-
Cycling is one of the best medal hopes for Team GB at the Olympics this summer
-
Plenty of previous Olympic medallists are looking to win more hardware in Paris this summer
-
Read below for more on the history of Team GB cycling
When it comes to online betting, cycling is seldom at the forefront. The Tour de France gets some attention, but other than that, cycling is a niche interest outside of Olympic years.
With Team GB enjoying such success at recent Games, the cycling group have become stars in their own right.
Medals have been plentiful. Athletes have become celebrities. Team GB cycling has a wonderful history, producing many of the country’s most successful Olympians.
From those regularly looking for betting tips to part-time sports fans, everyone recognises the stars of the British cycling. They are in the spotlight once again this summer.
Beijing, London and Rio have happy memories for the Team GB’s cyclists. They have climbed the all-time medal tables in the sport, and helped Team GB achieve unprecedented Olympic success.
Here’s everything you need to know about Team GB cycling, starting with a bit of history…
Team GB Cycling History
Team GB cycling goes beyond the velodrome. Lengthy road races, mountain biking and BMX are all included in the cycling team despite the perception.
Like many sports, cycling at the Olympics has come and gone. Some events have been patchy in their Olympic appearances.
Talking about the history of Team GB cycling, though, is really focused on the last three Games.
There were plenty of medals in the men’s team pursuit in the early years, including a gold in 1908, but it’s Beijing, London and Rio de Janeiro where the British cyclists have really proven their dominance.
The men’s sprint team have won the last three golds. Bradley Wiggins notched a gold in the time trial, and stars like Laura Kenny and Victoria Pendleton have collected medals at a prolific rate.
This success has been repeated in World Championships, Commonwealth Games and other events across the cycling calendar. The Olympics may be the highlight, but Team GB has been a force for over a decade.
Team GB have totalled 71 medals on the track. This includes winning seven gold medals at Beijing 2008 and London 2012 as well as six at Rio 2016.
Where Wiggins and others have shone on the road, Team GB is yet to conquer mountain biking.
The event was first introduced to the Olympics in Atlanta in 1996, and Liam Killeen’s fifth-placed finish in Athens eight years later is Team GB’s best performance to date.
GB Cycling Team
There were 26 cyclists making up the Team GB cycling group for the Tokyo Olympics.
Former medallists and Olympic rookies alike headed to Japan with high hopes. As ever, Team GB will be among the frontrunners in cycling betting this time around in Paris.
Tokyo 2020 Squad:
-
Men’s Road: Tao Geoghegan Hart, Geraint Thomas, Adam Yates, Simon Yates
-
Men’s TT: Tao Geoghegan Hart, Geraint Thomas
-
Women’s Road: Lizzie Deignan, Anna Shackley
-
Women’s TT: Anna Shackley
-
Men’s Mountain Bike: Tom Pidcock
-
Women’s Mountain Bike: Evie Richards
-
Men’s BMX Supercross: Kye Whyte, Ross Cullen (travelling reserve)
-
Women’s BMX Supercross: Beth Shriever
-
Men’s BMX Freestyle Park: Declan Brooks, James Jones (travelling reserve)
-
Women’s BMX Freestyle Park: Charlotte Worthington
-
Men’s Track Endurance: Ed Clancy, Ethan Hayter, Ethan Vernon, Matt Walls, Ollie Wood, Charlie Tanfield (travelling reserve)
-
Women’s Track Endurance: Katie Archibald, Elinor Barker, Neah Evans, Laura Kenny, Josie Knight
-
Women’s Track Sprint: Katy Marchant
-
Men’s Track Sprint: Jack Carlin, Jason Kenny, Ryan Owens, Phil Hindes (travelling reserve)
Most Successful Team GB Cyclists
Decorated is the only word for Team GB’s cyclists. The women have amassed 16 total medals, a tally only bettered by the Dutch and Americans. The 71 medals won by the men is second only to the French.
Sir Jason Kenny is the most decorated cyclist to represent Team Great Britain at the Olympic Games, winning a total of nine medals - including seven golds. That not only makes him the most successful British cyclist at the Olympics but he is also the most decorated British Olympian of all-time across all sports.
With seven total medals, Sir Chris Hoy is one of the most successful Olympians to represent Great Britain and his impact on the sport will go down in history.
Former Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins is close behind with five golds and eight total medals. Wiggins’ time trial gold in London in 2012 was one of the great moments of the Games.
He also enjoyed several triumphant days in the velodrome with two individual pursuit and two team pursuit golds.
Wiggins was accompanied by Geraint Thomas, Ed Clancy and Paul Manning in the first of his team pursuit golds. This was the first men’s team pursuit gold since 1908. Clancy has followed up by winning the gold again in London and Rio.
Laura Kenny is the most successful female Olympic track cyclist of all-time. Kenny has four Olympic golds, doing the omnium-team pursuit double in London and Rio.
Victoria Pendleton won two golds and a silver in the velodrome. The sprint gold in Beijing was Team GB’s first medal in the event, and she followed it up with a silver in London four years later. Pendleton also won a gold in the keirin in her home Games.
*Credit for the photos in this article belongs to Alamy*
