There are high hopes for good home results in Glasgow. Photo: Shutterstock/Alex Whitehead
Over the next 10 days, the best riders from around the world from the four disciplines of cycling — road, track, BMX and mountain biking — will gather in Scotland and compete for the coveted rainbow stripes that are awarded to world champions in this event sports.
Cycling for the first time ' From reigning Olympic gold medalist Tom Pidcock in the men's cross country mountain bike to up-and-coming sprinter Emma Finucane in the women's sprint, the World Cycling Combined Championships, which kicks off in Glasgow on Thursday, will give British fans the chance to cheer on familiar faces and meet new ones. on the track.
However, at the national cycling headquarters in Manchester, they think further.
«It's business as usual,» performance director Steven Park admits when asked what he wants to see in the next 10 days. “Of course all riders want to win in Glasgow. And personally for me it is a great honor to lead the team in Glasgow, my home city. I measured it the other day and it's actually 1.1 miles from the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome to where my dad went to school.
»But we're trying to move towards Paris 2024. Our goal next year is 10 medals, which will not be easy.»
Can Tom Pidcock get gold at the World Championship like he did in Tokyo 2020? Credit: Getty Images/Pim Waslander
Park says he's happy with the way things are going. Looking around, it's not hard to see why.
We are speaking in the chic new offices of the UK Cycling Team at the National Cycling Centre, which has undergone a £26 million renovation over the past two years with support from Manchester City Council.
The old velodrome, which opened in 1994, was closed most of that time, with riders forced to train at Derby Arena for eight months while major work was done to upgrade the facility's mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems and improve the spectator areas.
The car park now has solar panels and a massive heat pump system at the rear — part of Manchester's Net Zero drive — while the velodrome itself has a new center of course, a new track, new seating (with room for another 200 spectators). The old cafe to the right of the entrance to the building has been demolished and is in the process of being converted into a new gym.
«In the old days, you had to go to Silverstone or Southampton.»
The nearby Manchester Institute for Health and Performance (MIHP) has a new wind tunnel donated by Halfords to British Cycling.
Pak says it has already made a big difference for the riders. “In the old days they had to go to Southampton or Silverstone,” he explains. “You always have to go the night before, rent a hotel. Then you will use the tunnel for an hour or so, but something may happen and you will have to stay. You will end up taking two or three days without training. Now they can take an hour off and return to training the same day.”
This is also useful for the Secret Squirrel Club, famous British Cycling scientists who design and test skins, helmets and so on. The riders don't even need to be there. When we visit a dummy named «Jack», modeled after sprinter Jack Carlin, he is testing out the new handlebars.
Anything British Cycling wants to use in Paris must be presented in Glasgow within the next 10 days as these worlds represent the last opportunity to 'homolog' (endorse) Paris 2024 equipment. Park says the race to determine what others are testing country, will be almost as intense as the action itself.
The UK is looking forward to the 2023 Cycling World Cup
In terms of what to expect from these World Cup medals, Park admits he's not entirely sure. He just wants to see progress and movement towards Paris, and for cycling to make the headlines and inspire a new generation. “I think there are probably more demands than ever for an elite sport to connect with its community members,” he notes. «Homeworlds will be huge for that.»
Evie Richards is another hope for a British victory. Photo: Getty Images/Roberto Tommasini
He names Pidcock and Evie Richards in mountain biking, Tokyo gold medalist Beth Shriver in women's BMX racing, and, of course, two-time Olympian Cathy Archibald, who had such a traumatic 18 months as athletes that could inspire.
“Kathy epitomizes the resilience that some of us must find if we are going to survive the next day,” Park says of Archibald’s year after her partner’s tragic death. . «I have no doubt that she still has the potential to go to Paris and become the absolute superstar of these Games.»
»Whatever happens in Glasgow, there is no doubt that every time she goes to track, everyone in the velodrome will be screaming, everyone in the city will be screaming and supporting it and showing what a fantastic host city Glasgow can be.”
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