GB Cycling 2024

[Rafa Maciel 1,592]

So after all of our debate about Tarling and what he could possibly bring to the team pursuit squad when it comes to Paris and he isn't on the Adelaide provisional entry list. 

 

As it stands, he is down to do the Madison with Oliver Wood and is the reserve rider for the elimination and the omnium.

 

GB's team pursuit squad is Charlie Tanfield, Oliver Wood, Will Tidbell and Josh Charlton with Michael Gill as reserve. They will be up against very strong  team who will have Filippo Ganna back in the squad. On the upside however, there will be no  so GB could/should be able target a top 3 finish. 

[RussB 189]

Does this mean he isn't in GB plans for the team pursuit? Him competing at all in Adelaide seems to indicate GB will use him as an endurance track rider and road rider (ITT) for Paris?

 

I must admit I don't understand it if his Paris track event will be Madison? That is an event where experience and chemistry between 2 riders is vitally important which may take a long time to develop.

[Rafa Maciel 1,592]

1 hour ago, RussB said:

Does this mean he isn't in GB plans for the team pursuit? Him competing at all in Adelaide seems to indicate GB will use him as an endurance track rider and road rider (ITT) for Paris?

 

I must admit I don't understand it if his Paris track event will be Madison? That is an event where experience and chemistry between 2 riders is vitally important which may take a long time to develop.

GB Cycling will keep their cards close to their chest until closer to Paris. Obviously Tarling wants to compete in both road and track, but we'll just need to wait and see whether he has done enough during the off-season to impress the selectors enough for that to happen. Happy to be corrected, but I am struggling to think of a rider who made their debut in the team pursuit squad at the Olympics without first having been part of the European/World/Nations Cup squads. 

 

Going for the Madison is perhaps an 'easier' option than putting him into the team pursuit - it's a single ride rather than the 3 required for the TP, less technical (although more tactical) and would perhaps give GB an element of surprise. 

 

Talking of Team Pursuit - it looks like Katie Archibald is focusing on the omnium in Adelaide. 

[RussB 189]

 

"It depends on how it goes, but ideally I’d like to do the team pursuit and maybe the Madison at the Olympics,” Tarling said. “I’ve qualified for the World Cup here, just after Cadel’s, so I’ll do that and see how it goes.”

Beyond Adelaide, Tarling – like Ganna and Viviani – is unlikely to race on the track again until the summer, with his Ineos duties taking precedence. “You only have to do one World Cup, so it’ll be just training, I think,” he said. “Obviously, if the track team needs me I’ll do it, but it’s mainly just training for the track and fitting it in around the road racing.”

 

So it seems to me he thinks its TP first and even potentially adding in the Madison to his program as a secondary option. This makes more sense to me, even though doing 3 events would be a heavy workload. The ITT is a week before the track rides kick-off for the TP / Madison so potentially it's doable.

[Rafa Maciel 1,592]

Interesting article on GB Cycling's ambitions for Paris. Perhaps a little bit of expectation management given how well things went in Glasgow last year, but they are setting a 'realistic' medal target of 10 - 2 less than they achieved in Tokyo. 

 

Team gb cuts olympic medal target to ‘realistic’ 10 - 4 Jan 2024 - Cycling Weekly Magazine - Readly

 

If you don't want to sign up for an account, the second section of the article talks about GB Cycling's reduced revenue and lists the main cycling events in the run up to Paris.

 

It also flags that British Cycling had developed its own 3-D printed track bike in-house with the product being priced at 55,000 GBP - I think this may have been the bike that Charlie Tanfield was on when he crashed in Glasgow but I could be wrong. A new line of skinsuits was also debuted in Glasgow. 

 

Last up, it talks about Laura Kenny and her prospects to make the squad for Paris with the GB performance director saying that her prospects should become clear around March. 

[TeamGB 167]

Tarling is entered as part of the GB quartet in the team pursuit qualifying.

 

[Rafa Maciel 1,592]

And Katie Archibald is in the line up for team pursuit - despite only being listed in the omnium and madison in the entry list.

 

Evidently the provision entry list by event document on the UCI page is either out of date or the person producing it got bored of keying in names and gave up half way through. 

[Dragon 1,837]

 Useless Trivia Alert

GB won silver in the mixed relay event at the world cyclo cross championship today.

One of the team members was Corran Carrick-Anderson who is the cousin of Zak Carrick-Smith who won Youth Olympic skiing gold last week

[RussB 189]

Love that Dragon! Just saw a video of the finish and it looks like they got very close to gold. Did anyone watch the race ; did any of the British racers stand out?

[Grassmarket 3,362]

16 hours ago, Dragon said:

 Useless Trivia Alert

GB won silver in the mixed relay event at the world cyclo cross championship today.

One of the team members was Corran Carrick-Anderson who is the cousin of Zak Carrick-Smith who won Youth Olympic skiing gold last week

Ah, was wondering if she was the daughter of Emma, but obviously the neice.

 

Cat Ferguson Silver in the Junior Women’s Cross.