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Sunday 5 August 2012

...always believe in your soul

The Olympics in London have been superb.
Despite the rabid commercialisation of everything and the disaster with the security company, the real stuff (the events) have been superb; and not just from a Great Britain (Team GB) perspective.
British cycling has been the undoubted star of the show in my view. On the back of the Wiggo show in France, cycling has eclipsed the swimming, rowing and even track & field. The design of velodrome is considerably more attractive than the main stadium - although the flame cauldron is a triumph and on two wheels our team have really delivered.
From a marginal sport, cycling keeps being catapulted onto the front and back pages with superb and emotional performances from the team.
Of all the great successes one stands out: the women's team pursuit.
Setting five consecutive world records on their way to an overwhelming performance in the final, it was refreshing to see competitors be genuinely emotional with their win.
The question for British Cycling is how to turn the surge in interest in the sport into a lasting (cliche alert) legacy.
This is a tough one but there has to be more marketing, better facilities and, ideally, less rain.
But more than that, if the country is to really embrace cycling, then lots needs to be done to encourage more participation. And not just 30-something white blokes on £1500 carbon bikes. There are many under-represented groups when it comes to bike riding - as opposed to cycling - and too many still drive their cars 1/4 mile to the shop or to visit friends.
A real legacy would be to see this type of behaviour change and see all sorts of people choose their bike for diverse journeys - without being considered a loony.

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