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Click here for more on Team GB OTHER DAYS AT THE TRACK: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | DAY 4 (Sprint and Team Pursuit for GB) Men's Team Pursuit - Final, Great Britain versus Australia
This was to be the final to end all finals but in the end, the Aussies were yet again just too strong for the British. If the battle between Wiggins and McGee was hyped up then this was one battle, that on paper at least, was destined to top that. Since the last Olympics, Australia has dominated the Team Pursuit along with Great Britain but the Aussies have always managed to get to the line first and claim Gold whereas Great Britain have more silvers than they care to remember from the last four years.
The 2004 Olympics though looked like being a very different story. On paper, we had the better individual pursuiters as results over the last few years including this Olympics prove but put the Aussies in a team together and they seem to have the edge on the Brits every time. Both teams had all their top riders there and Great Britain had prepared well, not only having two of the best pursuiters in the World (Wiggins and Hayles) but also another in Paul Manning (4th in the 2003 Worlds Pursuit) along with the other members of the Team Pursuit squad who all have vast experience. So the scene was set and out on the Olympic track came the four riders chosen to try and do what no other team had done for the last four years, and that was beat the Aussies!. I like many, really thought this was going to be GB's day. The four riders chosen to do the deed were Steven Cummings, Bradley Wiggins, Rob Hayles and Paul Manning. Watching the TV coverage, Bryan Steel was track centre, dressed in civies for probably the first time in his career at the final of a Team Pursuit match. The Olympics was to be his retirement party to end all parties but it wasn't to work out as expected. On the subject of team selection, expert advisor to the Great Britain team, Chris Boardman said that there was nothing between the splits of all the riders prior to the final and everyone would have contributed equally given the chance. But after having competed in four Olympics, it must have been a terribly hard decision to leave out a rider who has been the lynch pin for the team for so long --Bryan Steel. Perhaps it was the choice of gearing to use that Cummings got the nod. Whatever the reasons for the riders chosen, the pressure as favourites was all on the shoulders of the Australian World Champions whereas the only pressure the Brits felt was the hunger for a gold that had eluded them for too long. This was to be an all out attempt on Gold – no playing safe on this one. When the two teams assembled on the track, the Brits in the back straight, the Aussies in the home straight, the tension could almost be cut with a knife as the clock in that familiar tone it has, counted the seconds down in a stadium buzzing with anticipation. Both sets of bikes were equipped with disc/five spoke wheels, an indication of the wind that must have been about in this Olympic velodrome. The crowd knew they were going to witness something special and so they did. Both teams got away well, GB lead by Paul Manning, and lap by lap, it was the Aussies who took an early lead, riding at a pace that was up on World Record times. Perhaps it was because the Australians knew the territory of World Record pace better than the Brits that had them soon edging away, lap by lap. Half a second became a second, then one and half and then two seconds. This wasn't about tactics now as it had been in the previous rounds -- this was about an all out race to win the biggest prize that sport can offer a nation. What was expected to be a monumental battle, as the Melbourne World Championship was between these two countries, didn't quite work out like that and the fight back from the GB team expected in the second half never happened and there was only ever going to be one victor on this day -- Australia. They were the Olympic Champions!
Left to right: Silver for Great Britain's Bradley Wiggins, Steven Cummings, Paul Manning and Rob Hayles. Please note that two other riders, Chris Newton and Bryan Steel also rode in the early rounds of this event and an appeal for them to get a medal is being lodged with the IOC.
Reactions to silver When Jill spoke about the great shame of Bryan Steel and Chris Newton not getting medals, Chris agreed saying "I think that the worst thing about that is that both of them are capable of riding in that team and contributing just as well. We looked at the splits and everyone was good, and we looked at the evidence behind and technically everybody was good. But only four people can ride and we just had to make the choices and its a very very horrible decision." On the disappointment felt by the camp and the feeling that this was the teams opportunity to beat Australia, Boardman again agreed, explaining "absolutely. Being second so many times, but we have Steve Cummings and people like him so its looking good for the next one." More than just winning ...Talking to Andrew Baker of the Telegraph, Great Britain's Performance Director Dave Brailsford said of the final "I'm proud the Australians have set the standard in this sport over the last five years, but we are doing our best to push them. It would have been the easiest thing in the world just to settle for silver, but we tried to gear up a little today and really go for the gold. We knew it might backfire on us." There was though much more than pride at stake out there for different reasons. For the riders, it was the chance to end years of playing second fiddle to the Aussies. For Team GB as a whole, it was about delivering a return on the lottery money invested in the team. "We are getting some amazing backing from the Lottery" Brailsford told the Telegraph. "Something like £6.7 million over four years. But investing in sport is just like investing in business - you have to give good value. With that sort of backing, if we are not giving the nation success in return we are not doing our jobs properly. Brailsford then added "I'm not interested in that thing about gallant British losers. That's rubbish. We're at a stage now where we have to keep pushing for wins.” Gold medallist in the Individual Pursuit, Bradley Wiggins meanwhile talked more about the ‘win at all costs approach’, saying to the Telegraph "When you go into an Olympic final there is only one kind of medal that you want to win. I came into these Games wanting to win three gold medals -- now I have a gold and a silver with one more race to go. I'm coming back here for the Madison race and I'll be trying for a second gold then." Brad speaking on BBC, said when asked about the Australians "They are the World Record holders and the best team pursuiters that have ever been. If it wasn't for them guys, we would have been on top of the world for the last five years in Team Pursuiting. We went out there and gave it 110 per cent and got second. You can't be too disappointed at that". Like Bradley, Steve Cummings is one of the youngest members of the team, the future of the team and if the TV pictures are anything to go, he left looked as dejected and tearful as any of them at losing to the Australians because that was what it was, losing a Gold which is a very different feeling to winning a bronze as the team found in Sydney. Talking about almost losing his place on the team early this year, Steve said to the Times Jeremy Whittle “He (Dave Brailsford) gave me a kick up the bum and it was make or break for me six months ago. I certainly didn’t think then I’d get a medal in the Olympics.” At the end of the day though, the British team have no choice but to wait another four years and hope that the way they have been able to stay near the top of the sport can continue and get better. Talking on BBC later about the final, Rob Hayles said, "on the second and third laps, they put their heads down and really nailed it. And that was it basically." Talking about the teams decision to up the gears to match the pace they wanted to set, Rob Hayles explained to William Fotheringham of The Guardian "We geared up to win, the gear was right for the time we wanted to do but, because we weren't on the time, it felt a bit big". "We scheduled for a 3.57, which was not over-optimistic, but unfortunately the conditions were a bit harder than yesterday, with the wind getting up, and it was cooler as well, and there was no chance of a catch as there was yesterday. The first kilometre, the first three laps at least, were good and I thought 'we're on this'. We were up on schedule, it was under control but we went off the pace and, when you slow down a little on a gear like that, you're suffering. It's hard to fight back on a big gear like that." And for those wanting to be part of this team in the future, Rob sent a message to them ..."There are lads there but they need guts to be involved," said Hayles to the Guardian. "I hope this inspires some guys." The final member of the team on the track, Paul Manning said on BBC TV the team got off well but the Aussies pressed on sooner than us and built up a lead and its just gutting to be beaten by them again. TEAM GB TO APPEAL TO THE IOC Of the two riders to miss medals, it was especially tough on a rider competing in his fourth and last Olympics, Bryan Steel. As Wiggins pointed out on TV, “Chris Newton has a strong chance of a medal today in the Points race”, but for Steel, there is no other route to getting a medal. The Team Pursuit has been his event for longer than most can remember, and it was a cruel blow to him not to be presented with one. "It was gutting to have to tell those athletes they wouldn't get a medal and I'd like Bryan to go out with one" GB Performance director Dave Brailsford said to William Fotheringham of The Guardian. "He (Bryan Steel) has been one of the most dependable riders we've ever had." And on behalf of the riders, Rob Hayles finished by saying "We have said all along that this is a team of six guys and always is -- we owe them a great thanks." BRONZE MEDAL RIDE OFF: In the ride off for Bronze between Spain and Germany (the defending Olympic champions and five times a winner of Gold), the Spanish team were the victors, winning their first medal ever in the Team Pursuit at the Olympics. The Germans took an early lead but the Spanish soon came back at them and despite going down to three men, Spain held on beat Germany and win their first Olympic Team Pursuit medal. FINALS 1. Australia 3.58.233 (60.445 km/h) Graeme Brown, Brett Lancaster, Brad Mcgee, Luke Roberts 2. Great Britain 4.01.760 (59.563) Steve Cummings, Rob Hayles, Paul Manning, Bradley Wiggins 3. Spain 4.05.523 (58.650 km/h) Carlos Castano, Sergi Escobar, Asier Maeztu, Carlos Torrent 4. Germany 4.07.193 Robert Bartko, Guido Fulst, Christian Lademann, Leif Lampater SPLITS Australia 1km: 1:03.139 2km: 57.330 3km: 58.376 4km: 59.388 Great Britain 1km: 1:04.076 2km: 58.342 3km: 59.049 4km: 1:00.293
Men's Sprint (Quarter Finals)
World Champion Theo Bos beats Britains Ross Edgar 2:0 Great Britain's Ross Edgar, the British and European Sprint champion, was in the quarter finals today (Heat 2), up against no less than the 2004 World Champion, Theo Bos. Both riders are very young 21 year olds and have met many times as juniors with Edgar saying he had beaten Bos more times than Bos had beaten him. Edgar started on the bottom of the track and whilst Bos moved around the track trying to unnerve his rival, Edgar was having none of it, keeping his line around the blue line. It wasn't until the bell lap in the back straight that Bos kicked as Edgar looked to the front and put his head down, with Bos just having the edge of getting up to speed before Edgar. The British rider though made the World Champion work hard for the win, but on the line Bos proved to be too strong. It was one- nil to the the Dutchman. In the second heat, Bos was again too strong for Edgar and Bos went through to the semi finals 2:0. HEAT 1 BAYLEY Ryan AUS 10.733 10.807 2 FORDE Barry BAR HEAT 2 1 BOS Theo NED 11.024 10.905 2 EDGAR Ross GBR HEAT 3 1 WOLFF Rene GER 10.556 10.749 2 ZIELINSKI Damian POL HEAT 4 1 GANE Laurent FRA 11.018 10.876 2 BOURGAIN Mickael FRA Women's Sprint With the speed building up until they got to the bell, it was then a full on drag race and as Victoria moving about a lot in the saddle as she tried to propel her bike to go even quicker, lead the other four into the final bend to the sound of a huge roar from the crowd. Into the home straight and no matter what the other girls tried, they couldn't even get alongside the British girl who showed at least in this race, that on her day, she knows how to win a sprint race Minor Heat Result....
Results from the other heats are: Heat 1 1. Anna Meares (Australia) 11.916 12.048 2. Katrin Meinke (Germany) Heat 2 1. Svetlana Grankovskaya (Russia) 11.945 12.085 2. Natallia Tsylinskaya (Belarus) Heat 3 1. Tamilla Abassova (Russia) 11.993 11.914 2 Simona Krupeckaite (Lithuania) 12.632 Heat 4 1. Lori-Ann Muenzer (Canada) 12.064 11.888 2. Daniela Greluis Larreal Chirinos (Venezuela)
GREAT BRITAIN OLYMPIC TEAM IN BREIF Rider (potential events) Oli Beckingsale (Mens Mountain Biking) Nicole Cooke (Women's Road Race) Steve Cummings: (Team Pursuit) Stuart Dangerfield: (Men's Road Time Trial) Emma Davies: (Womens Individual Pursuit/Womens Points Race) Ross Edgar: (Sprint, Keirin) Roger Hammond: (Mens Road Race) Rob Hayles: (Mens Individual Pursuit/Team Pursuit/Madison) Rachel Heal: (Womens Road Race) Chris Hoy: (Kilo/Team Sprint) Jeremy Hunt: (Mens Road Race) Liam Killeen: (Mens Mountain Biking) Craig MacLean: (Kilo/Team Sprint) Paul Manning: (Mens Individual Pursuit/Team Pursuit) Chris Newton: (Team Pursuit/Mens Points Race) Victoria Pendleton: (500TT/Womens Sprint) Jason Queally: (Kilo/Team Sprint) Jamie Staff: (Kilo, Team Sprint, Keirin) Bryan Steel: (Team Pursuit) Sara Symington: (Womens Road Race) Charly Wegalius: (Mens Road Race) Bradley Wiggins: (Individual Pursuit/Team Pursuit/Madison) Julian Winn: (Mens Road Race)
The Great Britain Cycling Team for the Paralympics Tandems
(click for bios) Aileen
McGlynn - 22.06.73/Glasgow Ian
Sharpe - 27.10.70/Ramsey, Isle of Man Solos Gary Williams - 05.03.68/Bickerstaffe, Lancs
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Silver
Medal for Great Britain in Major Battle on Olympic Velodrome
Minor
Final 9th to 12th Positions:.Very dissapointed at having been knocked
out of the race for gold, Victoria Pendleton went into the minor final
with nothing to lose and took control of the event from the moment the
gun went. Starting from the top of the track in the four up final, Victoria
went straight to the front of the group, riding around the bottom of
the track whilst keeping an eye on her rivals. Jennie Reed from the
US knew that it was a track that favoured those who lead out and tried
to get past Victoria but she was having none of that and kept her place
at the front of the group.