Ed Clancy has hinted that Mark Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins may return to Great Britain’s team pursuit squad for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Clancy won team pursuit gold in London with Geraint Thomas, Steven Burke and Peter Kennaugh on Friday, with the quartet setting a new world record in the process, and the 27-year-old went on win omnium bronze on Sunday.
With the road race course in Rio not expected to suit sprinters, Cavendish has speculated at a return to the track, while Tour de France champion Wiggins, who won a fourth Olympic gold medal in London with victory in the time trial, may also return to the fold for the next Olympic cycle.
“The first thing Cav said to me was talking about the team pursuit for Rio, Brad’s been talking about it as well so that’s quite exciting, the lads are mulling it over,” said Clancy. “Cav’s won everything, he’s had such a fantastic career but he knows the one thing he’s missing is that Olympic gold.
“I spent a lot of time with Cav, lived with him for a year in Germany, two years on the academy. He hangs out in different circles these days, he’s a superstar, but if he came back to the team pursuit that would make my day, that would. That would be awesome.”
Clancy and Cavendish were both members of British Cycling’s first academy intake but, despite winning 23 stages of the Tour de France and the World Championship in a glittering career on the road, Cavendish still yearns for an Olympic gold medal having missed out on the track in 2008, finishing eighth in the madison with Wiggins, and 29th in this year’s road race.
“I watched the guys and looked at the camaraderie and thought ‘I want to be part of that again’,” said Cavendish last week. “I’ve spoken to the coach [Dan Hunt]. I don’t think a road race would suit me too well around Rio but I’d love an Olympic gold and to share it with the guys I’ve grown up with. I’d like to push for a position at Rio in 2016.
“I’d like to be part of the team pursuit because I thrive working with other people, gaining their trust. I enjoy working like that and that’s what I aim to do.”
