1998 – A star in the making

Fabian Cancellara was aged just 17 when he first gave an indication of his blossoming talents on the world stage.

The Swiss ace – ‘head and shoulders above everyone else in the time trials’ according to the national junior team coach – beaten Germany’s Torsten Hiekmann, winner the previous year ahead of Michael Rogers, and Pippo Pozzato to pull on his first rainbow jersey in Valkenburg.

Twelve months later, in Verona, he repeated the trick – again winning the junior time trial, this time ahead of Rouslan Kaioumov and Christian Knees.

2006 – Classics success

Following his Paris-Roubaix near-miss in 2004, more top-ten finishes followed at the Classics before Cancellara went even better in 2006.

A fixture at the front of the race at Paris-Roubaix, the Swiss rider attacked on the Carrefour de l’Arbre sector of cobbles and could not be caught.

Riding solo into the Roubaix velodrome, Cancellara powered to what would prove to be the first of many Monument victories.

2008 – Milan-San Remo

Fabian Cancellara’s 2008 season was a season of two halves – both packed with as much success as the other.

A time trial victory in stage five of Tirreno-Adriatico helped him to overall victory and proved the perfect build-up for Milan-San Remo just days later.

A modified finish to the race, due to roadworks on the Via Roma, was supposed to make the race easier for the sprinters but Cancellara had other ideas.

Bursting clear of the sprinting favourites just a few kilometres out from the finish line, the Swiss rider put his time trial prowess to good use to stay clear and become the first of his countrymen to win the race.

The victory was reflective of what made Cancellara so popular – his willingness to attack in the finale of the big races, and animate proceedings rather than wait for a sprint.

2009 – Crowd pleaser

Cancellara won his first senior world title in the time trial in Salzburg in 2006, and followed it up with his second in Stuttgart the following year.

Having decided not to defend his title in 2008, mentally fatigued by his efforts through the year, Cancellara returned in his home country the following year.

Racing in Mendrisio, Cancellara returned to the top step of the podium – beating Olympic silver medallist Larsson and rising star Tony Martin to pull on the rainbow bands once again.

The Swiss ace then finished fifth in the road race, narrowly missing out on his stated target of a double victory, but he was to win the world time trial again the following year.

That victory was his last, but he has added two more bronze medals to his palmares since, in 2011 and 2013.

2010 – King of the cobbles

Perhaps one of the most iconic years of Cancellara’s glistening career was the first after the turn of the decade.

In the jersey of Swiss national champion, Cancellara did battle with Belgian champion Tom Boonen in the cobbled Classics and was simply unstoppable.

Victory at E3 Harelbeke preceded success at both of the cobbled Monuments, achieved thanks to some stinging attacks.

At the Tour of Flanders, only Boonen could match Cancellara’s first move before the Swiss ace powered away again on the Muur van Geraardsbergen to drop his rival and solo to victory.

One week later, Cancellara rode away from the leading group on the Mons-en-Pevele sector of cobbles, 50km from the finish line, and soloed to victory.

Such was his domination, allegations surfaced that he may have used a concealed motor – allegations that have never been proven, and that Cancellara has always strenuously denied.

2012 – yellow jersey record

Cancellara’s later career has been one regularly affected by injuries – with his 2012 season one such example.

A discarded water bottle in the feed zone at the Tour of Flanders curtailed his Classics campaign – Cancellara fracturing his collarbone in four places.

That injury was to resurface at the Olympics, where the Swiss rider misjudged a corner while in the breakaway and fell heavily on his right shoulder.

Though there was no further fracture, Cancellara finished the race in tears after missing out on a shot at the gold medal and the injury hampered him in the time trial too where he finished seventh.

In between, however, Cancellara did set the Tour de France record for the most yellow jerseys worn by any non-Tour winner.

In fact, Cancellara was the only rider other than Bradley Wiggins to wear the yellow jersey at the Tour de France.

2016 – Signing off in style

All of which brings us to Rio 2016 and the individual time trial on the hilly coastline course in the wind and rain in Brazil.

Cancellara was not fancied for the race – time trial victories, especially over longer distances, have been much fewer in his later career.

But he should have been because on the day the Switzerland superstar was in a league of his own.

Cancellara timed his ride to perfection, setting a decent time over the first circuit and leaving plenty in reserve to power into the lead over the second part of the circuit.

The tears that flowed as the result was confirmed were followed by sheer delight on the podium – the crowd’s reaction reminding everyone what a popular winner Fabian Cancellara is.