Six out of the ten women selected to race for Team GB’s track cycling squad at the Paris Olympics are Welsh, providing new role models for the next generation of girls to look up to.
Two-time Olympic medallist Elinor Barker is returning for her third Games, where she will be joined by debutants Anna Morris, Jess Roberts and Emma Finucane, while Elinor’s sister Megan Barker is a travelling reserve along with Lowri Thomas.
Meanwhile, away from the track, Llantrisant’s Ella Maclean-Howell will become Wales’ first mountain biker to compete at an Olympic Games.
Wales has never had such an exceptional group of female cyclists. And beyond the seven riders travelling to Paris are the likes of track sprinter Rhian Edmunds, BMX freestyler Holly Pipe and the road racing Bäckstedt sisters, Elynor and Zoe.
In fact, if you take a look at British Cycling’s list of those who receive National Lottery funding at the top level, you’ll see that more than a quarter of the female riders are Welsh.
It’s a far cry from London 2012 when the only woman from Wales representing Great Britain in any cycling event was trailblazer Nicole Cooke. It was a Games in which Great Britain topped cycling’s medal table and inspired so many of our current crop of talents to take up the sport.
That’s certainly true of Ella Maclean-Howell who said: “The whole reason I got started was the 2012 Olympics. I saw it and just wanted to give it a try. And when I started training at Newport Velodrome a couple of years later, I’d see professional riders training like Becky James and Geraint Thomas. I think in Wales, because we are smaller, you see a lot more of the top riders which doesn’t necessarily happen in other areas of the UK.”
While two of the Paris squad are actual sisters – the Barkers – the spirit among the other women has created a strong sisterhood.
Megan Barker agrees that maybe Wales’ size can be its strength, helping the women to build up strong bonds: “As a cycling team, we’re all close as we’ve all known each other growing up. Beicio Cymru has its own leagues, regional omniums, and championships, and that gives young riders lots of opportunities. It really pushes you forward.”
Talented cyclists in Wales are nurtured by Beicio Cymru – the national governing body for the sport in Wales – and when the riders are ready for the next step, they progress to British Cycling with aims of competing for Team GB at the Olympics or Paralympics.
Beicio Cymru make sure their riders are fully prepared with the skills they’ll need both on and off the bike as they move on to British Cycling.
No stone is left unturned, as Beicio Cymru coach Rachel Draper explains:
“We work with the practitioners at Sport Wales like the strength and conditioning coaches and nutritionists. A lot of riders move to Manchester, where British Cycling is based, at the age of 18 and it’s a huge step. So, we want our riders to be able to confidently cook healthy meals and to understand the impact of all these things on performance.”
And, making sure the wheels keep turning in Wales, those riders who have achieved the breakthrough to British Cycling are still returning to offer a tip or two to the younger crop.
“Rhian (Edmunds) came back and joined in recently. She’s there in her British kit showing our younger riders how to do a standing start. Lowri (Thomas) and Anna (Morris) have both been in recently too,” explains Rachel.
“It shows what’s achievable. When you’re training alongside other girls who have come through the same pathway and are now onto the next level, it shows them that it’s all within their grasp.”
Brian Davies, Sport Wales’ Chief Executive, said: “Congratulations to this incredibly talented group of Welsh cyclists and indeed to all our Olympic and Paralympic athletes on their selection.
“Seeing so many Welsh athletes competing on the biggest stage will hopefully inspire other young people to take part in sport. Whether they pick up a table tennis bat for the first time or try their hand at basketball or BMX or skateboarding, we want every person in Wales to find enjoyment in sport and continue to be active throughout their lives.”
