No cycling on the Olympic programme today, so a chance for reflection for me then an evening reception for the UCI at the world famous Dorchester Hotel on Park Lane.
Above: Successes like Lizzie Armitstead's on Sunday have prompted UCI President Pat McQuaid to praise the transformation of cycling in Great Britain.
It was great to be surrounded by friends and colleagues from around the world, all enjoying themselves and all full of praise for the London Olympics. Once again UCI President Pat McQuaid was equally full of praise for the transformation that has been brought to British cycling, and I have to admit I threw a sideways glance at his predecessor Hein Verbruggen who, in the mid-nineties, had described Great Britain as a wasteland, a desert, in cycling terms. He must be truly amazed at the change that has come about.
Great also to see Sports Minister Hugh Robertson MP there to hear those messages once again. Hugh is a good friend to cycling and I am sure will keep on supporting us as we move out of the euphoria of the Games, into the legacy, and onwards to Rio 2016.
After that, a quick dinner with Peter King, the man who as Chief Executive worked so hard with us to transform the old BCF, then an early night watching the round up of the day’s events on the BBC.
Just a quick comment on the television coverage from the weekend – I understand there were serious technical problems which inhibited the live coverage of the road races, so that perhaps explains some of the lack of information coming through. On the plus side – how amazing was it to see the likes of John MacEnroe and Tessa Sanderson suddenly catapulted into the role of, er, expert commentators on the tactics of cycling!?
More tomorrow.
Brian
