Team GB medal hopes - Cycling

[Rafa Maciel 1,658]

3 hours ago, Dragon said:

Men - Mountain Biking

 

Not only is Tom Pidcock Olympic champion and world champion but he's also a far better rider than he was in 2021. Logically he should be favourite to retain the title but there will be strong challenges from  van der Poel, Van Aert and Schurter depending on which Olympic events they'll ride.
 

 

 

 aren't currently in a qualifying spot for Mountain bike (currently 27th) so think we can safely discount Van der Poel.

[Dragon 2,026]

7 minutes ago, Rafa Maciel said:

 aren't currently in a qualifying spot for Mountain bike (currently 27th) so think we can safely discount Van der Poel.

Oops.

Should really have checked that beforehand...

[Dragon 2,026]

Women - Road

 

Time Trial

 

Britain has two real contenders here. Anna Henderson has emerged over the last few years as one of the world's top TT riders, winning European silver after placing 4th at the world championship in Scotland and she must be considered a medal contender.

The other rider is one of the most intriguing prospects to hit women's cycling in many years.

Zoe Backstedt is the daughter of Swedish Paris-Roubaix winner Magnus Backstedt and British women's road race champion Megan Hughes.

Zoe won the world junior TT title in 2022 by a mind boggling margin. The time between her and the silver medalist was the same as between silver and 24th.

Had a minor injury last summer but bounced back to win the Euro U23 title by almost a minute despite still only being 18.

I wonder if Paris might be 12-18 months too soon for her to dominate but 2028...

 

Road Race

 

If you remember this race in Tokyo you'll realize that the fact this is the Olympic Games doesn't mean you can't get a surprise winner.

This time I would expect the Dutch to work as a team to wrap up the title but if that doesn't happen, Britain's Pfeiffer Georgi stands as good a chance as any of a podium finish.

[Dragon 2,026]

Women - Mountain Biking

 

Evie Richards must be considered as a medal contender.

Zoe Backstedt, despite her lack of experience in this discipline, can also be a star at this. 

 

[mpjmcevoy 375]

4 hours ago, Dragon said:

Women - Mountain Biking

 

Evie Richards must be considered as a medal contender.

Zoe Backstedt, despite her lack of experience in this discipline, can also be a star at this. 

 

If GBR kept the second MTB quota, would you bring Backstedt?

[RussB 189]

1 hour ago, mpjmcevoy said:

If GBR kept the second MTB quota, would you bring Backstedt?

Think it would depend on whether you viewed Backstedt as having a role in the ITT or on the track team as the substitute rider?

 

in my view I think she has to go in the ITT as her best chance of getting a medal for GB. Beyond that, I really don’t know what the plans are generally for the GB women’s cycling lineups.

[mpjmcevoy 375]

49 minutes ago, RussB said:

Think it would depend on whether you viewed Backstedt as having a role in the ITT or on the track team as the substitute rider?

 

in my view I think she has to go in the ITT as her best chance of getting a medal for GB. Beyond that, I really don’t know what the plans are generally for the GB women’s cycling lineups.

That's my assumption too - she's an obvious 'ace in the hole' as back up for the Team Pursuit, while clearly, if she continues her astonishing rate of progress, she's a contender in ITT. In which case we presumably take Annie Last for the MTB. Tarling will perform a similar role for the men. In both cases, the track squad arguably has another card to pay on the road in J Knight and D Bigham if it comes to it.

[RussB 189]

I think the men’s situation looks slightly clearer than the women’s. Tarling has been involved in the nations cup and training with the track team, in addition to publically saying the intention is to double up with the ITT. This makes sense with creating a spare endurance rider for GBR to use on track.

 

With Backstedt I’m not aware there has been any public info or acknowledgment on how British cycling intend to use her in Paris. In fact further than that, some posters have indicated they don’t think she even makes the team at all.

Whilst I’m not in that camp, I’ve been vocal in wishing she is seen in two formats, I don’t know how she fits in.

Does putting her into the team pursuit at this point even make sense? I’m not sure there is a strong argument. Plus they may already have a complication with Kenny maybe making a late push for selection.

 

The mountain bike I’m not sure she will contest for medals but I’m bullish on her chances in the time trial. She is a real talent and powerhouse.

[Dragon 2,026]

Women - BMX

 

Racing

 

Since winning gold in Tokyo Beth Schriever won two world a European title to establish herself as the best in the world.

However in recent months Sakakibara of Australia has come out the better when the two have clashed.

Still a hot medal prospect but perhaps not the favourite anymore

 

Freestyle

 

A surprise winner in Tokyo, Charlotte Worthington has remained near the top of the rankings since then without looking like taking another win.

A medal has to remain a possibility though

[Dragon 2,026]

Women - Track

 

Sprint

This time last year we knew Emma Finucane was good but we didn't quite know how good.

She had won medals at junior level competing against riders nearly two year older than her but the pandemic appeared to  conceal her progress.

2023 saw that progress revealed in a pretty dramatic way.

She's still only 21 as well.

Favourite for gold.

 

 

Team Sprint

Penalty shoot out Germany versus Britain.

Whoever reaches Paris on form wins.

 

Keirin

Finucane could ride but she's not, at the stage of her career, the most natural in this event.

Katy Marchant has a good shot at a medal too.

 

Team Pursuit

Like the other team event it all depends on who gets to Paris fit and on form.

The British could win but so could a couple of other teams,

 

 

Madison

Let's face it, this is the event that the Brits should dominate.

I don't think anybody at the whole Games was an easy pair of winners like Archibald and Kenny in 2021.

Could be on for a repeat in Paris.

 

Omnium

The toughest to call but if Katy Archibald is strong in Paris it will take somebody very good indeed to beat her.

It seems a bit arrogant to predict a clean sweep for the GB track women but I do feel it's possible on a good day.