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Commonwealth Games 2014: Bradley Wiggins has to settle for silver Commonwealth Games 2014: Bradley Wiggins has to settle for silver
(30 days later)
Sir Bradley Wiggins’s Commonwealth career ends as it started, with a silver medal in the team pursuit. He last won one of those 16 years ago, in Kuala Lumpur in 1998.Sir Bradley Wiggins’s Commonwealth career ends as it started, with a silver medal in the team pursuit. He last won one of those 16 years ago, in Kuala Lumpur in 1998.
Back then he was an 18-year-old riding in the seniors for the first time. In 2014, at the age of 34, he finds himself wondering what worlds he has left to conquer. He has never won a Commonwealth gold, and while he admitted it was “disappointing” that he hadn’t added one to his collection, he was adamant that competing here was just the first step towards the last target he has set himself in his sport – winning a fourth and final Olympic title, in the team pursuit at Rio in 2016.Back then he was an 18-year-old riding in the seniors for the first time. In 2014, at the age of 34, he finds himself wondering what worlds he has left to conquer. He has never won a Commonwealth gold, and while he admitted it was “disappointing” that he hadn’t added one to his collection, he was adamant that competing here was just the first step towards the last target he has set himself in his sport – winning a fourth and final Olympic title, in the team pursuit at Rio in 2016.
“In hindsight we will look back at this and think that it was the start of something,” Wiggins said. “For the next two years, Rio is the goal.” He says he doesn’t intend to compete in another Grand Tour. “I am not doing the Vuelta a España now, so that could be it,” he said. “I don’t relish the idea of riding around in the back group for three weeks having already won the Tour.”“In hindsight we will look back at this and think that it was the start of something,” Wiggins said. “For the next two years, Rio is the goal.” He says he doesn’t intend to compete in another Grand Tour. “I am not doing the Vuelta a España now, so that could be it,” he said. “I don’t relish the idea of riding around in the back group for three weeks having already won the Tour.”
Instead Wiggins is going to start bulking up, “getting a lot heavier, more explosive”, which is why he won’t be going back on the road. He says himself that he is “putting all his eggs in one basket”. If he can win any sort of medal in Rio, he will have eight overall. That would make him the most decorated Olympian in British history, surpassing his friend Sir Chris Hoy. Instead Wiggins is going to start bulking up, “getting a lot heavier, more explosive”, which is why he won’t be going back on the road. He says himself that he is “putting all his eggs in one basket”. If he can win any sort of medal in Rio, he will have eight overall. That would make him the most decorated Olympian in British history, surpassing his friend Sir Chris Hoy.
Wiggins’s defeat in the final here was a sharp reminder of just how much work he and his team-mates will have to do if they are going to make that happen. England were obliterated by the world champions, Australia, who won in a new Commonwealth Games record of 3min 54.851sec. Wiggins, Steven Burke, Ed Clancy, and Andy Tennant were more than five seconds back from that, despite the fact that Australia had dropped their fourth rider, Luke Davison, a little after the halfway stage. After that England should have had an advantage. But the three remaining Australians only pulled further away.Wiggins’s defeat in the final here was a sharp reminder of just how much work he and his team-mates will have to do if they are going to make that happen. England were obliterated by the world champions, Australia, who won in a new Commonwealth Games record of 3min 54.851sec. Wiggins, Steven Burke, Ed Clancy, and Andy Tennant were more than five seconds back from that, despite the fact that Australia had dropped their fourth rider, Luke Davison, a little after the halfway stage. After that England should have had an advantage. But the three remaining Australians only pulled further away.
It was a chastening evening for England’s mens’ cycling team. They had to settle for a second silver in the team sprint, beaten this time by New Zealand, who broke the Games record in a time of 43.181sec, surpassing the mark they had set in qualifying. The English trio of Philip Hindes, Jason Kenny, and Kian Emadi had set a new record themselves in their heat, but the New Zealanders were riding so well that it only lasted a minute or two. England were half-a-second off the pace in the final. Kenny, who has three Olympic gold medals of his own, reckoned, like Wiggins, that the performance was “a massive step forward,” and that “this is something to build on as we look towards the Olympics.”It was a chastening evening for England’s mens’ cycling team. They had to settle for a second silver in the team sprint, beaten this time by New Zealand, who broke the Games record in a time of 43.181sec, surpassing the mark they had set in qualifying. The English trio of Philip Hindes, Jason Kenny, and Kian Emadi had set a new record themselves in their heat, but the New Zealanders were riding so well that it only lasted a minute or two. England were half-a-second off the pace in the final. Kenny, who has three Olympic gold medals of his own, reckoned, like Wiggins, that the performance was “a massive step forward,” and that “this is something to build on as we look towards the Olympics.”
England’s women fared better. Sophie Thornhill won a brilliant gold in the Para-Sport Sprint B Tandem final. She and her pilot, Helen Scott, had the measure of the Scottish Paralympic champion, Aileen McGlynn, in both the two final races, winning the first by half-a-wheel and the second by further still after Scott dropped her shoulder and steered them up the inside with a lap-and-a-half to go. There was a bronze, too, for England’s Jess Varnish in the 500m time trial. Varnish was drawn in a heat with Australia’s Stephanie Moore, who won the silver. Both were beaten by Anna Meares, who won her fifth Commonwealth gold, and became the first track cyclist ever to win medals at four Games. Meares’s winning time of 33.435sec was another Games record. England’s women fared better. Sophie Thornhill won a brilliant gold in the Para-Sport Sprint B Tandem final. She and her pilot, Helen Scott, had the measure of the Scottish Paralympic champion, Aileen McGlynn, in both the two final races, winning the first by half-a-wheel and the second by further still after Scott dropped her shoulder and steered them up the inside with a lap-and-a-half to go. There was a bronze, too, for England’s Jess Varnish in the 500m time trial. Varnish was drawn in a heat with Australia’s Stephanie Moore, who won the silver. Both were beaten by Anna Meares, who won her fifth Commonwealth gold, and became the first track cyclist ever to win medals at four Games. Meares’s winning time of 33.435sec was another Games record.
Meares, Clancy, and Kenny are all stars, with 12 Olympic medals between them. But their receptions paled in comparison to that afforded Wiggins, who received the loudest roars of the night. He says he has enjoyed himself here. “It’s like being a kid again. The buzz around the city has been incredible, the atmosphere, the intensity.” He was particularly chuffed to have been given a free cup of coffee when he was out in town, “especially being from England”. Meares, Clancy, and Kenny are all stars, with 12 Olympic medals between them. But their receptions paled in comparison to that afforded Wiggins, who received the loudest roars of the night. He says he has enjoyed himself here. “It’s like being a kid again. The buzz around the city has been incredible, the atmosphere, the intensity.” He was particularly chuffed to have been given a free cup of coffee when he was out in town, “especially being from England”.
He was a little less pleased with his silver medal, which he took off his neck as he stepped down from the podium. Still, he said, “there are a lot of positives to take from it”. And then he added “I don’t want to sound like Roy Hodgson, we have definitely got some work to do.” Australia, he said, “have set the standard.” He thinks it will take a time of 3min 50sec to win in Rio.He was a little less pleased with his silver medal, which he took off his neck as he stepped down from the podium. Still, he said, “there are a lot of positives to take from it”. And then he added “I don’t want to sound like Roy Hodgson, we have definitely got some work to do.” Australia, he said, “have set the standard.” He thinks it will take a time of 3min 50sec to win in Rio.
Wiggins had always planned to compete in Glasgow, but was intending to ride in the time trial, after the Tour was over. Plans changed a few weeks ago, when it was confirmed he hadn’t made the cut for the Tour. It was Dave Brailsford who suggested that he switch back to the track. “It was the next best thing, really,” Wiggins said. He got straight back in the velodrome and started training with the team. They have only had six weeks together, and it told. “Team pursuit takes four people to be on it, and we’ve all had such different preparation,” said Wiggins. He told the BBC that “the last six or seven weeks since I’ve been back on the track have just been really refreshing, and a good distraction from all that Tour de France nonsense.” It seems he is back on the track, for good.Wiggins had always planned to compete in Glasgow, but was intending to ride in the time trial, after the Tour was over. Plans changed a few weeks ago, when it was confirmed he hadn’t made the cut for the Tour. It was Dave Brailsford who suggested that he switch back to the track. “It was the next best thing, really,” Wiggins said. He got straight back in the velodrome and started training with the team. They have only had six weeks together, and it told. “Team pursuit takes four people to be on it, and we’ve all had such different preparation,” said Wiggins. He told the BBC that “the last six or seven weeks since I’ve been back on the track have just been really refreshing, and a good distraction from all that Tour de France nonsense.” It seems he is back on the track, for good.