Australian cycling aims for big Tokyo haul
  Story By Roger Vaughan     

Wednesday, 11 October 2017: After its worst result at an Olympics since 1996 at the Rio Games last year, Australian cycling is aiming for a big rebound in Tokyo.

Cycling Australia has set the lofty goal of at least four gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics.

It follows last year's disastrous Rio campaign, when a combination of below-par planning and woeful luck plagued the Australians.

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They only managed a silver and a bronze in Rio to put them 13th on the cycling medal tally - their worst result for the past six Olympics.

The only time Australian cycling has won more than one gold at an Olympics since 1996 was the triumphant Athens 2004 campaign, which reaped an unprecedented six gold medals.

CA's new high performance director Simon Jones is conducting a ruthless overhaul of the national program, with a much sharper focus on Olympic success.

It means the virtual dismantling of the national women's road program and more emphasis on track events.

CA released its new high performance strategy on Wednesday, about six months after Jones started in the role.

They want four-six gold at Tokyo, 15 Paralympic medals in 2020 and eight gold medals at next year's Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

"We are setting the bar high, but what I have learned from my previous experience is that we have to aim high - have the courage to say we want to win," Jones said.

"I believe we have time to chase these targets."

Jones worked extensively in the successful British cycling system as a coach before joining Cycling Australia.

Under Jones, Australian cycling will focus more on track events and individual time trials on the road.

He argues there is a better chance of medal success in those events, noting the high-profile road races are more of a lottery.

One of his early priorities has been to change how Australia approaches the world track cycling championships.

Traditionally, Australia does well at the track worlds either side of the Olympics.

It is in sharp contrast to the all-powerful British team, which has dominated track cycling at the past three Olympics.

The British often send small teams to the world championships, with the focus on Olympic preparations.

Australian track cycling's focus next year will be on the Commonwealth Games and it will send a skeleton team to the worlds, about six weeks before Gold Coast.

"I want to be part of a new Australian performance culture and get back that winning feeling at Olympic Games," Jones said.

"We've been winning every year at world championships, but need to improve our Olympic results."

Cycling Australa controversially selected only five women for the road race at last month's world championships, part of Jones' philosophy of quality over quantity.

But Chloe Hosking and Rachel Neylan won their selection appeals and they were added to the team, giving Australia its full complement of seven riders.

There have been early casualties in the new Jones regime, with long-time women's track endurance coach Gary Sutton now in the US program and women's road coach Martin Barras also out of a job.