Even though Boulder’s Taylor Phinney already had finished his 27-mile Olympic time trial by the time it was aired on TV Wednesday morning, cycling fans around Boulder still tuned in to watch the hometown rider make a run at a medal.

Gathered on couches in front of several large-screen TVs, cycling fans at the Boulder Cycling Lounge at Boulder’s Twenty Ninth Street mall cheered as Phinney crossed the finish line.

Phinney was the second to cross the line, but two cyclists behind him, who started later, posted better times, and he ultimately would finish fourth, barely missing the podium for the second time in London. On Saturday, Phinney finished fourth in the road race.

But despite just missing a medal, Phinney’s fans in Boulder said the young rider has a bright career ahead of him.

“He’s only 22, and he only started riding about a year before his first Olympics (in 2008), so it’s pretty impressive,” said Jim Potter, who said he used to work with Phinney’s father Davis — an Olympic cyclist himself.. “But when you consider his parents, he’s got the genetics.”

Potter, who lives in Longmont and works at Vecchio’s Bicicletteria in Boulder, said he is a big cycling fan, but watched mainly to see Phinney race. Since the event was tape-delayed on NBC, he made sure to avoid any spoilers.

“I stayed away from the TV and the Internet,” said . “It’s nice to see different restaurants and coffee shops doing different things for the race. It’s good support.”

Read more about Phinney’s fans.