Britain welcome changes

Olympic Games -04/11/2009

Britain welcome changes

British Cycling performance director Dave Brailsford believes Great Britain will have one up on the rest of the world should proposed changes to the Olympic schedule take place.

In December the International Olympic Committee Executive Board is expected to ratify the amendments, which would see the individual pursuit, the madison and the points races scrapped.

 

Instead, there would be a women's team sprint, keirin and team pursuit added as well as an omnium for both sexes to ensure gender quality with five male and five female events.

 

Great Britain are currently reigning champions in both the men's and women's individual pursuit after Bradley Wiggins and Rebecca Romero topped the podium in Beijing.

 

But Team GB, as they proved at the recent World Cup in Manchester with 10 gold medals, have strength across the board with the women's team pursuit breaking the world record last weekend.

 

And Brailsford has revealed Team GB have already incorporated the changes into their line of attack and he remains convinced they will get the green light from the IOC.

 

"We think that the changes will happen and we've based our strategy on the premise that they will happen," said Brailsford.

 

"If they don't then we will be fine but if they do then we've stolen a march on our rivals and the rest of the world.

 

"And it's not about individuals and how loses out and who benefits. It's about a sport moving forward and at present I'd back us against anyone in the world right now.

 

"We'll see what effect it has on endurance riders over time. We'd like to make sure that we don't completely lose the endurance racers from the track.

 

"We still believe that, in our academy process, having young riders come up through the track system is good for skills development and good for overall development as young riders.

 

"We'll continue to make sure that endurance track racing still forms a part of our development plan."

 

Brailsford was also quick to point out that despite their dominance in Manchester, Great Britain were not using the advanced skinsuits worn in Beijing, nor did they have their specially developed rear wheels in operation.

 

"The performances in the sprint and the team pursuit make a mockery of the UCI and their anti-technology-advancement rules," added Brailsford.

 

"Give us a standard bike and a standard skin-suit and well still beat everybody."

 

Eurosport - More than the Games - 04/11/2009 22:23