Yorkshire trio are backed to pedal way to glory

Away from the headline-grabbing exploits of Mark Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins are three Yorkshire cyclists Dave Brailsford believes can bring similar glory on the track and on the road in 2012.

But the glowing endorsement from Britain’s cycling guru comes with the caveat that Ben Swift, Lizzie Armitstead and Ed Clancy must continue their hard work if they are to deliver on that prophecy.

They are all at different intervals on the journey to doing so, but each is well set for a memorable Olympic year.

Barnsley’s Clancy is already an Olympic team pursuit champion and a world omnium title-holder, whom Brailsford believes is capable of even bigger accolades in the velodrome at London 2012.

Otley’s Armitstead is a world champion on the track and a winner of the national points race last month, as well as a serious force in road cycling after finishing seventh at the world championships in September.

Rotherham’s Swift has won five stages of road tours around the world this year and completed the Tour de France at the first attempt in July.

They are all accomplishments worthy of high praise but with Cavendish the new world road race champion and Bradley Wiggins a contender to win grand tour general classifications, the bar in British cycling is forever being raised.

Throw into the mix the arrival of world-class domestiques like Richie Porte and Bernie Eisel to support star recruit Cavendish at Team Sky, and for promising young talent like 23-year-old Swift, sprint victories in Australia, California and Romandie must be used as a platform.

“Ben needs to make sure that he builds on what he has done already,” Brailsford told the Yorkshire Post from the SkyBet offices in Leeds.

“There’s no doubt about it, he did have a breakthrough year this year. He’d lacked a bit of consistency due to injury which had made it difficult for him to string together a consistent period of training and he really worked hard last winter.

“And it paid massive dividends for him. He came out all guns firing and started off on the front foot and he didn’t let up. So it was very pleasing.

“He has achieved a lot, but in our sport everything comes through hard work, it doesn’t come any other way.

“So he’s got to continue to work hard, keep the same desire and appliance of training, stay injury-free, and he’ll progress a long way, there’s no doubt about that.

“The standard of cyclists coming into Sky well help him. You perform better in a stronger team and you perform better with stronger people around you.

“That creates an in-team competition. World-class riders training on a day-to-day basis creates a rivalry.

“It’s actually a very healthy thing because you can’t just go through the motions and get selected for the team. You’re going to have to be on top of your game to race.

“Ben is still young, he’s got a great attitude, desire, and there’s no reason why he cannot go a very long way. The bottom line is it’s in Ben hands.”

While Swift attempts to solidify a spot in Sky’s grand tour peloton, Clancy’s career on the track has already yielded enough honours to fulfil a lifetime in sport.

But despite winning a team pursuit gold in Beijing and a world title in the multi-discipline omnium, the 26-year-old’s finest hour could well be next year.

While Brailsford will give riders the choice of racing the Tour de France and the Olympic road race and time trial next year, or the track events at London 2012, there is no doubt where Clancy’s allegiances lie.

The only question is whether the evening’s rest between the conclusion of the team pursuit at the velodrome on August 3 and the start of the omnium on August 4 will prevent him going for two gold medals on the track.

Brailsford said: “We’ll have to prioritise where we think we can medal and first and foremost it’s the team pursuit and then the omnium.

“On his day, Ed is the best team pursuiter in the world. This is a big year for him, a big winter.

“He’ll be very pleased to see Geraint Thomas coming back into the squad. They get on really well, there’s a real camaraderie there and Ed and Geraint will be leading the charge in the team pursuit.

“With regards the omnium, I’m sure Ed will be our omnium rider, that’s more than likely.”

The choice between track and road glory in 2012 may be black and white for someone like Clancy or Cavendish and Wiggins, who following their success in the Tour de France and Copenhagen last month are likely to ride the Tour and Olympic road race next summer.

But for Armitstead, 22, it is not as cut and dried. Being multi-talented is a double-edged sword, for it means because of diverse training techniques she is likely to be faced with a choice between her regular staple of team pursuit and omnium on the track, or the road race, a discipline she proved she has the talent for in Denmark.

Whatever she decides, or is decided for her by Brailsford and the selectors, Armitstead is highly thought of by British cycling’s revolutionary leader.

“Lizzie Armitstead is a real talent,” said Brailsford. “She’s been in great shape this season and she is really one of our great hopes for 2012.

“Determined, very gifted, tactically very good and a real good character. These are exciting times for Lizzie.”