1. You’ve missed this round of the World Cup for the past couple of years. Why is it important that you make the trip this year?

“We're looking to try and score as many points as possible this season to secure qualification for London 2012 as early as we can. This means I'll be attending the World Cups in Melbourne, Cali and Manchester plus the World Championships in Holland. The simplest way for us to qualify GB a place in all three sprint events is through the team sprint, as each country automatically gets a sprint and keirin place when they qualify a team sprint place.”

2. Who do you see as your main threat in Melbourne and in the lead up to London 2012?

“I tend not to worry too much about my rivals as it's a pointless exercise and just ends up as a waste of energy. I try to focus on the things that are within my control, like making sure I train as hard as I can in every single session, staying injury free and peaking at the right time of the season. I expect to have good form at the Melbourne World Cup, having ridden a 9.99s for 200m recently, but anything can happen in the races (as I found out in Poland!) and there will no doubt be a really strong field from the Australians and the rest of the world.  I know I'll have to be firing on all cylinders to make it onto the top step of the podium.”

3. Has your early exit in the Sprint at the European Championships increased the importance of the Melbourne Track World Cup in your Olympic qualification campaign? If so, can you please state why?

“Not really, no. Our Olympic qualification is centred around the Team Sprint, so individual performances in relation to qualifying GB places for London aren't hugely important in that respect. Obviously from a personal perspective I would have liked to have been successful in the sprint at the European Championships, but the reason for that was simply an error of judgement rather than a lack of form. I'm riding the sprint in Cali so look forward to getting my teeth into that event out there, but before then I've got the keirin and team sprint in Melbourne to focus on.”

4. With only one spot available per nation for the sprint and keirin events at London 2012, do you feel more pressure from Jason Kenny as opposed to riders from other nations?

“Again, I try not to let other riders' performances affect me negatively or make me feel pressurised, as there's nothing I can do about them. It's not as if there's only Jason Kenny performing well either; we have Matt Crampton, Dave Daniell, Ross Edgar and others too, so there is always a fight to earn your place on the team. I like it though, as it tends to create a really competitive training environment which I believe helps push us all on. It's always been that way; even years ago when I rode the kilo I had Jason Queally, Craig MacLean and Jamie Staff as team mates and rivals. At the end of the day you want your team mates to be fast as you'll be lining up alongside them in the team sprint.”

5. Psychologically, how important are victories at the Track World Cup over your rivals?

“A win is always good for the confidence, and I'm a big believer that morale is a huge factor in athletic performance. However, victories mid-season can sometimes be misleading because different riders approach their seasons in different ways. For example some riders may peak for a specific World Cup, whilst others may be deliberately training through a race, ie they won't be backing off from training prior to the event to freshen up. Sometimes you can beat a rival at a World Cup but by March they could be a much tougher prospect. So I never read too much into my rivals performances at World Cups. My approach is to use the World Cups as tests of form and I always go into them with realistic expectations based on how my training has been going at that time.”

6. Do you see this as the Commonwealth Games clash with the Australians that never happened?

“Not really, I think the Commonwealth Games are a unique one-off event which only happen once every four years, and you can't really replicate them. I was really disappointed not to be in Delhi to represent Scotland but I've accepted that and put it to bed. The Aussie team out there looked hugely impressive as always and are certainly going well at the moment. I expect them to be a formidable force in Melbourne and beyond, but I'm looking forward to the challenge and I'm sure the rest of the British team are too.”

Q. Caroline, congratulations on your Four Cross World Championship! Can you talk to us about your emotions as you crossed the line?

A. I was sooo happy when I crossed the line but it wasn't until I saw the excitement in all the Aussies and everyone around me at the finish's faces that it sunk in that it was World Championships and not just any other race.

Q. Winning back to back World Championships is a fantastic effort, did you find it harder to win this year being the defending champion?

A. I found that I had less pressure this year being the defending champion than I did at Stromlo Forest Park Canberra where I was the local hometown favourite and never won a world title.

Q. Just how important was it to get a good start out of the gate?

A. On this track it was very important and my BMX gate starts gave me a good advantage. The track was quite technical with lots of lines but once you were in front and could ride your own race and stay out of trouble it was a lot easier.

Q. Being the fastest in qualifying, were you confident you could get a good result?

A. I qualified in first position by one and half seconds in front of Fionn Grifiths (GBR). I have only ever time trailed 1st before and it was at a world cup this year and I have never had a winning margin like that so I knew that with a great start and no mechanicals the world title was mine.

Q. You seem to dominate in the warmer conditions and when racing under lights, is this something you have practiced or does the night racing help you to focus differently?

A. I always rise to the occasion and perform well under pressure. Having racing at night under lights adds more atmosphere.Give me a couple of thousand people, great atmosphere and pressure to perform its game on.

Q. With last year's World Championships on home soil, did many of your friends & family get the chance to see you race in Canada?

A. I could easily say that mum had half the neighbourhood and friends around to watch me on Freecaster and the whole of Canberra would have known the day after. It was nice to have their support in Canberra last year but I felt their support just as much from the other side of the world.

Q. After your freakish accident at BMX Worlds in South Africa, does this win help erase those memories?

A. Cheers for bringing that back up...no it has definitely helped.. .the majority of my drive for the MTB World Titles was from what happened at BMX World Championships.

Q. How do you pick yourself up and get motivated again after something like that happens?

A. I think every athlete needs the hard times and to lose titles every now and again to stay on track and not get complacent. I was more motivated after what happened.

Q. Thanks to people like yourself & Cadel Evans previously, mountain biking is growing in popularity in Australia. Can you describe how Four Cross works for the uninitiated?

A. Four cross is a mixture of BMX racing and Downhill Mountain biking. First up everyone does a time trial to seed the riders and determine the even spread of riders in the heats. There are 4 riders on the track at one time with the top 2 riders progressing to the next round. For example at World Championships we had 18 girls so after time trials 16 girls qualified to the Quarter Finals and the top in in each race progressed to the Semi Final and then the top 2 from the Semi Final progressed to the Final where the top 4 girls go head to head down roughly a 400m course taking about 45seconds.

Q. What's coming up for you? How hopeful are you of going to the London Olympics?

A. I am now back on the BMX bike until the 2012 London Olympic Games. This coming weekend I have a BMX World Cup in San Diego CA then the final round of the BMX World Cup series in Frejus France. I am currently one of the points earners for Australia and if we continue our great results we are getting at the moment we are definitely on track to take 2 girls and 3 guys to the games.

And finally...

Q. If you could choose between seeing into the future and the power to read minds, what would you choose and why??!

A. Read peoples mind so that I could not waste time waiting on a no response from sponsors etc.

To follow Caroline on her journey to London 2012, visit her website carolinebuchanan.com or join her Facebook page here.

By Jaorrod Patridge For Cycling Tribe

Q. Andy, congratulations on such a strong Tour de France! The Tour is made up of so many different parts, and stages within stages. With all the media requirements, team meetings, steep climbs and long flat stages, what is your favourite part of the Tour experience?

A. I will surprise you:-). Getting out of the shower, put the music on and just chill out.

Q. You & Frank are perfect teammates, and after following your efforts & achievements together in previous Tours it didn’t seem right not seeing him by your side. How did it feel for you to ride to Paris without him?

A. Of course I missed Fränk a lot. 



Everywhere! Not only in the race, but also discussing in our room after the race. It’s not the same to have him only on the phone. I was happy to see him coming to Paris.

Q. You were in yellow, your legs were good and you attacked strong, then your chain came off. How did this feel? How did you stay so calm?

A. My first reaction was to stay professional. It was not easy, you can imagine, I was very angry. My second reaction was, after putting the chain on, to reduce the distance between Alberto, Menchov, Sanchez and myself. But , Of course I felt shit

Q. Your battle with Alberto to the summit of the Col du Tourmalet was one of the all time epic Tour de France stages. Can you explain the effort and concentration required to make so many sustained attacks?

A. You have to understand. This is the Tour de France. As one of the main contender you have to be concentrated every moment. It was my goal to win and the Tourmalet-stage was looked at a long time ago, before the Tour, the plan and the way to win the race. If you have that plan in the mind, it was also normal to me to try so much attacks. And I think I did what I had to do.

Q. We saw you go deep into the red zone in the Individual Time Trial, are you able to describe the suffering you went through to try and claw back time on Alberto?

A. At the end of the Tour, with my situation as second overall, I believed really, that I was a specialist. My father, Johnny told me. At the end of a time trial stage you must have the feeling that you’ve given everything, as you say, go deep in the red zone. I’ve done this and since I went training in the morning I’ve had my focus and all my concentration on that stage.

Q. Everything from the roads, climate, even the air are different from country to country. Do you have a favourite place to race and train?

A. To train it’s no doubt, it’s my home country Luxembourg. To race it’s California.

Q. What was your first bike, and do you still have it?

A. I must have been six years old and I can remember that the bike was too big for me. I have it no more.

Q. Will we see you in Geelong at the World Championships, and is this a target race for you or Frank?

A. I will not go to the Worlds, because I try to focus on the last Italian races and specially Tour of Lombardie. I think therefore it’s better to stay in Europe. But Fränk will be there and takes his chance.

Q. The advert you made for Specialized with Alberto Contador seemed like a lot of fun! Did you make the add together or was it filmed separately?

A. It was separately

And finally...

Q. Can you really eat 21 gels and a deep fried turkey without throwing up??

A. No problem for 21 gels, no problem for a turkey after that, but I never tried a deep fried one:-)

April 1, 2010

Brisbane, Australia – The Fly V Australia Pro Cycling Team has been picked to win the 2010 National Racing Calendar team classification by VeloNews magazine.

Fly V Australia is ranked No. 1 of the 13 teams evaluated by the magazine’s editorial staff in the May issue (on newsstands now). The second-year, Australian continental squad was judged to be strongest in criteriums, climbing and stage racing.

Writes VeloNews: “A major win at a race like Battenkill or Philadelphia is well within Fly V Australia’s ability. All NRC stage races are prime targets, while a stage win at either the Amgen Tour of California or the Tour of Missouri would be icing on the cake.”

The story mentions the unique bond that holds the team together and has already led to 18 wins this season, including overall victories by Ben Day at the Redlands Bicycle Classic and San Dimas Stage Race. Last year, Fly V Australia won 94 races, including 44 in North America.

“‘Mateship’ isn’t a term most Americans are familiar with, but for Fly V Australia team boss Chris White, it’s the glue that holds his team together — so much so that the word is printed inside the collar of the team’s jerseys,” the article reads. “A former racer turned accountant, White built the team in 2007 with the ultimate goal of developing the first Australian ProTour team. It’s a slow but steady road to the top, and in 2010, as in 2009, that road goes through North America.”

Owned and operated by Pegasus Racing Pty Ltd., Fly V Australia is predominantly made up of Australia’s most talented cyclists and aims to be part of the PRO Tour and race in the Tour de France by 2012. White said the magazine’s ranking is pleasing in that it is from an independent source.”

“It’s one thing to receive accolades and encouragement before the job is done but ultimately the score board will tell the story.  We have set ourselves stretch goals as a team and its now up to us to deliver on those targets.” White said.

VeloNews magazine is the self-proclaimed “Journal of Competitive Cycling” and billed as North America's most trusted source for information about the individuals, events, and equipment that comprise the world of bicycle racing.