Since dominating the track cycling in the Beijing Olympics, British Cycling said they never expected to replicate their dominance in China at the next Olympics. But, that seems to be exactly what is happening. 2012 finished with GB cycling at the top of the track cycling medal table with 7 golds out of a possible 10. GB also set new world records in the team pursuit (men and women) and team sprint (men and women). It was a fantastic performance. (See more at: GB Olympic Track cyclists)
Victorian Pendleton photo by Tim Redgrove
British teams are not just winning but winning with very impressive margins. Since the UCI ditched the 4KM individual pursuit, the team pursuit is now the ‘blue ribband event’ but the only team capable of beating the British men and women would have been a British B team. Just imagine a B team of Mark Cavendish, Bradley Wiggins, Ben Swift and Andy Tennant in the team pursuit? – That is how much strength in depth there is in British cycling.
But, it’s not just the team pursuit, but all events that Britain is excelling in. How did a nation of amateur time triallists and failed pros become the dominant force on the track?
Technology
Much has been made of GB’s marginal gains in technology. They have the biggest budget and have left no stone unturned in the quest for shaving off seconds. On the UK Sport website they state that commercial equipment suffered too many mechanical failures during the tremendous power their athletes put down. This led to the creation of an independent equipment manufacturing process.
After the Beijing Olympics an apocryphal story did the rounds of how GB’s skin suits were burned to prevent them falling into competitors hands. This wasn’t the case, but it made a nice story and emphasized the psychological advantage the British have in every aspect of cycling. Recently the French riders and team have been fascinated by the idea British cycling have some secret wheels, which have added to their success. The French team recently asked
They hide their wheels a lot. The ones for the bikes they race on are put in wheel covers at the finish [of a race]. Do they really have Mavic wheels?”
L’Equipe contacted Mavic, who officially supply France, Great Britain, Australia and France with wheels, and were told that, as far as the company was concerned, “all the teams have the same wheels”.
Chris Boardman replied the main thing about the wheels used by the GB team were that ‘they were round’. 
By the way, you can buy British Cycling equipment here UK Cycling at UK Sport (it was pretty hard to find through google search) I imagine it’s pretty expensive and will involve a long wait. But, there’s nothing to stop Saudi Arabia buying there way into British Cycling technology. A UCI rule states all technology used must be available to buy to the general public. (One UCI rule I actually like)
When you look at the bikes on the track, they are all look the same to me. I don’t think technology is the main reason. It is true even very small advantages can make all the difference when fractions of seconds are involved.
A Business of Producing Gold Medals
British Cycling is all founded on the premise of getting gold medals, and in particular Olympic gold medals. Dave Brailsford is very inspirational but there is no romantic sentiment for established names. It can’t be easy to relegate defending Olympic Champions and other household names. For example, dropping Sir Chris Hoy from the individual sprint, because a youngster Jason Kenny was slightly quicker. Many Beijing medallists such as Wendy Houvenaghel, Rebecca Romero found themselves not able to compete for a gold medal. There is absolutely no room for sentiment in the pursuit of gold medals. Every strategic planning and decision is taken on the basis of – what gives the best chance for long-term success.
Talent Spotting
The number of people who take up track cycling is relatively small. The number of tracks in the UK is very limited so historically it’s not been an easy sport to get into. (I’ve never been to a track myself) British Cycling went out to schools looking for young people with the most promising talent. This enabled an exponential increase in the number of potential world class athletes. It is no co-incidence that the women’s track pursuit team had an average age of 20-22. – all products of British Cyclings talent spotting. Philip Hines of the team sprint, was just 19.
It’s interesting to note that talent doesn’t just involve numbers, but also the attitude of the cyclist. There is no room for the half-hearted amateur.
“You have to work out, is this athlete intrinsically driven? Is there that burning desire inside them, to continue to compete, to continue to improve, to continue to go through all the pain and the hard work, the nutrition, the lifestyle, the sacrifices you have to make. If you look at all the great champions … it’s not to do with anyone outside, it’s what’s inside them, they’re special in that respect. And if you haven’t got that, it doesn’t matter how much talent you’ve got, you’re never going to get sustained success.” – Dave Brailsford, Independent
Focus
In the team pursuit, it was interesting to see how teams often broke up or became ragged. With the British Team pursuit teams the team work was nearly always perfect, a legacy of long training since last November and countless hours on the track.
Leadership
If I was a pro cyclist I’d have a lot of confidence in Dave Brailsford. He has a very good attitude – He’s always asking what is the positive thing to do?
For example, after Chris Hoy won the 1Km time trial, the UCI removed the event. Rather then feel sorry for themselves about the loss of a key event, they refocused and turned Chris Hoy into a sprinter. Then in 2008, the UCI remove the 4KM pursuit (which Britain dominated) rather than complain, they just move on and see how they can succeed in new Olympic events. So often the UCI come up with bizarre rules and event changes, it would easy to get depressed and spend energy complaining, but there is no time for that negativity – it is just what can we do under the new circumstances? There is also no resting on the laurels. Always looking to improve.
Psychological
There is huge confidence in the British team. They expect to do well. They know they have the best preparation. Other nations may be thinking in the back of their minds ‘but, the British have better wheels and better preparation’ I think this attitude can definitely undermine performance. It is a virtuous circle of success.
Training
Over the years, British Cycling have developed cycle training into a science. Reams of data has been endlessly analysed and used to improve performance. See British Cycling Training Tips
Doping Issues
I’ve followed doping and cycling pretty assiduously ever since I’ve followed cycling. I’ve never heard or seen anything to suggest British Cycling is not clean. I’ve always thought one of the great achievements of British Cycling was to be so transparent in their dope free approach (at the time – early 2000s - drug taking was rife in the pro peleton) . This is not just blind patriotism, but it’s hard to have done more to promote a drug free culture. Testing of athletes is very rigorous. There’s no chance to slope off and miss random drug tests.
There was a time when I was disgusted with the attitude to doping in the professional ranks. I celebrate British cycling success because it is done in a culture of zero tolerance to drugs as much as the number of gold medals it is won.
There will always be people who raise questions at exceptional performance, especially in a sport with a chequered history like cycling, but I honestly feel that even a doped athlete would actually struggle to beat someone who has tried to do everything possible to be the best.
It was interesting earlier in Olympics when a young Chinese swimmer took several seconds off personal best to win Gold. Questions were raised purely on basis of huge improvements. But, later in the Olympics young Lithuanian and American teenagers, pretty much repeated the same kind of performance gains to win the Olympic Gold.
The Home Nation Boost
There seems to be a huge boost for home nations who host the Olympics. Britain is doing well in not just cycling but other events too. Home nation boost (at BBC)
Talent
Sometimes countries just get the most talented athletes. At the moment, in swimming it is the US and China. In middle distance running, it is the Kenyans and Ethiopians. In cycling it is Britain.
British Cycling under Dave Brailsford
Athens 2004 4 medals
Two golds, one silver, one bronze. Golds are Chris Hoy in the 1km time trial, and Bradley Wiggins in the individual pursuit.
Beijing 2008 14 medals
Stunning performances from the cyclists yield eight golds.
2011 World Championship
Mark Cavendish becomes first British road-race winner since 1965.
2012 Tour de France
Under Brailsford at Team Sky, Wiggins becomes first ever Briton to win the Tour.
London 2012
7 Gold, 9 Medals
Final Track Cycling Olympic Medal table
| Country |  |
 |
 |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Great Britain & N. Ireland |
7 | 1 | 1 | 9 |
 Australia |
1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
 Germany |
1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
 Denmark |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
 France |
0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
 China |
0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
 United States |
0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
 New Zealand |
0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
 Hong Kong |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
 Netherlands |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
 Canada |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
GB Gold Cycling Medals 2012
- Men’s Sprint – Jason Kenny
- Men’s Keirin – Chris Hoy
- Men’s Team Sprint – Philip Hines, J.Kenny, C.Hoy
- Men’s Team Pursuit – Ed Clancy, G.Thomas, Peter Kennaugh
- Women’s Keirin – Victoria Pendleton
- Women’s Omnium – Laura Trott
- Women’s Team Pursuit – Trott, Dani King, Joanna Rowsell.
Related
Interesting article, thanks for sharing. Well done to Team GB this year!
Nice piece of writing. Wheels are important because they are the final part of the chain of events that gets the bike moving forward & so defeating gravity – it’s called rolling resistance. Lower this & you’ve an advantage; it’s been known to equipment geeks for a long long time, so it’s the natural area to aim any criticism at I suppose. As for hiding them in bags, well, these are called wheel bags, also something any cycling fanatic is well aware of. They’re designed to store & protect wheels, & you have to ask, if other countries aren’t using them, then why not? Just one of many little things that add up to make us better than the rest.
James Small said that the French were particularly curious because the British kept their wheels in bags between races, and guessed that there was something special about them the Brits were trying to keep secret, but they were the same wheels as the French had and this was done to keep the wheels clean.
Laura Trott has just won gold!
Hi,
Very interesting information, thank you. I have just been a little stunned by the matter about wheels. Is there really a believe within the ‘peloton’ that Brittish riders use better wheels?
In my opinion, certainly not an important one since I don’t live in the UK, is that probably the key factors are the talent and the talent Spotting. Because I always believe (or want to believe) that talent is the main reason why an athlete manages to succeed. But of course, it’s also important to find the talent and to properly work on it. I think talent spotting methods (such as going to the schools) may make a difference.
>Very interesting information, thank you. I have just been a little stunned by the matter about wheels. Is there really a believe within the ‘peloton’ that Brittish riders use better wheels?
I don’t think so. I think most pros don’t worry too much about different kinds of equipment. You would have a hard job telling apart the bikes used by different teams
This remind me of the video released about the rider Cancellara where he was shown in a way that made the UCI think he might be using an engine or something to ride faster;p. It was what the video intended and after races controls where set up to check on every bicycle just to find if an engine had been incorporated;D
Such a good rider Cancellara is! (the video was good as well)
Or as the Daily Drivel says – maybe its just because we’re good at the ‘sit down sports’ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2184822/London-Games-2012-Team-GBs-success-cycling-rowing-equestrian-events-leaves-Britain-brink-historic-gold-medal-haul.html