Commonwealth Games 2014
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Richmond Racer wrote:What's the squad size? 5?
Would have thought 6!0 -
lyn1 wrote:
In terms of the British pros (WT/PC) Wales, Scotland and IOM have 2 each, so there will be pressure on those guys to ride. England has 12 to pick from, so less pressure on some of the top guys. I would not be surprised to see some young riders who can handle courses like this getting a ride ...such as Edmondson, Thwaites, Yates bros.ozzzyosborn206 wrote:It will be a very different race to Delhi, with all due respect I doubt guys like Tom Black will be near the front, whereas he was chasing the break down for Cav there. Plus with Sky allowing their riders to take part it will change the make up of who rides alot, got the impression Cav wasn't too happy with Pete K missing it in 2010? It will be good to see guys like Gee and Luke Rowe riding for themselves. I think Miller will do everything he can to make a race of it how good would it be for him to win his home Commies in his last year of racing
Wales will have a few decent back up riders with GB track experience (Doull, Mould, Harrison) who could offer support subject to track commitments (the track programme seems rather limited from what I've been told but that could just be on the women's side).0 -
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lyn1 wrote:Richmond Racer wrote:What's the squad size? 5?
Would have thought 6!
Yeah its 5 for the RR and 3 for TT and i think 4 for woman RR?0 -
Cavendish has confirmed he will be riding the road race in Glasgow, must be favorite, he could have a great team supporting him.0
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sjmclean wrote:Cavendish has confirmed he will be riding the road race in Glasgow, must be favorite, he could have a great team supporting him.
It will be a good team but I fear the Welsh (I do generally but specifically in relation to the cycling this time around)0 -
Will Dowsett be riding for Essex?0
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Am I right in saying this is the same course as last year's UK Nationals? If so there isn't going to be anyone to stop Cav, is there?Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy0
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Will Kennaugh be doing the track events too? He looked ridiculously strong in the Revolution meet a few months back lapping the field about 7 times in the points race.
Might still be a bit early for him but its worth keeping an eye out for Mark Stewart who was 2nd to Kennaugh that night. Throughout the series he was not only mixing it with the big names but also getting better and better all the time - despite not being on the Olympic development programme nor having a pro contract yet.0 -
RichN95 wrote:
Yes.The_Boy wrote:Am I right in saying this is the same course as last year's UK Nationals? If so there isn't going to be anyone to stop Cav, is there?
They said that about Delhi.
Tbf, I said the same about London 2012 too
Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy0 -
One of the punchier Australian riders is a good shout, some sharp climbs and no one really attacked on them in the NRR this year, the top four mainly rode as a group.0
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Millar will call in his favours with Cav and win the road race0
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Omar Little wrote:Will Kennaugh be doing the track events too? He looked ridiculously strong in the Revolution meet a few months back lapping the field about 7 times in the points race.
Might still be a bit early for him but its worth keeping an eye out for Mark Stewart who was 2nd to Kennaugh that night. Throughout the series he was not only mixing it with the big names but also getting better and better all the time - despite not being on the Olympic development programme nor having a pro contract yet.
Track programme starts 24 Jul, so I hope PK will be climbing Hautacam that day instead
The road events are 31 Jul (TT) and 3 Aug (RR) so they're do-able for the Tour guys0 -
Yellow Peril wrote:Millar will call in his favours with Cav and win the road race
I don't know, as someone said it's as big as it gets for a manx man.0 -
sjmclean wrote:Yellow Peril wrote:Millar will call in his favours with Cav and win the road race
I don't know, as someone said it's as big as it gets for a manx man.
In last year's Nat Champs they had a deal that neither would chase down an attack by the other. I think the same will probably happen again. However, now that they both know the course I would expect Millar to make a much earlier dig for a solo win and be successful.0 -
I think that deal was partly out necessity due to the likelihood of being heavily outnumbered by Sky. More even teams this time. Fenn provides a link between them though. There will be some interesting team dynamics.Alan A wrote:sjmclean wrote:Yellow Peril wrote:Millar will call in his favours with Cav and win the road race
I don't know, as someone said it's as big as it gets for a manx man.
In last year's Nat Champs they had a deal that neither would chase down an attack by the other. I think the same will probably happen again. However, now that they both know the course I would expect Millar to make a much earlier dig for a solo win and be successful.Twitter: @RichN950 -
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I agree, however there will be a strong desire from both to ensure that one of them wins and not an Englishman or Aussie.0 -
Assuming he actually rode, who would Froome represent? Obviously he's a British citizen but which home nation does he represent? Would he get to pick like Le Tissier in football?
If Geraint comes out of the Tour in form I reckon the course could suit him.0 -
Pross wrote:Assuming he actually rode, who would Froome represent? Obviously he's a British citizen but which home nation does he represent? Would he get to pick like Le Tissier in football?
If Geraint comes out of the Tour in form I reckon the course could suit him.
He rode for Kenya in Melbourne but I think has since changed his alliance and would have to ride for England?0 -
ozzzyosborn206 wrote:lyn1 wrote:Richmond Racer wrote:What's the squad size? 5?
Would have thought 6!
Yeah its 5 for the RR and 3 for TT and i think 4 for woman RR?
scrap that it is 6 for rr0 -
Nice wee article on Scotand's prosects http://www.scotsman.com/sport/more-sport/other/glasgow-2014-cyclists-look-to-hoy-for-inspiration-1-3377781WHEN Sir Chris Hoy announced, a year ago this Friday, that two home Games would be one too many, it was more a blow to morale than a devastating setback to Team Scotland’s medal prospects.
As the greatest velodrome rider of all time, Hoy would, of course, have been an invaluable asset to the home team effort in Glasgow, even at 38. But Scotland’s athletes fared pretty well in Delhi in 2010 when he wasn’t fit to compete, and his career haul of four Commonwealth medals – two gold and two bronze – actually pales in comparison to his superhuman Olympic successes.
Still, the news had the effect of a blow to the solar plexus. It left the country wondering who, if anyone, would be able to fill the void and add a Scottish context to what will be a thrilling four days of track racing in the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome this summer. Now, 12 months on, some worthy candidates have emerged not only on the track but on the road and in the mountains, with the result that followers of the home team ought to have some cycling success to toast at the 20th Commonwealth Games after all.
It might just prove that it is in the mountains where Scots will mine the richest seam. Cathkin Braes Country Park, just to the south of Glasgow, is where the men’s and women’s cross-country races will take place on 29 July and Gary Coltman, performance director at Scottish Cycling, is not afraid of making confident predictions, with the proviso that the team has not yet been picked.
“In mountain biking the prospects are good,” he says. “We’ve got arguably the two best riders in the UK, Grant Ferguson who is the British champion, and Kenta Gallacher. They are both strong contenders for the team and we’ve actually got another five guys chasing them for the three positions. That’s a really good situation and I’ve had a few comments saying that the Scottish team is going to be the hardest team to get on for the Commonwealth Games in the mountains. How will that translate into medals? We’ve definitely got a medal chance there with Grant, no doubt about it, he is getting better all the time [he claimed his first World Cup podium place on Sunday].
“With the females, we’ve got Lee Craigie who has always qualified; she is the British women’s champion. She will be a very popular competitor, and medals aren’t out of the question. Lesley Paterson is another girl who we haven’t talked about too much who is Scottish, based in America and has been doing ultra-triathlon stuff. We’ve potentially got a secret weapon there.”
Not so secret is the four-time Tour de France stage winner who will make a valedictory appearance on the road. David Millar, the reformed drug cheat, wrote in his autobiography that representing Scotland in Delhi four years ago, where he won gold and bronze, was one of the highlights of his career because it was such a refreshing change to compete outside the pro-cycling bubble. It would be wrong, however, to think that Scotland’s road prospects start and end with 37-year-old Millar.
“David’s main focus will be on the time trial,” says Coltman. “In the road race, he has acknowledged the ability of Andy Fenn, who has a chance of winning that race. He’s got a terrific sprint on him. He’s definitely a very quick finisher but if we can get them both up there in the last 20 per cent of the race, you just never know. We are looking at building a team around the two of them.”
Where the road racing might be watched by hundreds of thousands, a lucky few spectators have tickets for the track, where the absence of Hoy will be keenly felt as the great riders of England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand dominate and young Scots such as Callum Skinner and John Paul look for an opening. Could Katie Archibald squeeze herself onto the podium? Certainly the 20-year-old’s emergence over the past year, winning European and world gold medals, has given rise to optimism and Coltman believes she will have three chances, in the individual pursuit as well as points and scratch races.
“You are looking at almost a world-class field so medals are going to be very tough to come by. Because Katie is on such a steep upward curve, we have every hope that she could medal, but we’re under no illusions about how tough that is going to be as well,” said Coltman. “I knew that as soon as Katie got down into the team environment in Manchester, particularly in the team pursuit squad, she would flourish. So I’m not really surprised by her progress, but I can see why everybody else is.”
Thanks to Glasgow 2014 making this the most inclusive Commonwealth Games to para-sport athletes, the strongest hope of Scottish medals is held by the tandem partnerships, Aileen McGlynn/Louise Haston, Neil Fachie/Craig MacLean and Laura Cluxton/Lyndsey Carson.
Ironically, the rider on Coltman’s radar with the strongest Commonwealth Games heritage looks to have ridden himself out of contention. Ross Edgar won gold, silver and bronze in Melbourne and was Team Scotland’s flagbearer in Delhi. But, as Coltman tells us: “Ross switched to endurance after London and he has struggled, to be honest. He hasn’t met our qualification criteria and I’m not sure what his future holds.”
Four years ago in India, after Hoy pulled out and Edgar crashed out, Charline Joiner and Jenny Davies won silver in the team sprint. There is too much talent for there not to be any cheer for Scottish cycling fans in Glasgow. It only remains to be seen who will provide it.0
