Orbea – For Goodness Shakes 2010 Team Launch

The Orbea - For Goodness Shakes Men's and Woman's Team for 2010

Just under two weeks ago, the Sunday following the Endura Team launch, I attended the launch of the newly created Orbea-For Goodness Shakes cycling team.  The launch took place at the Redbridge Cycling Centre, or Hog Hill as it’s known to many of the cyclists that frequent its track.

But this was a launch like no other in the UK. Why? Well, because its the only UK professional cycling to also announce a woman’s cycling squad in their team line up.

Together with my friend Peter from Shutt Velo Rapide, we saw the day start off with team manager, Stephen Charles, introducing the men’s squad and then the woman’s squad to the waiting audience, which included team sponsors, friends and family. But the second main announcement for the day was that the woman’s squad was being headed up by Olympic Individual Pursuit Gold Medallist, Rebecca Romero MBE.

The Orbea-For Goodness Shakes Woman's Squad (From L-R: Caroline Gammel, Janet Birkmyre, Rebecca Romero, Emilie Fisher, Cassie Gledhill)

According to the team’s offical press release for the launch:

The Men’s Squad brings together a talented mix of youth and experience, captained by the former GB rider Andy Lyons. With the experience of Lyons, Dean Shannon and Ben Thompson to guide them, expectations are high for the talented youngsters, Dan Kogan, Marcel Six, Steven Griffiths, Lewis Atkins and Kristian Downs to come through and shine in the mixture of Domestic and Continental racing the team will undertake in 2010.

With Olympic Gold Medallist Rebecca Romero MBE heading the Women’s Squad alongside Multiple National and World Masters Champion Janet Birkmyre, Cassie Gledhill, Caroline Wojcik-Gammell and Emilie Fisher, there is a wealth of talent and experience designed to deliver results on the road, in time trials and on the track.

Following the UCI’s decision to eliminate the individual pursuit from the Olympic programme, Romero has decided to turn to the Road Time Trial and will aim for glory at September’s World Road Championships in Melbourne. By joining the OFGS squad, this will give her the opportunity to focus on the road and develope her time trial skills.

The Orbea-For Goodness Shakes 2010 Men's Squad (From L-R back row: mechanic Andrew Brown, James Whatling, Kristian Downs, Andy Lyons, Stephen Charles, Matt Ewings, Ben Thompson, Marcel Six, mechanic Dan Kouglan. Front row L-R: Dean Shannon, Adam Norris, Lewis Atkins, Steven Griffiths, Dan Kogan)

The Orbea – For Goodness Shakes Men’s Squad are:

• Lewis Atkins
• Kristian Downs
• Matt Ewings
• Steven Griffiths
• Daniel Kogan
• Andy Lyons (Team Captain)
• Adam Norris
• Dean Shannon
• Marcel Six
• Ben Thompson
• James Whatling

The Orbea – For Goodness Shakes Woman’s Squad are:

• Janet Birkmyre
• Emilie Fisher
• Cassie Gledhill
• Rebecca Romero MBE (Team Captain)
• Caroline Gammell

Looking at this line up, I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of the team this year, in both the men’s and woman’s racing!

And don’t forget to check out the team’s Facebook page, and you can also follow them on Twitter if you’d like to be kept up to date with the their developments and progress.

Team GB destroy Olympic cycling kits

Chris Hoy celebrating his Olympic Gold in his Team GB cycling kit

According to news reports British Cycling’s Performance Director, David Brailsford, has told the world (and more importantly his rivals) that all of the skinsuits worn by the British cyclists at the Beijing Olympics have been destroyed. This is to ensure that fellow rivals do not get their mitts on the technology used by the successful team.

According to Brailsford: “Our skin suits were sent out to Japan so that the person who put them together in Japan did not know where they were from and there was no link. Those suits were created by British Cycling and Adidas put the labels on. We got them back and they have been shredded because we believe that the technology will hold well for 2012.”

Unfortunately, this also means that none of the Olympic cyclists, including medal winners Hoy and Pendleton, could keep hold of their kit as ‘treasured momentoes’.

It’s an interesting move from the British Cycling team but one can’t help wonder that even though it might seem like a stupid idea, it’s this kind of attention to detail that makes the British Cycling team the best in the world!

Rebecca Romero to go for Gold in third sport

Rebecca Romero

Looks like Rebecca Romero is thinking about going for another gold at the London Olympics, but this time in a different sport to those in which she won her previous gold medals.  She became the first British woman to win Olympic medals in two different sports when she added cycling gold in Beijing to her rowing silver from 2004.

In a BBC article, she was quoted as saying: “To compete in the Olympic Games within the main stadium would just be the ultimate.”

One half of me says that this would be one hell of an achievement, if she pulls it off. But the other half of me thinks she should stick to the cycling. She’s played a pivitol part in bringing the sport to the masses in the UK (and to many parts of the world). Plus, the sport if growing so fast in popularity she should ride the wave for as long as she can. I suppose only time will tell!?

Rebecca Romero makes history in cycling velodrome

Rebecca Romero celebrating her winning performance

Another superb day of racing at the Laoshan Velodrome. What more can I say than truly exhilarating!

Today Rebecca Romero became the first British woman to win Olympic medals at two separate sports and only the second British competitor ever alongside Cardiff-born Paulo Radmilovic, who won gold medals at waterpolo and in the 4x200m freestyle. What a great achievement! You have to take your hat off to this girl for what she has just accomplished.

Romero took Gold from fellow teammate Wendy Houvenhaghel in the final of the 3km pursuit. Houvenhagel took Silver for her performance.

And speaking of making history, Great Britain set a new Team Pursuit world record of 3:55.202 in qualifying which helped them to advance to the gold medal round. Great Britain, two-time defending world champions, are favored to win their first Olympic gold medal in Team Pursuit since the London 1908 Olympic Games. Another historic moment waiting for Team GB if the boys pull this off. I know they will!

Last but definitely not least, the men’s and woman’s sprint heats were superb with some stunning performances. One very notable ride was from Mohd Azizulhasni Awang of Malasia who in his 1/8 men’s repecharge final wheelied (yes peeps, you didn’t read that worng), he wheelied across the line. A very determined ride and a great performance all round.

I cannot wait for tomorrow!

Team GB deliver the goods on ‘Super Saturday’

Chris Hoy and Ross Edgar celebrate their victory in the Kierin Final

What an unbelievable day of success on the second day of track cycling at the Beijing Olympics! Two Golds, one silver and two bronze medals won for Team GB. I was on the edge of my seat watching the racing today – simply incredible. I love cycling!!

To summarise the results from the incredible performances seen today, Chris Hoy and Bradley Wiggins took first places in the keirin and the individual pursuit, respectively, ensuring Great Britain’s gold rush continued at the Laoshan Velodrome.

Wiggins riding for Gold

And by no means forgetting that there was also a silver medal for Ross Edgar in the keirin, a bronze for Steven Burke in the pursuit and a bronze for Chris Newton in the points race.

And in the women’s pursuit final tomorrow, Great Britain are again guaranteed another gold and silver after Rebecca Romero and Wendy Houvenaghel reached the final.

I cannot wait for the rest of the race programme to take place. Pendleton, Hoy, Wiggins, Cavendish, Clancy, Kenny, Manning, Thomas, Romero and Houvenaghel are sure to deliver some amazing rides for us!

Brits Houvenaghel and Romero qualify fastest

Rebecca Romera flying to gold at the World Champs earlier this year

Wendy Houvenaghel clocked the fastest time of qualifying for the women’s Olympic individual pursuit on Friday to further boost Britain’s medal chances. Rebecca Romera in turn clocked the second fastest time of the day.

Houvenaghel, a bronze medal winner at world level, clocked 3min 28.4sec for the 3km race against the clock to claim her place in the first round alongside reigning world champion and teammate Rebecca Romero.

The British duo’s performances have raised the bar for the likes of American Sarah Hammer and Australian Katie Mactier. Hammer, who gave up the first of her two world titles to Romero at the world championships in March, could only finish fifth fastest in a time of 3:35.471.

Mactier, a silver medallist in the event at Athens, finished seventh fastest from the field in a time of 3:38.178.

Ukrainian Lesya Kalitovska meanwhile boosted her medal chances by finishing third fastest in 3:31.942, with New Zealand’s Alison Shanks fourth. Vilija Sereikaite of Lithuania was sixth while Lada Kozlikova of the Czech Republic did enough in her ride to qualify last of the field, depriving Switzerland’s Olympic road bronze medallist Karin Thürig.

The first round of the women’s pursuit will be held Saturday. The four fastest times from that round give entry to the medals rounds.

Cycling factoids from Beijing Olympics

Some interesting factoids and other non-essential, factlets from the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games data base:

DOUBLE TIME: Fabian Cancellara (Swi) did more than win gold in the time trial and bronze in the road race. “Spartacus” became only the fifth rider to win a medal in both road events in the same Olympic Games.

Jan Ullrich (Ger) is the only other male to have achieved this distinction, winning gold in the road race and silver in the time trial in Sydney 2000. Leontien Zijlaard-Van Moorsel (Ned) is the only rider to double-gold, pulling off the feat in Sydney 2000.

Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli, who missed bronze in Wednesday’s TT by just nine seconds, won gold in the road race and silver in the time trial in Atlanta 1996. Canadian Clara Hughes won bronze in both events, also in Atlanta.

CLOSING IN: Brad McGee (Aus) needs just one medal on the boards to equal the Olympic record for the most medals in track cycling since Olympic competition began in the discipline 104 years ago.

McGee has won five medals in three previous Olympics, three in the individual pursuit and two in the team pursuit. He’ll compete in both events in Beijing.

Daniel Morelon (Fra), now head coach for the Chinese track team, won five medals over four Games while German sprint star Jens Fiedler also won five during four Games. If McGee scores at least one medal, he’ll join Fiedler and Morelon as the only track cyclists to win medals in four Olympics.

Brad Wiggins (GBR) is one of eight riders with four career Olympic medals, but he’s the only active rider still in competition. Wiggins will compete in three events (team and individual pursuit and the Madison) and could break Downing’s record.

BRIT FIRST: Rebecca Romero (GBR) is chasing her own piece of history. Favored along with Sarah Hammer (USA) in the women’s individual pursuit, Romero is already an Olympic medalist, taking silver in the quadruple skulls rowing in Athens 2004.

Romero only started racing track in 2005 to recover from a back injury. She soon developed into Hammer’s most dangerous rival and won the world title in the Manchester worlds in March. If she wins a medal in the pursuit, she will become the first British woman to win medals in two different Summer Olympic events.

RECORD HAUL: Kristin Armstrong’s TT gold medal was the 900th gold in U.S. Olympic history. It was the 10th American gold medal in Beijing and the third on the day, following two golds in swimming.

Athletics has been the most prolific gold-medal sport, with more than one-third of the 900 gold-medal haul coming from athletics with 304. Swimming has netted 209, 49 in shooting, 48 in boxing and 47 in diving.

The U.S. doesn’t rule every sport. There are 12 current Olympic sports that has never had an American stand on the highest step. They are: Badminton, BMX (new sport this year), mountain bike, Rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline, handball, field hockey, judo, modern pentathlon, table tennis, triathlon and water polo.

Rebecca Romera poses nude

Rebecca Romera going for broke

Olympic track pursuiter Rebecca Romero has posed nude for an advert for sports drink Powerade.

The striking photo of the Team GB rider has appeared in a number of daily papers already, and the coverage – or perhaps lack of it – will increase as the advert is run during the Olympic Games in Beijing, china (August 8-24).
Already an Olympic silver medalist in rowing, Romero has been selected to ride the women’s individual pursuit and points race in Beijing after making the switch to cycling in 2006 with great success – she is currently individual pursuit world champion and was part of Britain’s gold medal winning worlds team pursuit squad.

Romero’s stint is similar to that of Victoria Pendleton who posed nude earlier this year for the glossy Observer Sports Monthly.

Pendleton posing for the cover of the Observer Sports Monthly magazine

As wonderful as this might be in helping to increase the profile of cycling, I’m not sure if it’s necessary for our sports woman, who in their own right are brilliant at what they do, need to strip off to do it.

Ah, who am I to complain? The girls look great and I know they’ll be bringing home the gold’s from Beijing.

British Olympic Cycle Squad Named

The British Olympic Association has announced the cycling members for Team GB for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games (8-24 Aug).

The athletes are:

BMX
Shanaze Reade (Women’s BMX)
Plus one male rider TBC

Mountain Bike
Oliver Beckingsale
Liam Killeen

Road
Jonny Bellis (Men’s Road Race)
Steve Cummings (Men’s Road Race & Individual Time Trial)
Roger Hammond (Men’s Road Race)
Ben Swift (Men’s Road Race)
Nicole Cooke (Women’s Road Race)
Sharon Laws (Women’s Road Race)
Emma Pooley (Women’s Road Race)

Track
Steven Burke (Team Pursuit)
Mark Cavendish (Madison)
Edward Clancy (Team Pursuit)
Ross Edgar (Team Sprint and Keirin)
Chris Hoy (Sprint, Team Sprint and Keirin)
Jason Kenny (Sprint and Team Sprint)
Paul Manning (Team Pursuit)
Chris Newton (Points Race)
Victoria Pendleton (Sprint)
Rebecca Romero (Pursuit and Points Race)
Jamie Staff (Team Sprint)
Geraint Thomas (Team Pursuit)
Bradley Wiggins (Individual Pursuit, Team Pursuit and Madison)
Wendy Houvenaghel (Women’s Individual Pursuit)

Glamorous Victoria Pendleton

Victoria Pendleton was quoted as saying: “It’s an honour to be selected especially in such a strong squad,” Pendleton said. “I’m looking forward to going to Beijing and building on my form from the Worlds in Manchester earlier this year.”

I wish the entire team the best of luck for the event which starts in less than a month’s time. The race of truth has always been my favourite so an extra good luck to the guys and girls taking part in the pursuit and individual time trial.

Longo wins French national pursuit champs

Jeannie Longo

Yesterday, five-time world champion and cycling legend, Jeannie Longo, secured he 55th career win at the French nationals by winning the pursuit against Cathy Moncassin. Longo completed the event in 3 minutes, 48.896 seconds.

Rebecca Romero

Let’s hope our very own Rebecca Romero, who also has her eyes set on gold in Beijing later this year, will be able to give Longo a run for her money.

Romero is aiming to become the first British woman to earn medals in two summer Olympic sports after being named in the cycling squad yesterday.