Henrik Marvig, who won World Cup gold in 2017, went for a medal.
He was well placed for a long time in a chasing cluster that ran for the bronze, but the 44-year-old lost in the end and drove into eleventh place in a time of 2 hours, 11 minutes and 43 seconds - just over seven minutes slower than the gold medalist.
The gold tricked the British Benjamin Watson, who won in superior style, 1 minute and 20 seconds ahead of the silver medalist Finlay Graham, also British.
Frenchman Alexandre Leaute won the sprint battle in the chasing cluster and took home the bronze, 6 minutes and 43 seconds behind Watson.