TOKYO, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The nature of the Olympic Road race, with teams having a maximum of just five members as opposed to eight or nine, makes it harder to predict the winner, with the lack of teammates making the race almost impossible to control, and a breakaway by a small group of riders always has a better chance of success.

The men's race being held less than a week after the end of the Tour de France is another key factor, with riders having very little time to rest, recover and acclimatize and adjust their body clocks after finishing in Paris on Sunday.

The course for the men's race is a 234-kilometer slog that includes 4,865 meters of climbing with the slopes of Mt Fuji as an emblematic backdrop, and the sheer amount of climbing means this is no race for specialist sprinters.

The winner will be someone who can climb well and have a kick, and if they are able to launch an individual attack, that could also be a huge advantage. Reigning world champion Julian Alaphilippe would have been a clear favorite, but he is not in the French team, while reigning Olympic champion Greg Van Avermart could have a decent chance of retaining his Olympic crown, while his Belgian teammate Wout Van Aert will also be a favorite.

Van Aert has won one-day classics and can sprint and he showed his versatility in the Tour de France, with wins on the mountain stage up the double climb of Mt Ventoux, in Saturday's time trial, and in Sunday's sprint on the Champs Elysees in the last stage of the race.

The Belgians also have an interesting option in youngster Remco Evanpoel, who started the year brilliantly and led the Giro de Italia. Evanpoel didn't race in France and his fresh legs could be a big advantage in Tokyo.

Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar will probably start as favorite and has everything that a possible Olympic champion needs for success, although his fellow Slovenian Primoz Roglic might be a better bet in Tokyo, as he has similar attributes and should be fresher after withdrawing early from the Tour after a fall.

The Yates brothers will spearhead the Great Britain team, while the Dutch also look competitive with Tom Dumoulin back in the fold after his brief absence from the sport, along with Bauke Mollema, who won a stage in a breakaway in the Tour, and Wilko Kelderman. If Dumoulin is at his best, he could also have options of a medal in the time trial.

It will be interesting to see how Poland's Michael Kwiatkowski performs with the shackles of being the road captain and super-domestique of the Ineos-Grenadiers removed to allow him freedom to ride for himself.

Charismatic Slovakian Peter Sagan would normally be a favorite, but will be hampered by recent knee surgery and the fact that he is the only member of his team, while romantics could look at 41-year-old Alejandro Valverde, who is looking to end his career on a high note and has the support of a powerful Spanish team that looks well equipped to cope with any climbs Mt Fuji can throw at them. Enditem

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