Bring it on says Team GB on Final Day of Training
Story posted March 28, 2007
By Larry Hickmott in Palma
The final day of training before competition begins tomorrow (Thursday, March 29) was a busy day at the office for both the riders and staff in the Great Britain Cycling Team. With all but three of the riders on the track going through their various efforts prior to competition starting tomorrow, the GB pit in the track centre was a hive of activity. Not only were there a lot of riders for staff to look after, there was a noticeable rise in the number of British press there looking to get the latest from the team looking ahead to what we all hope, expect even, will be successful World Championships.
Phil Burt from the EIS, a self-confessed fan of the sport is a Physio who like most in the team has many roles to play from bouncer to keep the unwanted from the pit and also to look after the riders. He also helps the riders with stretching and massage to keep them in tip top condition and free of from injury. Should muscle injuries strike, he is also on hand to help them with those as well!
On the track, everyone was riding faster than they have been at Manchester, partly to do with the taper they are on ready for competition and partly because of the heat inside the Velodrome and the shape of this new track in Palma where many expect World Records to be set.
Whilst the GB team trained on the track at 1pm for two hours it was an early start for the mechanics who were at the venue for 10am to start their day which wouldn’t finish until 7pm that evening when they finally made their way back to the hotel. We’ll have a feature on them later. Back to the action on the track and the efforts on the track saw the coaches and managers all happy with how the team were shaping up prior to the start of the competition tomorrow.
Ernie Feargrieve helps Bradley Wiggins with his shoe plates and also talks to manager Shane Sutton about gears required for the riders during the training session.
Rob Hayles had a hit out in the Individual Pursuit today.
The riders were pretty pleased as well. England’s Rob Hayles was there doing a few standing start efforts for the Individual Pursuit and after he had finished told us “I’m feeling really good, let me at them! I love this track as its virtually a complete bowl and by the time you exit one banking, you are straight into the next one.”
Rob was also sporting a new set of tri bars which he has good reason for using and he says “I like them. I have had them since the nationals but this is the first time I have used them in competition. They don’t look right until I actually get on the bike and hook into them. They feel great.”
Geraint Thomas leads the team pursuit around the track during a 2K hit out at a pace above schedule.
The Team Pursuit also had a hit out over 2k with Bradley Wiggins missing from the line up as he concentrated on doing some standing start efforts for the Individual Pursuit. Dave Brailsford said of this it was something they had to work with when riders have an individual event as well but feels it won’t make any difference with Bradley expected to easily fit in to the line-up after a lot of work with the team in recent weeks.
One of the riders in the Team Pursuit line up, Geraint Thomas from Wales agreed and then added “we were quite a bit up on schedule and although its never going to be easy, it felt okay. The track feels really good, quite similar to Moscow the way it feels flat all the way round and you can keep the power on at the front rather than being slung up in the bankings.”
“It’s super fast as well. This week I feel I have gone up a level and the efforts here are a lot easier than I was finding at Manchester and I can’t wait to get racing. Bring it on!”
Above: Shanaze Reade and Victoria Pendleton work on their Team Sprint.
The Womens Team Sprint with Shanaze Reade and Victoria Pendleton were having a hit out on the track and also seemed to be really hitting it off in the pits as they laughed and joked the whole time they were there. Nerves –what nerves! On the track, they practiced their starts and also the change over and both riders and coaches alike seemed pleased with what they saw on the track.
Shanaze Reade was certainly a happy young lady afterwards. Remember, this BMX teenage rider from Crewe is only just out of the Junior ranks and is already producing times as fast, if not faster, than anyone else over lap 1. Talking to us about the difference between a Track Worlds to that of the BMX ones she has experienced before, she says “the atmosphere is definitely different here at a Track Worlds because its all indoor.”
“The environment here is really uplifting with everyone tight, close and so focused. At the hotel too, everyone is so happy and calm. Even if someone is down, they always pick each other back up. So the atmosphere here is great and I couldn’t ask for any more.”
Underlining how good it is, the only ‘problem’ is the time she has on her hands.
“The hardest thing is how much spare time you have. The resting though works because the times are coming down.
Having ridden the track three times now, she says of the new track, “it feels better than Manchester and is really fast. “The training went well today and we’re going faster and that makes me more confident. Fingers crossed, I’ll do something special here.”
Keep an eye out for her opening lap times in the Women’s Team Sprint on Thursday with coverage live on British Eurosport and coverage on the BBC as well coming up.
Endurance coach Matt Parker talks the riders through video footage which is beamed to the pit from the stands where the video is taken.
Triple Athens Olympic medallist Bradley Wiggins was upbeat as well. The Olympic record holder said of the venue for this years Worlds, “Its similar to the Olympics in Athens in terms of temperature and I think the track is running at about the same speed. It is certainly a World Record track across all disciplines. In the Individual, I am certainly going to try and PB which means going into the 14’s.”
And showing the impatience everyone in the team is feeling he says “I wish the race had been today because it’s the worst time waiting around when you know its going to happen. This waiting is when a World title can be lost because you panic and do things you shouldn’t be doing and its all about having the confidence to sit on your ass and do nothing.”
Bradley also had time to watch the Team Pursuiters go through their paces with the foursome on the track riding above the schedule and told us after he had seen them “they’re going fantastic. I feel double gold is on the cards and always has been. We all just want to get out there and do it really. I don’t think we will do a World Record but taking a bigger slice off the British record would be nice.”
Bradley Wiggins and Rob Hayles warm up for their efforts during the day.
Women's endurance riders with coach Dan Hunt, L-R, Wendy, Dan, Rebecca and Katie.
The Women’s Individual Pursuit is also looking good as both Wendy Houvenaghel and Rebecca Romero both showed great speed on the track during their efforts today. All being well, the times for these ladies in their event are going to be quick, very quick and what that brings them in terms of medals will depend on the form of their competition. Wendy was all smiles though when we spoke as she explained how it felt on the Palma track for the first time.
“I felt comfortable on the track and everything went according to plan. The track is running faster than Manchester and very smooth. To be honest, I just go out there and concentrate on following the black line. Having been on it now, I know how I am going to approach the race and I have discussed what gear to use with my coach.”
Also seen in the track centre was British Cycling president Brian Cookson (Right). He told us “I don’t often get to the Track Worlds as normally it’s the Road Worlds because that is where the UCI congress is but I didn’t want to miss this opportunity to be here because I think this is the strongest ever team we have had with lots of medal chances and I’m very proud to be associated with that.”
“This is a really important year for us being the year before the Olympics and the year before the Track Worlds in Manchester, and I’m here for the launch of that here in Palma. The velodrome here, although cutting it fine in construction terms, is a fantastic facility with an unusual shaped track that is pretty fast.”
“Its brilliant to be here. So many nations I see here are very strong, very professional which makes it even more impressive that we Brits are able to perform really well at this level and I hope at the end of this week we will have proved we are the best nation at on the track”
MORE PHOTOS
Bradley Wiggins during his efforts on the track today.
The Mens Team Sprint had several hit outs ready for Thursdays event.
While Mike Hughes sits in the pit with the computers, Chris White takes the video from the stands and beams it down wirelessly to Mike.
Mechanics were busy all day in the depths of the Palma velodrome.
Ernie gasses the tyres and then takes the bikes to the Team Pit.
Carers Luc de Wilde and Tony Carpenter prepare the energy sources for the riders from Science in Sport.
Mark Ingham polishes the bikes and prepares them for action in the competition.
Ross Edgar and Victoria Pendleton during some flying 100 metre efforts.
Rebecca and Wendy had their first hit outs on the Palma track.
Chris Hoy had a busy day on the track.
A wet day outside the Palma Velodrome.
