“Team Sky has boosted our Olympic preparations,” says chief executive
The Great Britain and Northern Ireland team has reacted positively to the news that it has been allocated the maximum number of places in the men’s road race and time trials, in what will be its home Olympic Games in London next summer. Thanks to its position in the World rankings, and performances in the World championships in Copenhagen, Denmark, last month, the host nation will have five riders in the road race and two in the time trial, and has a genuine chance of medals in both.
“This is a very satisfying achievement for us and the contribution of all the riders and the support team has been fantastic,” said British Cycling’s performance director Dave Brailsford. “Our progress over the past 12 months in particular has been good, meaning we have been able to steadily build up Olympic qualification points and achieve the aim of taking a full squad to the Games.”
With new World champion Mark Cavendish the hot favourite for gold in the road race, and time trial silver medallist Bradley Wiggins a genuine contender against the clock, 2012 expectations are in direct contrast to those of 2008. In the previous Olympics, in Beijing, China, despite its domination of the track cycling events, and Nicole Cooke and Emma Pooley taking gold and silver in the women’s road race and time trial, Great Britain barely featured in the men’s road events. The largely youthful four-man team of Jonny Bellis, Steve Cummings, Roger Hammond and Ben Swift was sent to the race for experience, with Cummings taking the country’s one place in the time trial.
“We’re obviously delighted at the news and I’d like to congratulate Dave and his team for all their hard work in making this happen,” said British Cycling’s Chief Executive Ian Drake. “This achievement shouldn’t be underestimated in what is an extremely competitive environment.
“We have said all along that the creation of Team Sky would boost our Olympic preparations and this really brings it home as a reality,” he added. “That will never be so important as in the immediate run-up to the Games, and everyone at both British Cycling and Team Sky is fully committed to ensuring our riders hit the start line on The Mall in the best possible shape.”