely slides out from under her on a chicane through the Bois de Vincennes. She’s back up and riding quickly, looks unhurt, but that was unfortunate for her.

Taylor Knibb has just through the first time check a full 30 seconds faster than the Dane – she is FLYING. Back at the start line Emma Norsgaard is underway, targeting a top 10 finish.

Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig has just set the fastest time at the first time check, at the Chateau de Vincennes: 17.28:77 – but only a second faster than Afghanistan’s Yulduz Hashimi, who is putting in a strong ride.

A couple of nervy moments in quick succession: the Slovenian Eugenia Bujak nearly slips out of the start gate, grabbing onto the side to avoid going down, just before Taylor Knibb’s back wheel nearly slides out beneath her on a speed bump. Both disasters are averted but it seems likely we’ll see more of that in the wet.

The weather conditions haven’t kept the spectators at bay, though, with Parisians lining the inner-city streets to cheer the riders on.

Taylor Knibb is another exciting prospect in this race. She’s also competing in an entirely different sport, the triathlon, and is a real contender for a top 10 here – although she is better suited, unsurprisingly, to longer efforts.

Conditions are slick: the camera following the riders is spattered with raindrops and the rain doesn’t look likely to let up. Fingers crossed everyone gets around this course smoothly.

The first six riders are out on the road. The Czech rider Julia Kopecky (not that other Kopecky) has just rolled down the start ramp onto the sweeping start of this course.

35 riders will take to the start line with 1 minute 30 seconds between each rider, beginning with Slovenia’s Urska Pintar at 1.30 BST. All times BST.

• 1.36:00 : Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig – Denmark
• 1.40:30 : Taylor Knibb – USA
• 1.57:00 : Audrey Cordon Ragot – France
• 1.58:30 : Emma Norsgaard – Denmark
• 2.00:00 : Ellen van Dijk – Netherlands
• 2.09:00 : Lotte Kopecky – Belgium
• 2.10:30 : Elisa Longo Borghini – Italy
• 2.13:30 : Juliette Labous – France
• 2.15:00 : Demi Vollering – Netherlands
• 2.16:30 : Anna Henderson – GB
• 2.19:30 : Grace Brown – Australia
• 2.21:00 : Chloe Dygert – USA

Reminder that you can watch on discovery+, the streaming home of the Olympic Games, and the only place you can watch every moment of Paris 2024 this summer.

Defending Olympic TT champion Annemiek van Vleuten isn’t competing, following her retirement last year. Countrywoman Ellen van Dijk could succeed her: she is a triple world TT champion but broke her ankle training in June, so the Games may (or may not) have come slightly too early for her. Lotte Kopecky of Belgium has an enormous engine – which will also be in action on the track — and is in fine form, although a case of Covid post-Giro d’Italia has hampered her prep. For Team GB, national champion Anna Henderson is a consistent high achiever, fourth in last year’s World Championships and a strong contender. Australia’s Grace Brown has only not finished on the podium once in 10 ITTs since the last Olympics and is looking to cap off her career with Olympic gold before she retires at the end of the year. American Chloe Dygert is the last to set off today and is probably the favourite to take gold to add to her two world titles – and it would be some achievement after an illness- and crash-disrupted couple of seasons.

It’s an extremely flat, fast course suited to the time trial speciallists, without too many technical corners and with just 150m of elevation gain. Timechecks are at the 13.4km and 22.3km mark, both at the Chateau de Vincennes. The biggest obstacles are likely to be the Paris potholes, which world TT champion Remco Evenepoel was unimpressed by, and the rain. It’s been a sodden few days in the capital and the roads are very slick.

For the first time at the Olympics both men and women will be competing on exactly the same course, a flat 32.4km loop starting and finishing at the Pont Alexandre III – the longest women’s time trial in Olympic history. In theory it’s a beautiful, scenic parcours, following the Seine and taking in some iconic Parisian landmarks such as the Place de la Bastille, although the riders won’t be paying too much attention to the sights if they want to bag a medal.

Bonjour et bienvenue to day 1 of the Olympics and day 1 of cycling action in Paris! We’re kicking things off with the women’s individual time trial, where a stacked field – including the likes of Demi Vollering, Ellen van Dijk, Lotte Kopecky and Grace Brown – will be battling it out for gold on the streets of the French capital. After the fever dream that was yesterday’s opening ceremony it’s time to get down to business, with the first of many cycling medals on the line.