Tokyo still possible for TT cyclists

IF withdrawn cyclists Njisane Phillip and Keron Bramble have a change of heart and return to training at the National Cycling Velodrome, Couva, on Thursday, TT coach Erin Hartwell will resume his Men’s Team Sprint programme in a last-minute attempt to secure qualification at the 2020 Olympic Games.

Although an uphill task, Hartwell is certain TT can still qualify for its Olympic Team Sprint debut, but admitted the absence of both athletes, over the past three weeks, places an additional challenge on the squad’s competitive progress.

“I am going to go to work tomorrow (Thursday) with who shows up and work towards the final World Cup and World Championships,” he said. “Is it too late? No. Are we afforded to miss any time? Absolutely not. If an athlete missed two or three weeks of training when we need to be performing at our best, that poses a challenge.”

According to the veteran cycling coach, the World Championships offers the highest number of Olympic qualifier points available to competing nations. Presently, TT sit in tenth position (5,610 points) on the UCI Olympic Men’s Team Sprint rankings. However, only the top eight nations advance.

TT currently trail eighth ranked Poland (6,173pts) by 563 points while Russian Federation (6,135pts) sit in ninth position. There is a possibility Russia can be removed due to ongoing World Anti-Doping Association issues. Whether they are omitted or not, TT would still have to work hard to get into eighth position.

Hartwell added, “If mathematically we had no chance, I would have pulled that plug a long time ago. But that’s not the case. The reality is, as a national team, we have a responsibility to continue pursuing Olympic qualification as long as it’s numerically viable and realistic.”

Following their decision to absent themselves from all pre-Olympic training and qualifier competitions, both cyclists claim TT’s Team Sprint Olympic dreams are virtually over. The pair believes TT’s only chances of qualifying are to capture a podium place at the World Cup and a top-five finish at ‘Worlds’, a task deemed unattainable by the two.

The national coach however, disagreed and insisted there are several unpredictable scenarios which can still go in favour of TT’s Olympic berth, if we put our best foot forward.

“We have to ride to the absolute best of our ability, be on point and we might need some help from other teams. The reality of racing is anything can happen. Crashes, false starts, guys having great and even poor performances, that’s the nature of competition. I’ve been hearing talk that ‘Qualifying is impossible’, that is not the case. I run the numbers every day and I did it again on Tuesday night. I’ve looked at multiple scenarios and of course we still stand a chance,” he reiterated.

When asked if the cyclists’ recent actions have put a strain on athlete/administration relations, the 50-year-old two-time American Olympic cycling medallist opted to maintain a professional approach.

“I was hired to do a job. My emotions and personal feelings are irrelevant. I’ve got one thing to do and that’s to perform with the athletes that are capable of doing so and interested in doing so. Whether a relationship has been damaged or not, it’s inconsequential. The athletes are eligible to compete for the national team, and they are willing to come to training, and do so. Then, we move forward,” Hartwell concluded.