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By British Cycling's Larry Hickmott For a rider still in his early twenties, Bradley Wiggins has achieved a lot in the sport of cycling and already has an Olympic bronze medal to his name after being part of the Team Pursuit in Sydney. In 2003, Bradley sent out a signal to his rivals by eclipsing the best at the 2003 Worlds by several seconds to win his first senior rainbow jersey and two years on, he expects to be able to go even faster, something which he will probably need to do if the expected show down between him and Aussie Bradley McGee goes as expected. I started by asking him how it felt to be back on the track for the first time since the Revolution meetings in the winter at Manchester. "It is pretty good. I have sort of missed it a bit and found it hard watching the Worlds and not being there. It was part of the plan at the start of the year to be in the best shape at the start of the Olympics and it meant missing the Worlds because of commitments on the road. Looking back, it was the right thing to do but at the time it was difficult not being able to do it (the Worlds)." Not a lot has been seen of the countries fastest pursuiter on the track since Chris Boardman but the Credit Agricole rider has been working away on his own and says of it "It's gone a bit too well really because you're not supposed to go this well right now. For the moment, I have hit all the numbers and better really so it's exciting but at the same time, reality is kicking in a bit that the Olympics is about to really happen but there is still two weeks to go which is a long time to wait around. We couldn't be in a better position though". "My last road race was the Tour of Switzerland which was in June so I had a nine week period where I had to maintain and push forward. It was quite a structured period with a lot of time on my own and a lot of specific training to pursuiting . A lot of power start work, a lot of intermitting sessions on the cat eye which was quite tough to do but I was really motivated and enjoy that training more so than the road side of it." Like Rob Hayles and many of the riders, Bradley is quite a versatile rider who has Gold medal chances in many of the events. In the pursuit he's been on top of the World already and if all goes well, he can certainly win Gold at the Olympics. In the Team Pursuit, it's a very strong line up, and one that has the power and speed to challenge the Aussies who have ruled the Team Pursuit roost since the Germans took gold in the 2000 Olympics. Not only does Bradley have a rider such as Rob Hayles who was a silver medalist this year in the Pursuit with him, there is Paul Manning (4th in the 2003 Worlds), Bryan Steel, Chris Newton and Steve Cummings. A team which in track training at Newport were knocking out some impressive times. And then there is the Madison where at the last Olympics when not even 20 years old, both he and Rob Hayles went ever so close to a medal. But what does Bradley think his goals will be? "My goals will go in order of the events as they come up and my first priority is the Pursuit which is all I have been training for practically. Then after that is done and dusted, there is the Team Pursuit and I haven't been on the Team Pursuit since the Worlds in 2003 and my first session with the boys will be on Monday and Tuesday. And then there's the Madison. I am not doing any special preparation for that but having said that, my preparation happens to be ideal for it really." As far as the Madison goes, Bradley spent the winter on the boards and was the winner of the Gent six day with Matthew Gilmore. Having ridden plenty of sixes but nothing since the winter, I asked whether not having had the time to train in the technical aspects of the event was a problem? "For me I don't find it a problem, and with Rob, we have the necessary track craft. Its like riding a bike -- you never forget. Once you have ridden one, it doesn't take any time at all to come back. The training for the Madison will come off the back of the training we are doing for the Individual and Team Pursuit and if you have two guys who can do sub 4 minute Team Pursuit and sub 4.20 Individual Pursuit, there are not many other guys in the Madison who can do that. So when you are talking about taking laps, which is most of the time what the Madison is taken on (such as this years Championship in Melbourne), you could haven't have a better pairing in the world." Finally, I asked how the 24 year old was finding the holding camp for the Olympics this time round. "It's a lot less stress which sounds funny as I am now going for three golds but I remember the last time round I was only 19 and it was just incredibly stressfull. There was a lot of sitting around, not knowing what to expect. You hear what its about but until you get there and experience the atmosphere, you don't know really. It was an incredibly nerve wracking time for me." Was there anything in particularly he found stressful at that time… "Mainly doing the team pursuit because there was this feeling of not wanting to let any one down. Although I was probably one of the strongest, I was still nervous and worrying. This time round its just like going off to another race. Obviously its is the Olympic Games but we're still not feeling the Olympic atmosphere yet because we are still here which is a good thing. I think if we were in Cyprus with a lot of other sports, you'd feel it a lot more. But here, its just like being in Manchester and training. There have not been to many people paying attention to us or asking who we are, which is good as well because there is no hype and no fuss. That's good for everyone." Aside from the Olympics, I asked Bradley what other goals he may have, on the road for example? "I don't know really. The last eight years has been about winning an Olympic gold and I am on the verge of it now -- certainly well within the ball park of doing that anyway. After that I have never really set any life plans of what I wanted to do. I have always wanted to turn pro (which he has) but it was, and still is, about progressing as a pursuiter to be the best in the world and getting the engine to do 4.14/4.15 pace which is now what I will be doing I think. After that I don't know really." It was then that the topic of conversation turned to the problems facing some areas of sport in general, and for Bradley more specifically, the pro scene in Europe. Namely the problem of riders using illegal performance enhancing products, or doping. Bradley was clearly uncomfortable with what is happening, and above all as a 'clean' rider, doesn't want to be tarred with the doping brush that many journalists and public are doing to all Olympic sports people. Which is why the subject came up in the first place because Bradley wants people to believe that performances such as his can be done clean. Pure and simple. "What with the state of professional cycling at the moment and the name its got, I am really not proud of being a professional at the moment. It's left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth". Maybe I am over reacting or perhaps I was too naïve really but as more and more reports come out, and more and more things crop up, there is an element of doubt in people's minds and naturally its going to be there." So I put it to Bradley, 'isn't it just important that you yourself know you're doing it clean. To have a clear conscience and be proud of your achievements?' "That is why I do it really" Bradley replied. I am still a great a fan of the sport and always have been. I grew up with posters of professionals on my walls like 12 years olds have posters of Michael Owen on their wall now. It was always something I wanted to do but in 10 or 15 years when I am 30 or 40 years old, when I have stopped and hopefully been Olympic champion, and riding to cafes and doing club 10s, I want people to see me and say 'there's Bradley Wiggins, he was Olympic champion. For them to come over and shake your hand in the knowledge that you did do it clean and you didn't cheat anyone. I honestly believe that riders and people in this country can relate to that a lot more." "That's what I want -- to be respected by people. Not to turn up and hear people saying he got done for doing drugs or whatever. That isn't why I got into the sport of cycling and became an athlete." Talking to him openly like this, the biggest worry Bradley seems to have is not so much whether he can he win gold, but what will people be thinking should he win and the times are quick - much quicker than we have seen this year so far. Bradley then starts to talk about those numbers... "A 4.15 is on the cards" he explained. "Four years ago when someone went under 4.20, there was that element of 'what is he on' and I think there is always going to be that but you are always going to get that no matter what you achieve. Its unfortunate but there will always be someone pointing the finger. Its been there in the past, and will probably continue but the people closest to me like Simon (GB National coach) knows, and Dave Brailsford (GB Performance director) knows, and its important for me that other people know. I'm doing this clean". So now you know, and what is worth remembering is that because Bradley and the others are in a Team event, where a drug failure would risk all the others losing their medals, it just doesn't bear thinking about that anybody would do that to their team mates. On the track they'll die for each other rather than risk letting any one of them down such is the respect they have for each other. Having spoken to a lot of the staff in the team, and the riders, I personally believe these riders are clean, very clean. Probably cleaner than most sports people such is the team focus on eating good fresh food rather than prepared meals or supplements. So should we see Bradley win Gold, and I think he is one of the biggest favourites to do so, then have faith that there are lots of honest athletes in this world and Bradley and Team GB are part of that group. Best of luck Brad! Bradley column in The Observer: I'm flying to Athens today with the rest of the track endurance group. I've been excited about the Olympics for a long time, and it's really building now. It's five days until the qualifiers for my event, the individual pursuit, and now I just want to get there and feel the atmosphere after putting the final touches at the holding camp in Newport. I feel quite relaxed, quite confident. It's almost like the effect of a coiling spring, where I have to release all the tension on Saturday in the final. All the training is done, there's nothing more I can do in terms of form. The qualifying round on Friday should be a formality. I'm confident I know what to do to get to the final, then it's balls to the wall on Saturday. >>> Read More
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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