Olympic Champion heads Scotland's bid for glory in Melbourne
British Cycling's resident Aussie, Larry Hickmott, runs an eye over the Scotland cycling team which will be heading to Melbourne early next year.
The Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland (CGCS) has announced its team selected to represent them at the XVIII Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia next year (15-26 March). Leading the team will be Commonwealth and Olympic champion Chris Hoy (right) who is currently in Moscow at the UCI World Track Cup.
During a recent interview with British Cycling, Chris spoke about how the World Track Cups fit into his own preparation plans for the Commonwealth Games. "They are really just a training exercise. I want to go to Moscow and put down some markers on my fitness and see where things are going."
After Moscow, the next UCI World Track Cup will be in familiar surroundings - Manchester. It's there that the Great Britain Cycling team is planning to run two sprint teams, one (England) under the colours of team sponsor Science in Sport who have dug deep to make this happen, and the other (Scotland) in the colours of Team GB.
"I'm really looking forward to getting the chance of being able to race in a home nation formation (Scotland) Chris explained, adding to have a run through which we haven't been able to do before in competition. At Manchester 2002, we just basically stepped up there and raced in two different formations. Hopefully this is going to stop us being at a disadvantage against the Aussies who are used to racing together. There's a chance both teams can make the last four at Manchester so it will be interesting to see if we get a prelim to the Commonwealth Games."
"I am sure both England and Scotland can make the final in Melbourne even through Australia will be very strong. If we pull out our best rides possible, it could be a home nations final."
Asked which event will be his key focus in Melbourne, Hoy says "The training is geared to both" to be honest. "The kilo training compliments the last lap of the Team Sprint and the only difference are the handlebars you race and train on so I am dividing my time between the two sets of handlebars. I think you can still race a decent Kilo without any real specific preparation on the tri bars so between now and then, I'm really just trying to get a good foundation in before January when I go to Australia. Then I'll put the icing on the cake".
It's in Perth (Australia), where Chris and England's Jason Queally trained together for long periods with Chris coming back from the 2002 time in Perth ready to start his assault on the Kilometre which he did to great effect. He says of the place "if I had the choice of being anywhere in the World during the winter that's where I'd be. There are familiar surroundings, great weather, good facilities and its where my girlfriend Mary is from and so she'll be coming out as well".
Another potential Gold medallist for Scotland is Craig MacLean (right) who won a bronze three years in the Team Sprint. Talking about his goals for Melbourne 2006, Craig says that as far as the Commonwealths go, it's the Kilometre he wants to aim for. "It's the first on our schedule at the Commonwealth Games and then we have a few days before the Team Sprint. It would be fantastic to win an individual medal and also a Team Sprint medal which if we get it right, we have a good chance of doing that."
Craig though, unlike England's Jason Queally and Scotland's Chris Hoy, is not expecting to be doing a Kilometre at the UCI World Track Cups and so will go into the Commonwealth Games with little recent Kilometre experience. His last start in one was at the Athens Olympics and before that, the Track World Championships in 2004 on the same track the Commonwealth's are being held on, Melbourne.
The good news for Scotland is that Craig is getting back to and even surpassing his best. "At the moment I am stronger than I have ever been in the gym" he explains, adding "and I'm doing some times for the flying efforts faster than I have ever done before so I think with the stage I am at in terms of gear sizes relative to races, I am still a long way from race fitness and yet going faster than I do when I am race fit."
The two Scottish sprinters are but two of many familiar names announced in the team where selection was no easy matter as standards were raised to ensure those going can proudly represent the country and stand on the podium in many cases. The required results from the riders hoping to wear the Scottish colours in the road race were tough just ask seasoned performer Duncan Urquhart. Part of the criteria I understand was to produce outstanding results in Premier Calendar events which is what both Evan Oliphant and Duncan Urquhart did, with both of them climbing onto the top step of the podiums during the season.
In a number of races these two riders shone brightly. In the Tour of Pendle I followed the closing stages of the event on a motorbike behind Duncan as he managed to escape from a group of the best riders in this country and win the race alone. Then in the Tour of Britain, Evan Oliphant (right) got away in a select group on stage 4 and was second to Serguei Ivanov, a professional in Europe with an impressive palmeres.
Duncan Urquhart leads an early break in the Road Race at Manchester showing the colours of Scotland far and wide on TV.
Alex Coutts meanwhile has raced his season mostly in Europe but came home and won a Silver medal in the British Under 23 Road Race Championships in a tight fought finish in Buckinghamshire.
Back to the track and the standards to qualify to wear the colours of Scotland were straight out of the Great Britain's qualifying book which meant many an agonising moment for riders like Kate Cullen eager to prove their ability in Melbourne. Kate, who like Hoy and MacLean, is currently in Moscow representing Great Britain, will be riding the Points race in Melbourne, an event where this year she won a British Championship Silver medal behind well known class act Nicole Cooke.
Having had her selection confirmed, Kate will be looking forward to getting to Australia as quickly as possible to get the best possible training environment for what will be the biggest sporting stage she has competed on ever.
Ross Edgar is another of the Sprint team who is on the verge of breaking through to the big time and after a scare during the National Championships when he was ill, he is now continuing his training and looking to improve on the Bronze medal he won at the last Games.
Another well known Scottish sprinter on the list is Marco Librizzi. Marco was coaxed out of retirement for the last Games in Manchester and helped the team to a bronze medal in the Team Sprint. Since then, he has carried on racing and one member of the Scottish team confirmed what many can see Marco is getting better with age! Only a month ago he won a bronze medal in the British Sprint Championship at Manchester.
In the Mountain Bike events, unlike England, Scotland is sending riders for both mens and womens events with two of them being the current Scottish champions, James Ouchterlony and Ruth McGavigan (right) . The other two are Gareth Montgomerie & Robert Wardell.
"Qualifying for the Commonwealth Games was at the back of my mind this year" Ouchterlony told the Scotsman in September and his wish has been granted after a season of riding World Cups and other top ranked events. One of Ouchterlony's best performances was his bronze medal in the British XC Championships behind world class riders Oli Beckingsale and Nick Craig and a Silver in the marathon Championships.
RIDERS SELECTED
CULLEN, Kate Track Points Race & Road Race
McGAVIGAN, Ruth MTB XC
COUTTS, Alex ROAD Road Race
EDGAR, Ross Track Sprint Events
HOY, Chris Track Sprint Events
LIBRIZZI, Marco Track Sprint Events
MacLEAN, Craig Track Sprint Events
MONTGOMERIE, Gareth MTB XC
OLIPHANT, Evan Road Road Race
OUCHTERLONY, James MTB XC
URQUHART, Duncan Road Road Race
WARDELL, Robert MTB XC
2002 MEDAL WINNERS
GOLD
Chris Hoy Kilometre
BRONZE
Chris Hoy Team SprintCraig MacLean Team Sprint
Ross Edgar Team SprintMarco Librizzi Team Sprint
