GB suffer teething problems in Copenhagen
At Ballerup Super Arena, Copenhagen
If Britain's track cyclists needed any reminding that it is not just a case of turning up at London 2012 to collect a clutch of gold medals, they got it in spades in Copenhagen on Wednesday.
Fortune was certainly absent for GB at the Ballerup Super Arena, where a freak accident saw Sir Chris Hoy's pedal snap off as he approached the start line of the men's team sprint qualifier - something that has never happened to the Scot before in his long career on a bike.
Hoy must wait for his 10th world track title - photo: Getty
It was a surreal sight to see Hoy crouching on the steeply banking track as British mechanic Ernie Feargrave tried to fix the problem and to, compound matters, an impatient starter meant he was given only a matter of seconds to prepare for the race when he eventually retook his position.
Almost unbelievably, we were treated to a repeat performance when a similar problem afflicted lead-off man Jason Kenny before the bronze medal race with China.
Brailsford appeared to take both incidents in his stride, looking on calmly from the trackside - but this was clearly not a day he will remember fondly.
Hoy, Kenny and Ross Edgar did salvage third place in the end and, with Wendy Houvenaghel taking silver earlier on in the women's individual pursuit final, it was not all doom and gloom in the Danish capital.
That meant - as head coach Shane Sutton told me at the end of the night - despite the lack of golds, Britain had got a bronze in the first Olympic discipline of the Championships - even after those teething mechanical problems.
"Across the board we are pretty happy" was Sutton's summary of the first four events, even if his face suggested otherwise.
The sight of Australian cyclists on top of the podium - Anna Meares triumphed in the women's 500m time trial and Cameron Meyer took gold in the men's point race - is unlikely to have improved either Sutton or Brailsford's mood.
But Hoy was able to give a thumbs up from the podium at the medal ceremony, where bizarrely the British flag was twice the size of those for France and Germany, and he was adamant that Britain can take positives from what was a frustrating evening of racing.
Whether Hoy's team-mate Chris Newton will agree with that upbeat assessment after missing out on a medal by a single point in the men's points race is another matter.
Hoy had experimented with being the second man in Britain's sprint trio ahead of these championships but here he reverted to the anchor-man role that served him so well in Beijing.
And he felt they showed they can cope without Jamie Staff, their lead-out man at the 2008 Olympics, who is currently sidelined by a back injury and may not return to competition at all.
"It is a big thing for us that we have managed to find someone in Kenny who can get close to the start times that Jamie gave us on the first lap," said Hoy, who was able to smile wryly about his broken pedal. "He is so difficult to replace.
"We can take a lot of positives from our second ride which bodes well for the future but this certainly gives us something to think about over the next two years. Winning is not a formality and you have to fight hard for a medal of any colour."
But his misfortune on the first leg of his quest for another golden treble is unlikely to affect him for long.
Those famous thighs will take this set-back in their stride, and don't bet against Hoy standing atop the podium with an even bigger grin on his face before this week is out.
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Comment number 1.
At 25th Mar 2010, nimagraven wrote:I'm flying out to Copenhagen tomorrow. I'm thrilled about seeing my first sporting event outside of the country on Sunday but last night made me think there might not be much to move my Union flag to. I certainly hope I'm proved wrong! Oh well, positivity is the key .. I'm hoping tonight will be better.
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Comment number 2.
At 25th Mar 2010, mjh169183 wrote:The comments before the event, was so clinical. 2012 is the only goal. Yes it is true that the Olympics are the top of the tree but surely wearing the rainbow jersey is a proud moment as well. Build for the Olympics but compete and win other events.
Just to note, Chris Hoy was so unlucky
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Comment number 3.
At 25th Mar 2010, hainba wrote:As a sports fan it is good to see some primetime coverage to reflect the success we've had in this sport and raise the profile.
For all those who complain about too much sport from the ´óÏó´«Ã½ this is real life challenges for the individuals and teams not the dour soap and over the top talent shows that hog the channels.
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Comment number 4.
At 25th Mar 2010, rhyso wrote:Just a quick question. Have we taken are strongest team to these championships? I don't know all that much about cycling but it seems as if some of our top talents aren't there e.g. Geraint Thomas, Mark Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins. Is this because they are competing for their respective teams in the outdoor racing(forgive that amateurish term)? I may be completely wrong though!
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Comment number 5.
At 25th Mar 2010, batandball wrote:Rhyso- We have taken the the strongest available team, cavendish thomas and wiggo are all concentrating on the road this season. come 2012 that may change but to be fair it likely we shall end up with 4 or mayb more more golds in the 10 olympic medal categories. so on paper we are still looking very strong
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Comment number 6.
At 25th Mar 2010, Chris Bevan - ´óÏó´«Ã½ Sport wrote:Re Rhyso.
Thanks batandball, yep Wiggo and Thomas are focusing on Team Sky (the British road racing team) this year, and Cav is also concentrating on the road... Wiggo is getting ready for the Tour de France to try to improve on his fourth place in 2009, as is Cav, who wants the green points jersey this year.
Wiggo and Thomas would undoubtedly strenghten the men's team pursuit squad but, even if they were available, they wouldn't be competing in the individual pursuit (in which Wiggins is a double Olympic champion) because it is no longer an Olympic event.
The focus for Britain her in Copenhagen is on the build-up to 2012, not at the expense of medals here (hopefully!), but certainly in concentrating on the 10 Olympic cycling events.
GB head coach Shane Sutton told me the other day that he thinks GB could medal in every discipline here but they are putting individual opportunities to one side for the bigger benefit of the team in the long run... Olympic medals are the ones that really count, especially in London in 2012.
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Comment number 7.
At 25th Mar 2010, In moderation wrote:Chris
I note your comment: "GB head coach Shane Sutton told me the other day that he thinks GB could medal in every discipline here but they are putting individual opportunities to one side for the bigger benefit of the team in the long run... Olympic medals are the ones that really count, especially in London in 2012."
Are they spending to much attention in getting medallists in the Olympic events rather than nurturing a gold medal winner in those events. It appears Australia are focussing attention on getting a gold medal whether Olympic or not!
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Comment number 8.
At 25th Mar 2010, Chris Bevan - ´óÏó´«Ã½ Sport wrote:In moderation...
I've just spoken to Australia's performance manager (or head coach) Paul Brosnan and I think it's safe to say that the Olympics are at the top of his thinking too. He was delighted with their double gold start yesterday but says the aim now is to focus on the Olympic events over the rest of the week.
Australia ruled the track at the 2004 Olympics, but were blown out of the velodrome by GB in Beijing. They want their crown back in London!
More to come about Brosnan had to say in a future blog this week...
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Comment number 9.
At 25th Mar 2010, enjoy_the_ride_again wrote:About Cavendish, it’s worth remembering that he is one of the elite road sprinters, up there with the best in the world. Alongside his Tour de France green jersey ambitions, this year’s world road race in Australia is a real opportunity for him as the terrain will better suit him than previous year’s races.
Likewise, as the UK is not noted for its mountainous terrain the 2012 Olympic road race must also be in his sights. This may possibly give British Cycling a bit of a headache, as Cavendish will need a good team to support him. From an Olympic perspective that’s why the experiance riders are getting in their professional road teams, like Team Sky, are important. But British Cycling will want to support Cavendish without diluting the track squad so it will be interesting to see what this might mean for guys like Geraint Thomas.
Is there any insider info you glean Chris?
As for Cavendish, he is making a very good living out of road racing so I doubt we will see much of him on the track anymore. He might have the odd flurry, but road racing will likely remain his focus.
Anyhow, all the best to those competing this week and thanks for the ´óÏó´«Ã½ coverage.
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Comment number 10.
At 25th Mar 2010, In moderation wrote:Chris
Can you find out from UCI why their site is slow to update?
It is almost 24 hours behind and we're supposed to be in the technology age!
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Comment number 11.
At 17th Jul 2010, john wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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