The men's individual road race at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, was held on Friday 7 December 1956.

[1] The event was won by Ercole Baldini of Italy, the nation's first medal in the men's individual road race.

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).

There were not many falls during this race, but the most serious happened then, with a bag tangling in Trickey's wheel and resulting in a crash that eliminated him and Mengistou.

Baldini separated from the pack in lap 8, with 50 kilometres left, and was not challenged the rest of the way as he only increased his lead.