Were they capable of beating France? Sure. Did anyone expect dominance? Probably not.
As always, there have been some big surprises and shocks on the first day of the Olympics.
The cycling road race was ridiculous. First there were several devastating accidents and at least one rider ended up at the hospital.
Second, Polish cyclist Rafal Majka was cruising as he came back into town. He extended his lead from nine second to nearly :30.
But then he crumbled. First Belgian Greg van Avermaet passed him. Then Denmark’s Jakob Fugslang blew by.
Near the very end of the race, just short of the finish line, Majka, who had been so brilliant for so long Saturday, stopped pedaling.