Rio stages successful Olympic cycling test

France's Alexis Vuillermoz heaped praise on Rio 2016 organizers after winning the International Road Race Challenge on Sunday, an event that also served as an official test for next year's Olympics.

Vuillermoz finished ahead of Belgian Serge Pauwels and countryman Romain Bardet in a field of 80 cyclists.

"It was an excellent event for me, especially because it was full of great competitors," Vuillermoz said.

"Obviously the event will be a lot bigger next year but I'm happy. The organization was great, there weren't any problems."

The 165km course, which was shifted by organizers during the week due to protests, began at Copacabana beach and ended in the neighborhood of Sao Conrado.

Vuillermoz added: "The course had some difficult parts, but I think it was a great test. The organizers can take a lot of confidence from today. It was of the same standard as events on the international tour." Endi