That race was huge for American road cycling. So many guys my age got into road racing after this race and really changed to course of my life and many others. I still race today.

No one specifically mentioned that Greg Lemond (who was commentating) missed the 1980 Olympics when the  USA boycotted in 1980 before he turned professional.  He would have been the Gold medal favorite in the Road Race as he had won multiple medals at the Amateur World championships.  He went on to win two World Professional Road Race championships.

I was a category 4 racer in Cincinnati in 1988. Grewal was a pro with Team Crest, sponsered by Proctor and Gamble. We had a 4 day race for Cincinnati's Bicentennial. I got to see Grewal ride, dude was awesome.  7 Eleven's domestic team, ( Frankie Andreau) Pepsi Fanini (Roberto Gaggioli, John Eustice) were also there.  I was with Team Speed, sponsered by Mike's Bikes. Our Pro rider was Gerry Fornes, a Canadian. He later would finish second to Francesco Moser in Mosers last race in Canada. It was an awesome time to ride and race, the 80's were golden era of American bicycle road racing.

I remember Alexi said he watched "Conan the Barbarian" the night before to get psyched up.

I watched this race live on TV in 1984! What an unbelievable win by Alexi. Thanks for uploading.

With these two races, that day, to this 5yo kid, an obsession began…

This is the race that got me into cycling. The movie, American Flyers and Lemond becoming the greatest American cyclist helping seal the deal on making cycling my sport for me for the rest of my life. I raced my first race in 85 at 12 years old and continued on to race in neo-pro ranks for a few years.

This is the greatest American roadrace win in history, Alexi sprints to the gold. I love that during the broadcast, Greg LeMond states "this is the biggest step in cycling history". What a great finish, and beginning to a beautiful era in America cycling.

OC looks so different now

Thanks for the upload! Super 🙂
Nice aero tuck there by Bauer at 07:46. All Froome and Mohoric needed to do several decades later was come down a little onto the top tube and Boom!

Had never seen this race before -- just the last few seconds.  Thanks for uploading.

That was really good for American cycling. I was really pulling for Phinney. I am imagine most American cycling fans were already going crazy for Greg Lemond. Just finished 3rd in the Tour just before these Olympics and was also World Champion at the time.

Thanks for posting this video. That was a tough little course. Especially in that July heat. Bauer went on to an epic pro career. Grewal never quite made it as a pro after the Olympics.

Wow. They pushed big gears.

Thanks for sharing this video i have 20 year's living here 😮 i never know before about the Olympics on mission viejo

I remember the L.A. Times article explaining our advanced technology of extracting blood, separating the red blood cells, and then injecting them back into the athletes for better oxygen delivery. It wasn't the beginning or the end of the doping years of top level cycling. Basically if it wasn't specified that it was illegal than it was still a go. Although controls have gotten much better I'm sure there's still plenty of secret sauce commonly used at the top levels of plenty of sports.

I was lucky enough to get in a breakaway with Thurlow Rogers at the Masters national criterium championship, a few years later.
Spokane.

Bauer and Lauritzen both had a long pro career after these Games.
I don't remember anything from Grewal or Sæther.

Wow thanks for sharing this!

I was there, I remember this.