So Cav gets to go to the Olympics – http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/36621351

And Dani King does not, very poor.

I suspect this will be the Olyimpics were the british cycling boom ends.

Poor selection putting Cav in the track team. He’s definitely going to be the weakest member there.

I have a lot of sympathy for her. But, she was extremely unlikely to win a medal and would have just been going in support of Armitstead, a job Pooley can arguably do just as well. Meanwhile Pooley has a genuine chance in the TT (I presume – otherwise she wouldn’t have been picked).

Definitely no MTBers either

Well we knew that already, didn’t qualify any

Hadn’t been paying attention, knew it was marginal.

Pooley’s been doing Tri for the last 3 years and has only started focusing on road in the last few months, meanwhile Hayley Simmonds retains her national TT title and pooley comes 4th, but pooley goes. Pooley won’t be any use to Armistead so we’ll probably chuck both road and TT away. I think Pooley is a great athlete but this isn’t the way to do it

mt has it right, we won’t come away with the medals we got at 2012

Poor selection putting Cav in the track team. He’s definitely going to be the weakest member there.

Despite winning the Madison with Wiggo a few weeks ago?

The guardian says a mountain bike place has been offered to GB. It looks as though British Cycling get to chose whether it’s a bloke or a woman. Wouldn’t like to choose between Annie Last or Grant Ferguson myself. Mind you, nothing to stop them turning down the place anyway.

Somewhat different courses – I presume the national title was on a mostly flat course, because that’s what they tend to use. The Olympic TT is on a very tough hilly course, the sort of thing which should really suit Pooley, which is why the team management asked her to try out for the team. It’s hardly as if Pooley hasn’t been riding a bike for the last 3 years. I’m not sure how meaningful the national title was in terms of where Pooley was on her training programme either – it seems doubtful that it was a major objective for her.

Pooley won’t be any use to Armistead

I don’t know how you work that out – she was a top level road rider who particularly enjoys lots of climbing like there is on the Rio course, and has certainly done a good support job in previous races.

Pooley was only a minute back on the winner on a flat course whereas the Rio course will suit Pooley better, plus it is still is over a month till Rio. I can’t see the cause for concern with her selection.

The guardian says a mountain bike place has been offered to GB. It looks as though British Cycling get to chose whether it’s a bloke or a woman. Wouldn’t like to choose between Annie Last or Grant Ferguson myself. Mind you, nothing to stop them turning down the place anyway.

It would be good to see a GB rider in the MTB event but with British Cycling’s apparent lack of interest in anything MTB related I wouldn’t be surprised if they turn the place down.

Sadly we have more riders than places. Pooley best bet I reckon as she has a better chance in the TT. That’s the whole point of selection.
Cav gives a wider chance of a medal of some sort I reckon. Not the best choice for the pursuit maybe but you can’t cover all bases.
At least Andy Tennant knows how to accept gracefully. Good on him.

It would be good to see a GB rider in the MTB event but with British Cycling’s apparent lack of interest in anything MTB related I wouldn’t be surprised if they turn the place down.

+1

To be honest, if BC are as disorganised as Scottish Cycling, they will likely forget to reply to the email on time. 🙁

Is there any reason why the third road spot is allocated based on selection to ride the ITT? Always seems to be the case and usually ends up in some sort of compromise. Is it just a financial thing?

alisonsmiles – Member
The guardian says a mountain bike place has been offered to GB. It looks as though British Cycling get to chose whether it’s a bloke or a woman. Wouldn’t like to choose between Annie Last or Grant Ferguson myself. Mind you, nothing to stop them turning down the place anyway.

Got a link? Really good news if goes ahead

All about cliques and favourites. King was given specific selection criteria. She exceeded them, then got dropped for Pooley and her potential.

Pooley rode that TT with selection in mind and came fourth. After spending the whole of the Aviva women’s tour hanging desperately onto the back (behind the Drops girls who are amateurs) – I predict she will be of little use as a domestique (a role both King and Harris have been fulfilling professionally).

Simmonds had been on the shortlist and getting regular emails. She found out she hadn’t been chosen via the BC Twitter feed. Classy.

Same goes for omitting Steve Cummings. Didn’t fit in at BC or Sky so no chance of selection.

BC announced they have an appeals process, but only for riders on the BC Programme. British Olympic association told BC to try again.

Same goes for omitting Steve Cummings.

I guess it’s a case of picking a team around a leader and a strategy. Cummings is a super rider when it comes to poaching the odd stage win but mostly lurks around the pack of the peloton and doesn’t seem to fit the mold of a strong domestique.

I don’t understand the Pooley / King selection though, unless they think King will put her personal ambitions ahead of working for Armitstead.

As mentioned above, it’s because Pooley is seen as a potential ITT medallist (and there is a limit on the total number of riders in the squad so you can’t take a rider just for the ITT).

As mentioned above, it’s because Pooley is seen as a potential ITT medallist (and there is a limit on the total number of riders in the squad so you can’t take a rider just for the ITT).

The way its been talked about, the TT rider _must_ ride the road race. All part of the limit on number of athletes as you say.

Ever since Pooley was invited back into the mix, the talk has always been about “who will be the 3rd rider”, so I don’t think the fact that there are a number of people feeling put out is too surprising as they’ve had to put everything into trying to claim that last spot. The description of how Hayley Simmonds was kept in the loop, if accurate, did sound pretty piss poor especially in light of the problems BC have already had this year.

It’s going to be interesting to see how well Emma manages to finish the switch back to the bike before August.

Same goes for omitting Steve Cummings.

He’s been talked of as an outside favourite a few times given the hilly course and his repeated stage wins on hilly courses all year so going as a leader not as a domestique. For him not to go does feel cliquey

I’m not sure if people realise she was a triathlete/multisporter before she was a cyclist. I raced with her* in 2005 when she was a much better runner than cyclist and she went on to get silver in 2008.

*yes I should admit to being a bit biased

I really like Emma Pooley as a rider and ambassador for cycling, but she looked really out of her depth on the Women’s Tour. I’d have expected a rider to have a bit more form at this point if they’re going to the Olympics…I know TT and Road are different disciplines, but still….

Nikki Harris on the other hand looked amazing on the Women’s Tour. Proper hardcore domestique. Interesting to see what sort of CX season she’l have after a full road calendar and the Olympics…

Eddie11 I agree, the other riders will be enough support so they could have taken Cummings to go solo and force others to chase. Now they have all eggs in the froome basket and that didn’t work with cav in 2012

For him not to go does feel cliquey

Well I guess the question is whether you go with a bunch of individuals who are good riders or people who are good with each other and are used to riding for each other.

ferrais – Got a link? Really good news if goes ahead

Will Fotheringham sneaks it in as part of the final paragraph here.

Will Foth Guardian MTB place

The Americans have hardly done any better (well, they’ve done the same thing). Kristin Armstrong selected for the team despite being over a minute behind the national TT champ at the nationals. She has good pedigree with two golds at the Olympics but maybe, just maybe, not being a winner in the nationals might mean that you’re not good enough to get a medal at the games.

Steve Cummings being overlooked is the biggest travesty – you can’t control a race with 5 riders so you need someone like Cummings as a plan B. He either has a good chance to get in a break so other teams need to do the chasing or he can try something late on (after being semi-protected) if everything comes together.

As for Dani King, could we have sent Pooley just for the TT and Dani just for the road or was there only one spot? If the former than she has every right to be pissed off, BC is well-funded enough to afford to send both if they had the allowance.

As others have said – I think this could be a very poor Olympics for the UK but it’s natural that you don’t stay at the top for more than a couple of Olympic cycles – but they need to sort out the BC structure and culture asap if they’re going to get back to the top any time soon.

Grant Ferguson is in!