Uganda's Charles Kagimu described the men's road race at the Paris Olympics as "the longest" he has ever done.
Kagimu finished 77th in a time of 6 hours, 50 minutes, and 49 seconds on Saturday, making him the last of the 90 riders to complete the race.
He trailed over four minutes behind his nearest competitor.
Thirteen cyclists, including Rwanda's Eric Manizabayo, did not finish the race.
Muharud Mukasa and Ernest Buule, who last represented Uganda in individual cycling at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympics, did not finish their races, marking Kagimu's performance an achievement.
"The race was really, really long," Kagimu said.
The one-day event spanned 272.1 km, taking in sights like the Trocadero, Left Bank, Versailles, and Montmartre.
Kagimu spent almost 190km at the front in a breakaway. "It was nice to get a head start and ride at a pace that suited us. It's a pity some of the guys weren't pushing on, but I'm happy I managed to finish."
Kagimu, who also served as Uganda's flag bearer alongside swimmer Gloria Muzito during the opening ceremony, had to endure cold and rainy weather. "After the opening ceremony, I was really sick. On Saturday, I could barely get out of bed," Kagimu told Cycling Weekly.
Despite his illness, Kagimu persevered. "I had to race. There was nothing else to do but give it my all."
Belgium's Remco Evenepoel won gold with a time of 6 hours, 19 minutes, and 34 seconds, followed by French cyclists Valentin Madouas and Christopher Laporte, who took silver and bronze, respectively.
Kagimu recently won gold in the African Games Time Trial event held in Accra, Ghana.
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