Wirral ace holds passport to golden dreams for Great Brit

Jul 16 2008 by Our Correspondent, Birkenhead News

Part Two of James Pearce’s interview with Wirral’s favourite son, Chris Boardman, and how the former Tour de France star is preparing GB’s track stars for Beijing Olympics in August

A LOT of Boardman’s work is top secret and not even performance director Brailsford knows what equipment is in British Cycling’s ‘Secret Squirrel Store’ in Manchester ahead of Beijing.

The Wirral cycling ace said: “Dave is so keen and enthusiastic, and even he admits he would blab about it if he knew what we had.

“We’ve got some really interesting stuff for the Olympics and everything is new from the clothing, to the helmets, bikes and wheels – it has made a significant difference.

“Every new element was used at the Worlds in Manchester, but we didn’t put everything out there en masse. Everyone is comfortable with what we’re doing, we’ve worked rigidly within the rules and I’m confident that everyone will be happy.

“We’re probably better prepared than anyone else in the world and it’s a great feeling knowing you have done your job to the max.”

Boardman admits the biggest hurdle facing riders in Beijing will be the growing sense of expectation.

At the World Championships in Manchester in March, the British team won as many titles as the rest of the world put together. West Lancashire’s Bradley Wiggins won three golds, while Victoria Pendleton, Chris Hoy and Rebecca Romero picked up two apiece, sparking feverish speculation about what the team could achieve at this year’s Olympics.

Boardman added: “What happened at the Worlds was unprecedented in the history of the sport and we will probably not see anything like that again.

“I think we were all surprised by the level of success. The coaches and athletes train and prepare for success, but you always expect fate and the opposition to get in the way.

“It was one of those occasions where everything went right and it was pretty special.

“It certainly threw up a whole new set of challenges. The public perception and the media interest is massive now, while the expectations of coaches and athletes have gone up.

“We’ve reached a point where if we come away with three golds from Beijing people will think British cycling has failed, but you have to remember that although we won nine golds at the Worlds, they are not all Olympic disciplines.”

But Boardman admits it would still be a major surprise if cycling isn’t Britain’s most successful sport.

He said: “In the team pursuit, we are incredibly strong, then you’ve got Chris Hoy dominating in the keirin, Vicky Pendleton in the sprint, Bradley Wiggins in the individual pursuit and Shanaze Reade in the BMX. That’s feasibly five golds and then you’ve also got the team sprint. If everything comes together it should be a very exciting time.”

Boardman, who was forced to retire after struggling for two years with a strain of osteoporosis, insists he doesn’t miss life on the track.

He said: “I enjoy being fit and healthy, and that’s enough for me. It was very satisfying while I was there, but riding was highly stressful and very intense.

“I’m quite happy to be where I am now, watching from the sidelines. It’s a very different lifestyle. It seems like a different life and I’m very comfortable with that.”