Anna Henderson claims SILVER in the women’s individual time trial in treacherous conditions as the cyclist makes it a memorable first day for Team GB

Anna Henderson won silver for Great Britain in the women’s time trial at the Paris Olympics, beating third-placed American Chloe Dygert by less than a second.

In wet, dangerous conditions that caught several riders off guard, Henderson clocked a time of 41 minutes, 10.7 seconds over the 32.4-kilometer course through central Paris, one minute, 31 seconds slower than Australia’s Grace Brown, who won the gold medal.

Dygert was one of the competitors to bite the dust and it proved crucial as she lost the 15-second lead she had over Henderson at the first intermediate time check and finished nine-tenths of a second slower than the British rider.

The rain that marred Friday’s opening ceremony continued into Saturday, creating harsh conditions on the route that started at the Esplanade des Invalides and headed east before returning to the Pont Alexandre III in front of the Grand Palais.

Several cyclists fell, with American Taylor Knibb landing on the ground three times. Even her mechanic fell over when he tried to give her a new bike.

Knibb’s hopes were dashed when she got a flat tire during the race.

Meanwhile, Henderson managed to keep everything neat and tidy, achieving the most remarkable result of her career to date.

The two-time British national time trial champion finished fourth at last year’s World Championships and then won silver at the European Championships.

On both occasions she finished within a second or two of Christina Schweinberger – who beat her to bronze in Glasgow but had to settle for third in Drenthe.

But in Paris the Austrian was a lot slower and finished in tenth place.

Hemel Hempstead-born Henderson was a national junior slalom champion and once dreamed of competing at the Winter Olympics, but her Summer Games debut will be seen as a huge success.