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Commonwealth Games Preview: Cycling Team Pursuit

Expert
23rd July, 2014
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Precision and power are the goals for the team pursuit, and there are few things as hypnotic as watching a well-drilled line of pursuiters gliding around the velodrome. It looks graceful and easy, but it couldn’t be more painful if they gave the crowd tasers and offered a reward for each hit.

What is it?
Teams of four men or three women riding in a team formation over a distance of 4km (men) or 3km (women). The winner is the team with the fastest time over the distance, but there are two teams on the track at once, starting on opposite sides (hence the “pursuit” name).

If one team catches the other team, the race is over.

Why should I watch it?
The team pursuit is beautiful. It also requires huge amounts of power and skill, as riders swap turns on the front and roll up the velodrome’s banked turns and drop down effortlessly into the sheltered air behind their teammates.

A certain crisp mechanical precision conceals a screaming, agonising effort, drawn out over four minutes of lactic-soaked exertion and the pressure of knowing that one tiny mistake can completely blow the team’s race.

The best pursuit races are see-sawing affairs separated by thousanths of a second. It’s pretty thrilling.

Who’s going to win?
The men’s team pursuit over the last few years has been a huge rivalry between Australia and Great Britain, and the two teams have traded victories at Olympic and World Championships, and world records, for the best part of a decade.

Australia’s team of Alex Edmondson, Luke Davison, Miles Scotson and Glenn O’Shea are the current World Champions in this event. New Zealand won a bronze medal, as Britain crashed to a shock 8th place. Expect the English team to bounce back in Glasgow.

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In the women’s race, the top three nations in the world are all racing at the Commonwealth Games. The World Champions (albeit over 4km rather than the 3km to be raced in Glasgow) are Great Britain, and the core of their squad will ride for England: Jo Rowsell and Laura Trott will be joined by Dani King – all three are Olympic gold medallists.

Canada was a close second behind them at the world championships, and Australia took bronze.

Aussies to look out for
Australia’s men are the world champions, and Alex Edmondson is also the World Champion in the individual pursuit. Glenn O’Shea is a former world champion in the Omnium. This is a really strong squad, and they’re hot favourites to maintain Australia’s golden grip on the event.

Australia’s women are led by current world champion in the points race Amy Cure, and Annette Edmondson (older sister of Alex) who is an Olympic and world championships silver medallist. Melissa Hoskins is also a former world championship silver medallist. It is another team stacked with proven quality at international level.

What happened last time?
Australia won the men’s race, defeating New Zealand in the final. Northern Ireland managed a bronze.

This is the first time a women’s team pursuit has been raced at the Commonwealth Games. Strangely enough, the organisers have chosen the 3km distance instead of the UCI standard 4km.

Fast Facts
– Australia has won the team pursuit at four out of the last five Commonwealth Games. England won in 2006, the only one of those games that was held in Australia.
– The last country other than Australia or England to win was New Zealand, in Auckland in 1990.
– Australian team pursuit gold medallists to have gone on to long professional careers in road racing include Michael Rogers, Bradley McGee, Stuart O’Grady, Brett Lancaster, and Mark Renshaw.
– British Tour de France winner Sir Bradley Wiggins won a silver medal in the team pursuit in Kuala Lumpur, 1998.

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What to drink while watching
The pursuit is breathtaking both in its speed and beauty, so a similarly coordinated beverage would be applicable here. Ever heard of the Belgian beer Kwak? It has a very famous accompanying glass, and anything drunk from this vessel will be appropriate.

This article was first published on the Tenplay website here.

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