Britain takes first Gold on the Track

Jamie Staff, Chris Hoy and Jason Kenny celebrating Britain's first track gold in the team sprint

What an exciting day it has been in the first day of track cycling at the Beijing Olympics! Britain won an historic victory in the coveted Olympic team sprint final today to leave world champions France with the silver.

Chris Hoy anchored the team home after stunning rides from England’s Jamie Staff and Jason Kenny in a time of 43.128sec. France tool the silver in 43.551 with defending champions Germany beating Australia to the bronze medal.

It is the first of a possible eight gold medals that the highly-fancied British track squad could win here from the 10 gold medal events, in which Britain hold seven of the world titles.

Jamie Staff leads Jason Kenny and Chris Hoy in Great Britain's record breaking ride in the team sprint qualifying

Staff, Kenny and Hoy proved unstoppable in the qualifying round where they posted the fastest time of the field in world record 42.950. They then dominated the first round in 43.034, giving France – who posted a first round time of 43.656 – another reminder of their power.

France had chopped and changed their trio of riders, replacing 14-time world champion and anchor man Arnaud Tournant with Mickaël Bourgain for the first round, before putting Tournant back in for the final.

Staff, a former BMX professional rider, was unstoppable over his first lap ride and then Kenny, a 20-year-old from Bolton who is the newest addition to the squad, took over in sensational style. Kenny’s much-hyped power briefly proved too much for Hoy, who struggled to hold the Englishman’s wheel in the latter stages of their ride together. But once he was left on his own Hoy, the reigning Olympic kilometre champion from Athens, powered round the last lap to finish comfortably ahead of Tournant.

Britain’s time of 42.950 would have won them the world title in March at the Manchester velodrome, where they finished second behind France.

Poland crashing in the team sprint

GB Cycling’s super-aerodynamic skinsuit to be unveiled at Olympics

Victoria Pendleton

This Saturday we will see the GB Olympic cycling squad unveil their new revolutionary bodysuit when they take to the track in the chase for a record number of nine gold medals at the Beijing Olympics.

The team hope the suit, which has been kept under lock and key at the team’s headquarters at the Manchester Velodrome, will have a similar impact to the “body suit”, which has allowed swimmers to dramatically improve times in the pool by reducing drag. The new cycling suit is similarly designed to reduce air drag in a sport where even the whisker of an advantage can be translated into victory.

It is one of a string of technological innovations that have made the British a leading force in world cycling and hopeful of a record haul of medals in Beijing. For example, the sprint and pursuit riders will be using a new £10,000 bike.

The Beijing games will be the first time all the new elements of the bike and rider’s kit will have been assembled in competition. Even now they have only been used in training in their final state on a handful of occasions – and then behind closed doors.

The new equipment, which the team hopes will carry the likes of Mark Cavendish, Chris Hoy, Victoria Pendleton and Bradley Wiggins to the medals podium, also includes individually-moulded shoes, a crank that measures each rider’s heart rate and wheel axles designed using aerospace technology.

Only the pedals, sprockets and chains have emerged from the hi-tech transformation of British cycling unaltered – because the team’s technicians felt their performance could not be improved upon.

I have to say that I’m looking forward to the Games this year – one to see the riders in action, but also to see the new bikes and kit. Am also hoping the British team will bring home the goods and that all this new technology will have done what it’s meant to.

And going on the results of the World Champs earlier this year, I’m sure they’ll be bringing home those medals.

Good luck guys and gals!!

Sky partners with GB Cycling

Olympic hopefuls Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton

Sky has been confirmed as British Cycling’s principal after signing a five-year deal with the sporting body.  The multi-­million pound partnership will provide increased support for cycling in the run-­up to the London 2012 – and beyond.

Every level of the sport is set to benefit from the investment, from the Elite Team of World, Olympic and Paralympic cyclists to British Cycling’s talent development programmes and grass­roots initiatives in schools and local communities.  The partnership will cover all forms of the competitive sport from BMX to track cycling and road racing, with the aim of bringing on the elite teams and accelerating the development of emerging talent.

The partnership also aims to build on Britain’s love of cycling with participation programmes in schools, youth clubs and the wider community to encourage everyone to get cycling. In addition to its financial investment, Sky will use its marketing expertise and relationships with one in three families across the UK to help British Cycling to encourage participation in cycling for sport and leisure among people of all ages and abilities.

Sky Sports is also sponsoring the London Freewheel cycling event on September 21.  Here, Londoners will be encouraged to get on their bikes and go for a ride through the city on that day. Roads will be shut off so people can ride passed famous landmarks like Big Ben and Trafalgar Square without having to worry about sharing the roads with any cars.

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.