Great Britain have topped the medal table at another international track competition, following their success at the London round of the World Cup with more gold medals and world records in Australia.
But has the success enjoyed at the UCI Track World Championships in Melbourne last week brought headaches for British Cycling’s performance director, Dave Brailsford, and his senior coaching staff?
The biggest selection issue surrounds the choice of Sir Chris Hoy or Jason Kenny for the men’s sprint. Kenny bested Hoy in the semi-final at the Hisense Arena, and can consider himself unlucky to have been relegated from race two of the final after an audacious attack from the line against Gregory Bauge of France.
Hoy beat Kenny comfortably in the final of the men’s kierin, showing impressive race craft to match his awesome turn of speed by dropping beneath the New Zealander, Simon Van Velthooven, on the final bend, squeezing fearlessly through a minute gap and powering for the line to finish ahead of Germany’s Maximilian Levy and claim the gold.
Two schools of thought emerged in the immediate aftermath. The first is that British Cycling should divide the events equally between the two men, basing their selection for each on their performance in Melbourne. This thinking would place Hoy in the keirin, Kenny in the sprint, and both in the team sprint, possibly with Philip Hindes, who put in a blistering opening lap in Melbourne while unwittingly causing the team’s relegation with an illegal change over.
The alternative view is that assuring Hoy and Kenny of their selection will blunt their competitive edge, and detract from the burning desire evident in both men to represent their country at their home Olympics in as many events as possible.
Another difficult decision surrounds the selection of Andy Tennant or Steven Burke for the men’s team pursuit. Tennant played a vital role in securing the squad’s qualification for the final in Melbourne, but it was Burke who assisted Ed Clancy, Geraint Thomas, and Pete Kennaugh to a gold medal and a world record in the final against Australia. Ben Swift, with a gold medal in Melbourne from the scratch race, and silver medals from the points race and madison, all non-Olympic events, has proved himself another strong contender for a place in the team pursuit.
The women’s team pursuit will perhaps be an easier decision, but only marginally. A line-up of Jo Roswell, Dani King, and Laura Trott broke the world record twice in Melbourne, most importantly in the final against Australia where their record breaking ride secured them the rainbow jerseys of world champions, but with 37-year-old Wendy Hovenaghel reaching yet another world final, her fourth in four years, such experience could prove invaluable in the heat of Olympic competition.
Omnium selections look to be assured for Laura Trott and Ed Clancy, with Trott taking gold in Melbourne and Clancy finishing fourth overall after an astonishing time trial.
Vicky Pendleton’s selection for the women’s sprint, and an inevitable clash with Anna Meares of Australia, seems destined, and despite disappointment in the women’s team sprint, the pairing of Pendleton and Jess Varnish, a bronze medalist in the 500m time trial in Melbourne, will be hard for British Cycling to improve upon.
As problems go, it’s a nice set for Brailsford and co to have. But someone will be disappointed in London, and those selected, we hope will match the high standards witnessed in Melbourne.
