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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Emma Pooley: British Cycling wrong to pick no women for world time trial | Emma Pooley: British Cycling wrong to pick no women for world time trial |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The 2008 Olympic silver medallist Emma Pooley has criticised British Cycling for deciding not to send any female riders to the world championships to contest the individual time trial. Pooley, who became world time trial champion in 2010, said she had “no chance” at her first world championships, but the experience helped her to go on to win eventually. | The 2008 Olympic silver medallist Emma Pooley has criticised British Cycling for deciding not to send any female riders to the world championships to contest the individual time trial. Pooley, who became world time trial champion in 2010, said she had “no chance” at her first world championships, but the experience helped her to go on to win eventually. |
| British Cycling, the sport’s national governing body, said it was not entering any female riders in the discipline because they were unlikely to get on the podium at the UCI Road World Championships, which will be held in Ponferrada, Spain, later this month. | British Cycling, the sport’s national governing body, said it was not entering any female riders in the discipline because they were unlikely to get on the podium at the UCI Road World Championships, which will be held in Ponferrada, Spain, later this month. |
| A spokeswoman said: “We have chosen not to enter anyone into the elite women’s time trial event this year as we don’t believe we have a contender for a medal and we are obliged to use our resources where we have the best chance of success.” | A spokeswoman said: “We have chosen not to enter anyone into the elite women’s time trial event this year as we don’t believe we have a contender for a medal and we are obliged to use our resources where we have the best chance of success.” |
| The explanation was dismissed by the recently retired Pooley, who wrote on Twitter that it was based on “poor reasoning. I didn’t have a medal chance at 1st Worlds. But experience helped later.” | The explanation was dismissed by the recently retired Pooley, who wrote on Twitter that it was based on “poor reasoning. I didn’t have a medal chance at 1st Worlds. But experience helped later.” |
| In response British Cycling said: “We would agree that it can be good experience, but our priority is to win medals and so we need to focus our resource on that.” | In response British Cycling said: “We would agree that it can be good experience, but our priority is to win medals and so we need to focus our resource on that.” |
| Other riders and cycling fans joined in the criticism. Alison Kinloch, who races for the Yorkshire-based PH-MAS team, said on Twitter: “This has echoes of the criticisms from Nicole’s Cookes book #disappointed in BC.” | Other riders and cycling fans joined in the criticism. Alison Kinloch, who races for the Yorkshire-based PH-MAS team, said on Twitter: “This has echoes of the criticisms from Nicole’s Cookes book #disappointed in BC.” |
| Cooke, who won gold in the women’s road race at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, lambasted British Cycling in her recent autobiography for its selection criteria. In 2000 British Cycling refused to send her to the Sydney Olympics because she was not on its world class performance plan. | Cooke, who won gold in the women’s road race at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, lambasted British Cycling in her recent autobiography for its selection criteria. In 2000 British Cycling refused to send her to the Sydney Olympics because she was not on its world class performance plan. |
| British Cycling has also decided not to send any young women from its under 23 squad to contest the time trial in Ponferrada, a decision described as “absolutely crackers” by the elite cyclist Jake Martin on Twitter. | British Cycling has also decided not to send any young women from its under 23 squad to contest the time trial in Ponferrada, a decision described as “absolutely crackers” by the elite cyclist Jake Martin on Twitter. |
| The Olympic pursuit gold medallist Joanna Rowsell became British road time trial champion last year but she is missing from the squad. She came 13th in the event at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July, after warning fans not to expect a top result because she was concentrating on the velodrome. Pooley came second, with Scotland’s Katie Archibald fifth; Archibald is also not going to Spain and is instead focused on the track, where she was part of last year’s world championship-winning team pursuit squad. | |
| A possible contender could be another Scottish rider, Lucy Coldwell, who came eighth in Glasgow and has made British Cycling’s long list for the road race, so may be in Spain anyway. | A possible contender could be another Scottish rider, Lucy Coldwell, who came eighth in Glasgow and has made British Cycling’s long list for the road race, so may be in Spain anyway. |
| British Cycling has chosen four male riders on its long list to contest the men’s individual time trial. Alex Dowsett, who won gold in the Commonwealth Games, has been selected, along with Geraint Thomas, who took bronze for Wales, Sir Bradley Wiggins, who did not contest the event in Glasow but won the gold at the 2012 Olympics, and Steve Cummings, who came seventh. | British Cycling has chosen four male riders on its long list to contest the men’s individual time trial. Alex Dowsett, who won gold in the Commonwealth Games, has been selected, along with Geraint Thomas, who took bronze for Wales, Sir Bradley Wiggins, who did not contest the event in Glasow but won the gold at the 2012 Olympics, and Steve Cummings, who came seventh. |