2004 Olympic Champion, Stuart O'Grady, will begin his campaign to become the first Australian cyclist to contest six Olympic Games when he heads a five man Australian team at next month's Olympic Games test event in London.

Cycling Australia today confirmed the 37 year old South Australian will line up in the London-Surrey Cycle Classic, the official test event being raced on the 2012 Olympic Games road race course on 14 August. Joining him are four of Australia's talented crop of sprinters in Matthew Goss, Leigh Howard, Michael Matthews and Heinrich Haussler.

O'Grady's Olympic career began in 1992 in Barcelona where he collected a silver medal in the teams pursuit. In 1996 he added two bronze medals (points race and teams pursuit) and in 2004 paired with Graeme Brown to win gold in the Madison. O'Grady has also notched up an impressive 15 year pro road career and heads to London after playing a key role in the Leopard - Trek team's Tour de France campaign.

Goss has enjoyed a breakthrough year that saw him make his Tour de France debut while his HTC - High Road team mate Howard kicked off his season with a successful defence of the Madison crown (with Cameron Meyer) at the track world championships. Australian born Haussler will line up with the Cyclones for the first time after last year relinquishing his German citizenship to qualify for selection. The youngster of the team is Matthews, the 2010 U23 road race world champion, who has already scored three stage wins in his first year in the pro ranks with Rabobank.

Like Haussler, Cycling Australia's Professional Men's Road Coordinator, Matt White, is also making his debut but in the directing role. The 36 old is a former professional cyclist who, during a 15 year career, represented Australia at World Championships, Olympic and Commonwealth Games took over the reins at the start of this year and is keen to continue the tradition of excellence.

"It might be a test event but we're definitely going to win and with this group we've got the talent to do that," said White of the Cyclones line up. "All five can do the job and we're going to win in London in August and then we're heading to Denmark in September to win again at the World Championships.

"Every time our pros come together to race for Australia, and it's only a couple of times a year at most, they race to win," explained White. "So when they come into this team they know they're here for business and that business is to win bike races."

The host nation will also be keen to score a victory and is fielding two 'national' teams. Five riders will race as Great Britain and a second team will represent England.

"I was thinking of entering a team from Queensland and one from New South Wales," joked Sydney born White. "But apparently big Mal Meninga (Queensland State of Origin rugby league coach) is busy on the 14th of August.

"The test event provides an opportunity for us to take a close look at the course under race conditions and, even though it's a shorter race than the Olympic race will be, it's the only chance our coaches and staff will have before next year's race for medals," explained White.
"We'll take advantage of that to collect as much info as we can."

At the 2012 Olympic Games the riders will compete without the benefit of race radios and White says that could have a significant impact on the race.

"It's a different style of racing and for those who are used to wearing race radios it will be a big factor," said White. "Also they need to understand that next year's Olympic road race will be tricky as it's only five men and unless you're next to each other there's no way to communicate.

"They'll have officials telling them time-gaps but during the race the riders will need to think for themselves, make solid tactical decisions and make them quickly," said White. "It will be the same at this year's worlds but with a team of almost twice as many riders."

The London-Surrey Cycle Classic will start at The Mall in central London and take the riders around the streets, lanes and hills of a course that weaves its way through the capital to the historic Hampton Court Palace. From their the race heads out into the rolling countryside, ancient woodland and picturesque villages of Surrey. Two zigzag circuits around Box Hill will test peloton before they head back into London and a fast finish at The Mall with Buckingham Palace as a backdrop.


Cycling Australia