Bumps, cracks and potholes: Just how bad are the roads for the Paris Olympics time trial?

In the words of those set to race on them, the roads of the Paris Olympics time trial course are "bumpy", "bad", and, more bluntly, "pretty shit".  

That last evaluation came courtesy of Remco Evenepoel, the reigning world champion, who during his route recon on Thursday, was taken aback by the conditions of the 32.4km course. 

"The first and last five kilometres are pretty shit roads," the Belgian said. "Then it is straight and fast. Quite some beautiful sightseeing as well. But the road surface is pretty bad in the beginning and in the end. So that might be a problem if you have black spots in front of your eyes in the last kilometres."

Evenepoel was not alone in his criticism. Three-time time trial world champion Ellen van Dijk said she thought it's "a pity" the surface is so bad. "There's a lot of bumps and holes, but everyone's got to deal with it," she added. 

So just how rough are the roads in central Paris? Well, on the eve of the Games' first cycling events, Cycling Weekly took a stroll down Boulevard Saint-Germain to inspect the surface close up. 

The road in question, one of Paris's key arterial routes connecting the west and east, makes up both the opening and closing four kilometres of the course. It is a road this Cycling Weekly journalist knows well, having thrown up (from food poisoning) on one of its kerbs a handful of years ago.  

Along a two-kilometre stretch by the famous Les Deux Magots café, we saw unevenly laid tarmac, cracking, and areas of degradation so deep the original cobbles are visible. There are no crater-like potholes, but some of the most damaged parts have been highlighted with pink paint. 

Despite the riders' comments, members of the public using the city's pay-and-go Vélib' bikes seemed nonplussed by the conditions. Those bikes do, however, weigh more than 20kg and come with fat, often flat, tyres. 

For the pros riding fine-tuned TT machines on Saturday afternoon, it's likely to be a bumpy ride. "There's been a lot of resurfacing and so [there are] some potholes but it's gonna be fun," said Team GB's Josh Tarling ahead of his Olympic debut.  

Current weather forecasts indicate there will be rainy conditions for the riders, particularly those competing earlier in the afternoon. This means that, in a silver linings kind of way, many of the course's potholes will be signalled by puddles of water. 

The first rider will go down the start ramp in the women's race at 13:30 BST, with the day's final rider, Evenepoel, beginning his effort shortly after 16:21 BST. Here's how to watch all the cycling at the Paris Olympics, and a detailed guide to the time trials.