28 January, 2003

Triple Olympian Erin Hartwell took the coaching reins of Welsh Cycling today, outlining his winning blueprint for the sport.

Appointed as national coach, 33-year-old Hartwell, from the United States, won a bronze medal in the 1992 Olympics and silver in 1996 in the 1,000m time trial. The 13-time National Champion, who also boasts four World Championship medals � competed in Sydney before retiring in June 2001 with a persistent heel injury.

He will now use his expertise to shape the Welsh team. The accomplished track and road rider arrives at a time when Welsh Cycling is enjoying an all-time high. Wales finished fourth in the cycling events at the Commonwealth Games last summer after Nicole Cooke stormed home with gold and Huw Pritchard sped his way to silver on the track.

Above: Commonwealth Games Road Race champion Nicole Cooke and the new Welsh coach, Erin Hartwell.

Hartwell - who replaces Shane Sutton who left his post after the Games to work with Team GB � explained:

�Shane raised the standard of the Welsh team to a new level. I�d like to see us making even greater improvements in the future. We�ll make a shift to the track in 2004 as there are more medals available than on the road.�

The Velodrome opens for training in Spytty Park, Newport this autumn as a result of a Sports Council for Wales lottery grant of �7.5m. Hartwell, who is funded by the Sports Council for Wales�s Coach Cymru scheme, believes:

�It will make a far greater impact than we can currently comprehend. We will have a world-class training centre available to develop track athletes to an international standard.�

This year, though, road racing will be at the forefront of Hartwell�s plan:

�We will be road-focussed in 2003 with the intent of finding better racing opportunities to improve fitness and to improve results. This will assist us in getting better trade team opportunities for our top road cyclists whom we will use in our track endurance programmes.�

He aims to place riders like Huw Pritchard, Anthony Malarczyk and Yanto Barker into better trade teams. Already, Nicole Cooke and Julian Winn are signed to teams on the continent.

Cooke continues to ride in Italy and is signed to ride with Acca-Due-O in 2003 and 2004. Winn is set to ride in his first-ever professional race with Team Fakta when he competes in the Tour of Langkawi which starts this week (Friday, 31 January).

Cooke said, "I�m really looking forward to working with Erin. He has experience of racing at the highest level of competition and his Olympic medals prove that he knows what it takes to achieve success in cycling.

"The appointment of Erin as Welsh coach, along with the new Velodrome in Newport means that there is a great chance for cycling to develop into one of Wales's strongest sports, and Welsh riders into some of the best in Britain,� she added.

WCU Chairman Bill Owen explained:

�Erin is joining at a very crucial turning point for Welsh Cycling. Already, Wales is becoming a world force and I believe that we�ll have an even bigger presence on the world stage with Erin, the Velodrome and the new track approach.�

Sports Council for Wales Chairman Gareth Davies said:

�We�ve seen huge achievements in Welsh cycling in recent years. So much so that it is becoming one of Wales�s most successful sports. I�m confident that the steps being taken now by Erin and the Welsh Cycling Union will boost the performances of the team and will encourage new talent to flow through.

He has moved to Wales from the University of North Dakota where he was studying Commercial Aviation and Mathematics.

Hartwell coached himself to six medals at the Olympics and World Championships. In 1995, he helped propel May Britt Vaaland of Norway � who he later married - to a World Championship bronze medal in the 3,000m pursuit.

� British Cycling 2002/2003

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