This was the 11th appearance of the event, previously held in 1896 and then at every Summer Olympics since 1936. It replaced the individual time trial event that had been held from 1912 to 1932 (and which would be reintroduced alongside the road race in 1996). The traditional western powers (Italy, France, Belgium, Sweden) in the sport participated in the Moscow Games amid the American-led boycott. In previous years, the boycott would have had little effect on the competition, but in the late 1970s, the United States had its first international cycling star:
Greg LeMond (who would turn professional in 1981 and never compete in the Olympics) who would have been the favorite. Instead, host-nation cyclist
Sergei Sukhoruchenkov was the pick to win.
Gilbert Glaus of Switzerland (1978) and
Gianni Giacomini of Italy (1979) had won world championships and were also significant contenders. Libya and Zimbabwe each made their debut in the men's individual road race. Great Britain made its 11th appearance in the event, the only nation to have competed in each appearance to date. ==Competition format and course==