At the 1984 Olympics on July 29, 1984, Alexi Grewal of the United States won the gold medal in the men's individual road race in 4:59:57, followed by Steve Bauer of Canada with silver and Dag Otto Lauritzen of Norway with bronze. The race covered 118.2 miles over 12 laps of a 9.85-mile course, with 136 participants representing 44 nations. A boycott initiated by the Soviet Union included many eastern bloc countries. Dacis Phinney, considered the best sprinter, was favored to win, but on the extremely hilly Mission Viejo course he lost ground and finished fifth. In the second-to-last lap, Grewal and Bauer broke away, and Grewal beat Bauer by less than a wheel's length to take gold.
