CYCLING: In what is being hailed as the strongest women’s road team since Sara Carrigan claimed road gold in the Athens 2004 Olympics Games, the Australian women’s road team believes its strength in numbers will play a pivotal role in Sunday’s road race.
Lining up in the 67-strong women’s peloton for Australia is London Olympian Amanda Spratt, plus debutants Gracie Elvin, Rachel Neylan and Katrin Garfoot.
Australia is one of only five nations to have secured the maximum of four quota positions in the road race along with Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and the United States.
Spratt enters the race as one of the world’s in-form riders having recently claimed victory in the queen stage at Internationale Thüringen Rundfahrt der Frauenin Germany two weeks ago. Just the 12th Australian female cyclist to have earned multiple Olympic selections, Spratt is aware the team holds many cards ahead what is predicted to be a treacherous race.
“The key for us is patience and trying to stay as calm as possible as it can be very easy to become overwhelmed in an Olympic road race, given the event that it is,” said Spratt, who believes the course will test all types of riders.
“Hard to nail just one aspect that will define the race. As we have seen from the course it has many aspects, it’s quite technical, there are may short climbs.
“So you will have to be able to climb well, descend well and sprint well.
“Then stay as calm as possible and go for it.”
The famed Rio 2016 Olympic Games 136.9km race will test the world’s best on the doorstep of some of Rio’s most iconic backdrops.
The picturesque coastline of Copacabana, Ipanema, Barra and Reserva beaches will favour the all-rounders, however the climbers will prevail on the two brutal circuits which sandwich the flat sections.
The peloton will firstly take on two laps of the ‘Grumari Circuit’ which features two climbs - 1.2km at 9% and 2.1km at 4.5, before the ‘Canoas/Vista Chinesa Circuit’ is predicted to decimate the field with an 8.9km climb and a 6km descent.
Debutant Elvin got her first look at the course on Wednesday after reviewing data and video captured at May’s course recon attended by Spratt and Neylan.
“I hadn’t had the luxury of seeing it like a lot of other riders, but I have been really lucky that I have had a lot of data and video, so today it was awesome to see it in real life,” said Elvin, also a two-time national champion.
“It is stunning at the top, a beautiful rainforest on the top of a really tough climb.
“We certainly have a challenge ahead of ourselves, but we are all in really good shape and we have all travelled well.”
Elvin’s integral team role will see her serve and protect her teammates along the punishing course, hopefully delivering them to the finish line.
“I am definitely a support rider, it is no secret,” remarked Elvin.
“Over the first 100km, anything can happen from any of the teams at this stage, so it is my role to be policing the bunch and making sure the other three girls are as rested as possible ahead of the finish.”
The field will feature the who’s who of women’s cycling including defending gold medallist Marianne Vos (NED), world number one ranked cyclist Megan Guarnier (USA) and reigning world champion Lizzie Armitstead (GBR). Elvin expects Australia to set the tone of the race.
“I think it going to be quite exciting race because there are less numbers than a usual race, so we expect it to be very aggressive,” said Elvin.
“There are favourites we want to isolate of course and we have the power in numbers and we think we can do a very good job with that.
“You will definitely see the green and gold a lot during the race, we will do our best to take the race the way we want to take it.”
It is all business for Neylan who is relishing staying at the team’s remote base nearby to the road course in Ipanema, one hour south of Rio.
“We have an excellent vibe within our team, have settled in well, we have had our first ride on the course yesterday, fully focused on the race on Sunday,” said Neylan.
“Internally for me, there is a mix of emotions, extraordinary pride putting on the green and gold uniform.
“But we are now trying to have a calm focused run into the Games, not get caught up in the hype.
“In an Olympic Games, everyone jumps on the hype of different situations, but whatever is happening externally, you really need to have tunnel vision and be focused on the task at hand, and the race ahead.”
Garfoot, who is recovering from a chest infection contracted while at altitude camp in Italy last month, is eager to get her Olympic debut started.
“It is an honour for everyone to represent their country in the Olympics, for me it is just the same,” said German-born Garfoot who became an Australian citizen in 2014 and at 34 also becomes Australia’s oldest female Olympic cycling representative.
“To finally be here it is great. It is beautiful here, I love the scenery, the people are fantastic, it is so welcoming.”
Ready to complete whatever the team requires on Sunday, Garfoot will then turn her attention to the time trial on Tuesday.
“I don’t have personal expectations for the road race, we expect the all-rounders to try to break away early, but I expect the climbers to fight it out in the end.
“Then my focus will turn to Tuesday.”
Amy McCann
olympics.com.au
