posted Aug 18, 2008

"At the very highest level, genetics is key."

Why then do most athletes have stories of being beaten when they were kids? They also have stories of how they didn't want to get beaten again, so trained, trained and trained some more. It's the attitude to defeat that sets them apart, not wanting to settle for 'having taken part', but wanting to win, only win.
But who knows, maybe mental attitude is genetic.

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posted Aug 18, 2008

"I think that we have a golden generation of cyclists that have benefited from great coaching and facilities."

Hmmm? That's a pretty weird activity in which to have a 'Golden Generation'. Particularly given the relative levels of participation and consequent limited pool of talent.


"What I can't help but wonnder is, if the Germans, French or Americans (say) threw the same system/approach/money at track cycling for the next four years as we have to here - and they are sure to see the benefits of it now - could we really be this successful again at 2012?"

That's the price you pay for being succesful. You're there to be shot at. It's up to GB cycling to continue to raise their game. The reason your nervous is that in the past GB hasn't done success, never mind morale-crushing dominance.

Enjoy.

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posted Aug 18, 2008

hadfieldharry - sorry, but from his comments about Rangers, seems like he's a Scot (which is sad that he hates cycling when it was Chris Hoy who got us one of our golds) and he could very well be a WUM as well.

RE BobSmith:

I'd like to see you try and compete in those sports; the dedication and training that goes into those sports you mentioned and all others is spellbinding. How can you find watching our sports men and women winning, and in the case of the cycling and swimming beating world records, boring? What a sad man you are...

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posted Aug 18, 2008

Speaking personally I would like to congratulate the team on its immense success.

The amazing results in cycling, rowing and sailing should be compared with the dismal results (Rebecca Addlington excepted) in the so called major sports of swimming and athletics.

All three successful sports have the following in common.

1) A team of support staff and coaches that have been together for some time. They have been able to draw up a plan and keep to it. Compare this to the upheavals in swimming and athletics in particular.

2) Money is important but the key is an openness to foreign coaches and also good quality training facilities both here and abroad.

I would like to see the government commit to a chain of regional centres of excellence with quality velodromes and support facilities. With the 2012 Olympics and hopefully the 2014 Commonwealth games in Glasgow each giving us the opportunity of another excellent facility. Perhaps the Chris Hoy velodrome in Glasgow?

If we had another velodrome in Birmingham next to the High Performance facility by the Alexandra Stadium or one at Loughborough University to help tie in with their sporting excellence facilities in the Midlands this can only help?

This should ensure that this golden generation is able to bequeth facilities that will help keep Britain at the top of World cycling for generations.

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posted Aug 18, 2008

Why is it the most successful?
10 years of hard work. Spending money at the grass roots to get kids on bikes. Making use of what facilities there are (before they are demolished http://www.youtube.com/SaveMeadowbank ). Identifying talent and nurturing it. Every place in the olympic program is earned and you have to be a medal prospect (or future medal prospect) to keep it.

If we want to be successful in sports such as atheletics and swimming then we need to make sure that the clubs with youth programmes are well funded to give all kids a chance to get involved, to identify talent and develop it, and then, in 5 years time, we will start to be the best. The strength in depth in British Cycling is outstanding. I am really looking forward to 2014 where the England/Scotland/Wales track cycling competition will be as high quality as the world championships.

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posted Aug 18, 2008

Re provision of velodromes: it's impossible to argue that these wouldn't be a good thing and I hope/look forward to seeing more world-class facilities in the UK. However, just having more velodromes, whilst desirable and perhaps even necessary, is not a sufficient condition for continued success and nurturing talent. France, Germany and (especially!) Japan are better-resourced for velodromes but they're not walking away with endless golds from Beijing. It's another claim for the triumph of the existing GB system.

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posted Aug 18, 2008

""A lot like that other but hugely successful sporting enigma Lance Armstrong, who also threw out the old ideas and took a completely new look at race preparation.""

Is there nothing that the Lance fans won't give him credit for? Could team GB not have been inspired by the meticulous attention to detail and rigorous preperation of our own, gold medal winning, world record setting, Chris Boardman? You know, the guy who rode the revolutionary bike, used a totally different (and drug free) training regime from his contempories, and now actually works as part of the current set up.

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posted Aug 18, 2008

talking about throwing out old modes what about Obree..they changed the rules every time he raced...he is still cycling at british record times

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posted Aug 18, 2008

""talking about throwing out old modes what about Obree""

It's a shame the UCI had it in for Obree, great rider, imaginative technican, innovative trainer etc. But then again Obree didn't always do himself any favours in the press. He got himself known as the man riding a washing machine, eating jam sandwiches and saying things like "I suppose if I took it really seriously I'd give up the beer".
I remember Boardman saying how frustrating it was seeing a guy with so much talent kind of sell himself short and not get taken seriously as a result.
So it's a real shame Graeme isn't more involved in British cycling, but in a way I think he's too much of an individualist to be part of the team set up.

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posted Aug 19, 2008

Can we really be the nation of 'Wingeing Poms' the Aussies make so much of? Can we really be SO supportive of the underdog that we despise the success of our own heroes? The reality is that it is about time that this country invested in sporting success (particularly with 2012 looming). Velodrome is about fitness, training, dedication, and do not forget - equipment. So long as our outstanding cycling athletes are achieving their World domination on the basis of selection, training and equipment without drugs - fair play, and keep it up! It's OK for Aussies to winge about Brit success, but can we please stop doing it ourselves?

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