With Olympic cycling continuing this week it seems a pretty bad time to take a holiday from the point of view of this blog. Still, that’s what I’m doing as I’m off to enjoy the games sitting in the sun abroad, rather than in the city where it’s all happening. I’ll be back with it all on the 16th or 17th August.
Before I go I’ll leave you with the best of the weekend’s cycling from the Olympic velodrome, and an idea of what you should be watching in the next week or so.
Friday was time for Vicky Pendleton to take another chance at gold as she raced in the Keirin (not on Saturday as I mentioned last week). In one of those events that makes people ask a lot of “why” questions as the riders follow the Bond villain on a motorbike before peeling off into a hectic sprint, Pendleton stormed through to a gold.
The other big event was the men’s team pursuit which was lined up for an entirely expected GB/Australia final. Dominant as ever, the team of Thomas, Clancy, Burke and Kennaugh smashed the world record and beat the Australian four to another GB gold. Geraint Thomas (who was racing after a period of food poisoning last week) summed up the feeling of the team as he confirmed that the feeling of taking gold was worth missing out on being part of the winning Sky Tour de France team. If nothing else that’s an indication of just how much strength and depth British cycling has.
Saturday was time for the final of the Women’s team pursuit. Dani King, Joanna Rowsell and Laura Trott smashed through to a sixth consecutive world record and gold ahead of a US team that were close to being caught as Team GB cycling show more of the dominance that came over at Beijing. You run out of ways to describe the power of the team as they just win more and more.
On Sunday the Men’s Omnium multi-discipline cycling event was decided with Ed Clancy made up for a poor scratch race with a storming kilo time trail to take bronze. The sprinters were also in action and qualified well for the next rounds this week.
The remaining finals will take place today and tomorrow, hopefully extending the medal haul for Team GB.
Other events that I definitely think you should be watching are the BMX, from Wednesday to Friday, and Mountain biking on Saturday and Sunday. There are real medal chances in the BMX with Shanaze Reade, and even for recently injured Liam Phillips. Liam Killeen and Annie Last will also go for (less of a chance of) glory on the Essex mountain bike course. Both will be an exciting change of pace and surface from the track evens earlier in the week and road-based racing last week.
Enjoy it all and I’ll be back to give my opinions soon. Get all the information on anything else on the excellent BBC Olympics site.
If all this cycling is inspiring you to get into it yourself look out for deals as good as this recent one at Tescos (although actually, as ever, you’ll do better getting a proper bike and getting more form it).
Enjoy the Olympics.
A
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