Don't mention the word 'pressure' to the Great British cycling team at the Track World Championships this week, they are expected to deliver medals and top performances according to British Cycling chief, the Aussie Shane Sutton. He has challenged his riders to deliver in Paris (starting today) and is not willing to provide excuses for them should they not do themselves justice in their respective events.
With Rio 2016 just around the corner, there is little time left for the team members to prepare for the next Olympics and to hopefully emulate their stellar performances at London 2012, where seven gold medals from just ten events came their way.
Since London, the team have endured something of a dip in form, with the nadir probably being last year's World Champs in Colombia, when the men's team returned medal-less. That was a far cry from the days when Sir Chris Hoy and Jason Kenny were winning golds seemingly at will. Hoy has since retired of course, but Kenny is still on the team and will surely hope for an upturn in his own fortunes to secure his place on the plane to Rio next year.
Sutton made his view clear as to what he expects from the men and women who compete in the GB colours this week, saying that: "We're not going to the Worlds (just) to perform. It's not one for experience -it's about going there to perform." Hopefully for him and his team, if they perform to their best, then the rewards will follow.
One rider who doesn't seem to have disappointed in recent times when wearing the GB vest is Laura Trott. The 22-year-old bagged herself two golds at the London Olympics in the two events she is competing at in Paris, the omnium and team pursuit. She has set her sights on claiming both titles this week, a tall order and schedule for the diminutive rider, but one she does not shirk away from, as she realises the key part she plays in Britain's potential success at the championships.
Clearly recognising that even though her training has been going well, there is always the possibility that someone or something can intervene in the frenetic sport of track cycling, she realistically commented that: "I'd be happy to medal but my aim is to win two golds."
On the men's side, 21-year-old Owain Doull is looking for an improvement in their fortunes, having been a member of the unsuccessful team in Colombia. He forms part of what should be a strong pursuit squad in Paris and in his own words is looking to banish the memory of what was "probably the worst week of my life."
