Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

Quite how you muster up the energy for a sprint finish after racing for five and-a-half hours in the searing mid-day Greek heat is beyond me.

But then I guess that's why I'm sat here compiling today's countdown piece about the 2004 Olympic cycling road race champion, .

Temperatures were already touching 90 degrees in the shade when the 144-strong field began the first of 17 circuits of the 8.2 mile course.

Doctors esitimated that athletes would need to drink around 10 litres of fluid to cool them down on the 139.4 mile ride.

And for many it was just too tough an ask. Granted, a handful crashed out, but the vast majority of the 69 riders who didn't finsh, couldn't stand the heat, which reached 104 degrees.

There were several notable casualties, including France's seven-time Tour de France King of the Mountains winner , 2003 Tour best young rider of Russia and Spain's then two-time world champion (now three) .

There were numerous attempted breakaways, but the decisive one came with a couple of laps to go when Bettini and Sergio Paulinho broke away.

It provided a gripping finale, with the Italian summoning up enough energy to surge past the Portuguese rider in the final 100m to take gold.

Has there ever been a more energy-sapping race in Olympic history?