Olympic Champion Looking Good For Manchester World Cup
Interview: Bradley Wiggins
January 2007, by Larry Hickmott
Team News: World Cup British Team
With the Manchester round of the UCI World Track Cup only three weeks away, triple Athens Olympic medallist, Bradley Wiggins, came into the track centre on a normal training day at the end of January, placed his black carbon fibre Sports Institute track bike into the starting gate and then proceeded to demonstrate why he is the Olympic champion.
After looking smooth and almost effortless as he pushed a big gear around at over 100 revs per minute, Bradley recorded a time for the 3K that had the coaches trackside smiling with satisfaction whilst the rider concerned rolled around not even out of breath!
It was quite simply a fantastic 'race effort' and one that bodes well for the Manchester World Track Cup where the crowd that assemble there will more than likely see a revenge match from Athens as Wiggins comes up against that other Brad, Bradley McGee from Australia. An 'Ashes' match on two wheels perhaps?
Talking about the one effort he made that afternoon in full race setup, Bradley explained "I am pleased with how it went although there are a few things to change but the general fitness and how I ride, it's all there. I could have perhaps gone a second or half a second faster, but as long as the potential to go faster is there, that's the important thing."
"For me to come in here off the back of a road camp last week and a club dinner on Saturday, today's ride is really encouraging. I think once you come here on race day and you have someone on the other side of the track and the crowd behind you, that everything will come together".
So why the Manchester World Track Cup we asked? "I said after Athens I wouldn't compete in the World Track Championships for a few years and it's been two years now. I didn't miss it when the boys won in LA (Team Pursuit) but when I watched it in Bordeaux last year, I did miss it and really wanted to be in that team when they just lost out to the Aussies on the line by nothing at all."
"So I have put a lot of emphasis on doing this round of the World Track Cup because I can see it is such a big event. I was commentating on it last year and I was sitting there wishing I was riding. So I am looking forward to it being as big as it was last time."
"I have cleared it with Cofidis (Brad's trade team) to concentrate on the track and they are keen for me to do it. Their goal for me is the Tour de France in July. So I'll come back after the Track Worlds and build up for the Tour in London. Last year I ended up doing everything, the classics, Paris-Nice and became a jack of all and never really shone at one point even though overall I had a good year. So this year I want to be master of a few events."
"The big plan is to win in Manchester for the Worlds next year so I think it's the right time to come back now as I feel fresh and hungry again. With that in mind, I started track training back in October. There hasn't been anything more on my mind since last September after I completed the Tour de France."
"The Olympics are now less than two years away and it was never going to be the case I'd just pick it back up in Olympic year. I want to get back to World Championship level and practice backing up from Team Pursuits to Individual Pursuits and then the Madison."
"Apart from Revolutions, this is going to be my first major track competition and it will be in a GB jersey. I have never won a World Track Cup so that adds an extra edge to it. The noise people were making here last year, it's like riding a World Championship. When you have a GB jersey going head-to-head against an Australian or German, there is no doubt who the crowd is going to be behind and that's the best thing about riding here. The real patriotism comes to the fore."
Three Golds?
Bradley then explained that at the Manchester round of the UCI World Track Cup he'll be a busy boy doing the Individual Pursuit, Team Pursuit and Madison (with Geraint Thomas). "I have only ever ridden the Madison with Rob (Hayles) on the World stage so it will be different to ride with Geraint. It opens up a lot of possibilities for the Olympics in 2008 with so many combinations that could be used with Rob, Cavendish, Geraint, me and there are others."
Going into more detail about his training for the Pursuit, Brad says "I don't take anything for granted. When we started back on the track last year with a view to doing the Worlds, we just forgot that I was the Olympic champion and went back to basics. Since then I have been on the track three times a week just doing bread and butter stuff that you do as a kid. It was these little steps that helped me become Olympic champion so I felt I needed to go back and address all these things as the Athens Olympics was over two years ago now."
Brad is also quite relaxed about the programme of having to race three days in a row but then having done the Tour de France, that is not surprising. Brad explained his goal at the next Olympics is to win three Golds. On doing three events like these at Manchester, he says "It sounds a lot but it isn't really. If someone in athletics was trying to take that on, it would be. For me though, the Individual is my priority followed by the Team Pursuit. Then there's the Madison which is also a bit of a fun event. By the time you get to the Madison it's sh#t or bust. In the last one (Athens), we just threw caution to the wind - crashed, got a lap and made the podium."
Battle of the Brads
One of the real high points at Manchester is the prospect of a repeat of the Athens Olympic and Manchester Commonwealth Games Individual Pursuit finals. Wiggins versus McGee - so far its one all! McGee won in Manchester last time and Wiggins won in Athens.
Talking about the event at Manchester being a possible mini revenge match from the Olympic final with McGee, the two riders who have dominated World Pursuiting right back to the time they met at Manchester in the Commonwealth Games, Bradley Wiggins is full of praise for his opponent.
"McGee is starting out on his own Olympic mission and as he's now into his 30's (31), it may well be his last opportunity to win a Gold at the Olympics so he's not going to be there just to make up the numbers. He's going to be there in form and probably as good as he has ever been."
"He is always someone who has kept me motivated to do this because I feel both of us have taken pursuiting to a new level and I never accept where I am at and am always wanting to go faster. And that is down to Brad McGee because I know how much time he puts into it and how much of a fierce competitor he is."
"Looking at the times at the Worlds recently, they're doing 4.20's and those times are like minimum standard for me now. So I knew if it was Bartko and those guys this year, I'd only have to do a 4.19 to win so McGee is the only rider I know who can go 4.16 pace. So as long as I keep thinking he's riding, that's what keeps me pushing on and wanting to make myself better in the event."
"Looking ahead to the Olympics, it appears at the moment it is going to be McGee and me unless someone comes along in the next two years and surprises the world. So with that mind, he knows I'm the man to beat and vice versa and that can only be good for the sport too because you need that sort of fierce competition".
Team Pursuit
Bradley at Manchester will also be part of the Team Pursuit where the line up is changing as each year goes by and new talent arrives to challenge the existing stars of the event.
"I have been following the progress of the riders in the Team Pursuit closely" Brad says. "I had always planned on coming back into it and since Athens there have been a lot of changes. Most notably Ed Clancy who has come through the Talent Team system right to the forefront of the Team Pursuit, and is probably on paper, the fastest Team Pursuiter in the World. He really has incredible speed and that will be invaluable to a team like ours."
"And then you have Geraint Thomas who was only a Junior when we were in Athens but has now come up to the mark as well and Steve Cummings too has come on in leaps and bounds. As I have myself."
"So in terms of 2012, looking at that line-up with these riders as a possible team, that is good news. Because four or five years ago when guys like Bryan (Steel) were planning on stopping, it was a bit of a worry as to who would replace them but there is no doubt about them now. It motivates me as well coming back into the team where there is fresh young blood hungry for success."
Road Work
Prior to his race effort at Manchester this week, Bradley has been away on a training camp in France for 10 days with his pro team Cofidis and before that he was in Majorca with the Great Britain team for 10 days. "I have been away since the first of January getting the job done and the preparation has gone well with no illness and so on" he says.
He agreed that his training and goals for some fast times on the track should also help him in London for the Tour de France prologue in July. "I have had a much more pursuit based programme this winter and I think that will help me with the prologues. They are similar in that you're in the same position on the bike and the distance is about the same. I also feel much much stronger after doing the Tour de France. Nothing seems hard any more after that which is the biggest thing to come out of having done the Tour."
"Doing 3 or 4k on the track is not a lot considering we were struggling to make the time cut going up the Col'd Tourmalet last year and that was for an hour! That was hard and puts things into perspective in that sense."
With the training session over and interview done and dusted, Brad was then straight on the phone to Great Britain Cycling team head coach Simon Jones in Majorca to talk over what he does next. Having established he's in the ball park, Brad is now on a mission to stay there and make a big impact at Manchester and with his presence and that of Brad McGee, the endurance events look like being real corkers? What a way to kick off the cycling year in the UK!
Our thanks to Bradley for his time and we wish him well in his pursuit of Gold at Manchester - and one more tip. In Athens, Bradley did a 4.15 and at Manchester in 2002, McGee did a 4.16 - will we see one of these riders set a new mark for the Pursuit using the UCI allowed position (non-superman). It may be quite an historic encounter if their previous meetings are anything to go by and I for one can't wait to see how it all unfolds.
Event Programme Information and ticket information
Full details of the UCI Track Cycling Manchester World Cup event programme can be found on www.worldtrackcycling.com which includes a link directly to the Ticketmaster page for the event. Day ticket prices start at £12 for adults and £6 for children.
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