You can hardly blame Sir Bradley Wiggins and his heroic cycling team for celebrating wildly after claiming a historic gold last night in Rio.
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It was a spectacularly successful move, culminating in 2012 when he became Britain’s first Tour de France victor and then took Olympic time-trial gold at the London Games 10 days later.
Four years ago he famously sat on a wonderfully kitsch gilded throne, after claiming time trial gold in the shadow of Hampton Court.
However, it was Australia who made the faster start to the final, at one point building a lead of 0.695 seconds at the 2-kilometre mark before the Brits began to fight back. For pure and undiluted tension, this will take some beating in the days ahead.
Riding in a measured, controlled fashion throughout – they were never in danger of losing the heat – but it was the time that sent shockwaves through the cycling world, a new world record of 3:50.570.
“He has represented his country and his sport with great distinction over the years, and we at British Cycling are exceptionally proud of Sir Bradley and his team-mates after what was a spectacular performance this evening”. It’s done now and it’s more relief than anything. “The records come naturally if you don’t chase them, just chase the opposition”.
“It has been a burden – when you live with it every day but it’s gone now”.
“We knew going in we had a small chance”, Edmondson said. The 29-year-old fouled on his first two jumps, registering a 7:90m on his third and final jump which was good enough for 10 place. ‘If I’m completely honest I think there’s a lot of bitter people that didn’t make the grade, got the boot and they have now come out picking holes in things and this, that and the other. If I have to go to the job centre on Monday morning and get a job, I can always say I’ve got Olympic bronze.
“For the last 12 months everyone has been saying: ‘Is he too old at 36?'”.
The Games’ greatest Olympian was well beaten by Singapore’s first ever gold medalist and even more astonishingly will have to share the silver with two other swimmers.
“Then you’ve got Doully who reminds me of a young G (Geraint Thomas)”.
Wiggins said Sutton has been “the mainstay” throughout his career.
“It’s extra special because I really wanted to defend the title”, said Burke, who was part of the winning team in London.
China had earlier claimed a first ever Olympic track cycling gold when Gong Jinjie and Zhong Tianshi broke the world record as thye won the women’s team sprint title.
Denmark beat New Zealand to take the bronze medal.
Altogether he has five golds, one silver and two bronze, won at five Olympics dating back to the 2000 Sydney Games.
Australia, who had only squeezed into the final with a time nearly three seconds slower than the British, knew they had to go for broke to have a chance.
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In another dramatic moment of a stellar career, the man who helped define a golden era for British cycling secured his eighth medal across five Olympics, pulling clear in numerical terms of a roll call of domestic sporting greats including Hoy, Redgrave and Sir Ben Ainslie.
