GB TEAM MANAGER BREAKS HIS SILENCE OVER ASHES SERIES DEFEAT - posted 11 March 2009
I've had time to gather my thoughts after the experience of leading the GB team into a most competitive Ashes series against the Aussies on their home patch and I now feel ready to share them with spokesman-online readers.
Clearly a lot of hard work was put into our preparation, with riders and myself travelling up and down the motorways during the winter. We all believed that we were prepared from a fitness point of view. We also believed that we had the tactical experience and know-how to overcome the Aussie challenge.
What we didn't appreciate was that the Aussie 'juniors' had progressed much further than we could have anticipated and more importantly that they had made full use of the opportunity to come together and train frequently, by virtue that they all lived within relatively short distance of each other. This was fundamental to their success, combined with excellent coaching from experienced British League campaigners Paul White and Daniel Pudney.
When it came to the crunch the Aussies proved themselves to be better than my team and their three test victory was no fluke. However, within Team GB, there was an acknowledgement that we didn't perform to the standards expected and some top riders failed to show the required consistency at this level.
I'd like to clear up the fact that it was frustrating to have Marcus Wadhams on tour, yet not as a member of the official squad. This due to the fact that he had not made himself available for selection, as he'd not originally been able to confirm his intention to travel Therefore I was not able to use him for the Ashes series and this was explained to Marcus (and understood by him) from the outset.
As team manager, I had conviction in my decisions and was offered reliable and committed support from captain Lee Aris and seasoned internationals such as Gavin Wheeler and Steve Harris. I've come away having learned a few personal lessons, but satisfied that I did my best and kept my integrity. We can ask nothing more of ourselves than that.
There is very little else to say and no excuses to make. Yes we had some bad luck, such as Jono Birks shedding a cog (off grid one) as we were poised to take the lead and potentially go onto win the first test at Findon. We also saw another potential match winning 7-3 disappear at LeFevre when Lee Aris was passed on the final bend by the sensational Cody Chadwick - even though video evidence supports the view that the Aussie had mounted the curb.
But let's be clear - matches are not lost on single races or decisions, but on overall performance. That's why I will not enter into any debate about the referee who, in my view, did what she believed was right and followed her perogative the interpret and apply the rules as she saw fit. Megan Rufus did her best in handling the immense pressure applied via the various media headlines and views that now come as part and parcel of the Internet age!
I enjoyed the experience, if not the results, and I enjoyed working with the riders at this level. However, I'd never realised how intense the role would be in the thick of the action - having to concentrate on what I was watching on track and consider tactics for the next race, while forming a plan for what was in store two heats ahead. In this respect, thank God that I had Ian Brown in the pits to fill in the programme, and Norman Venson taking care of mechanical issues for the riders.
In completing this summary, I'd like to share my appraisal of the GB riders as follows:
Chris Jewkes: Solid, reliable, composed and effective. Chris quickly established himself as the first name on my team-sheet and he was a pleasure to manage in as much that he did everything asked of him and maintained a cool discipline throughout. He emerged as the star performer in this team and should feel proud of his efforts.
Jono Birks: Mr Entertainment! - Jono was the rider that everyone warned me was not race-fit and shouldn't be risked in the first test. I almost listened to the experts, but followed my hunch to include him. What a revelation he was, scoring points from the outside grids with fearless consistency in all three tests - only the disappointing grid one mechanical failure at Findon being an exception.
Dan Pike: He will probably feel that he could have done better, but I found Dan to be fully committed and prepared to do everything I asked of him. He was always positive and his effort was 100%. I was pleased to see him ride so well in the World Final and earn much deserved credibility.
Craig Marchant: The first test at Findon was his best moment, when he met the challenge I set him to give a resounding performance from the reserve berth. I had hoped for better when promoting him the the main body of the team for the second test and gambled on him getting straight wins from five grid ones, with support from partner Steve Harris - but this didn't quite pay off.
Steve Harris: Probably the fittest squad member (alongside Lee Aris) and one of the Worlds best team-riders at this level. Steve used his experience to the benefit of the team and was instrumental in the numerous fightbacks that Team GB provided during the series, when all had initially seemed lost. He sensed that, at 40, this was his International swan-song. Despite a couple of uncharacteristic slips, he showed grit, determination and some pure brilliance to leave a lasting memory of being one of the all-time greats.
Lewis Osborne: My one big regret is that I didn't make better use of Lewis. He was placed on the outside grids at Findon and not included at LeFevre, where he may have been more effective than some of my selections. Lewis never complained and got on with the job, so I'm pleased that he managed to score well in the Salisbury test and show his capability.
Mark Winwood: A great person to have aound the team and I'd hoped that he would have been a physical threat to the Aussies on the larger tracks, which is why I introduced him into the LeFevre test match. Mark will be the first to admit that he was slightly off the pace, but he has the character to bounce back and prove himself in the cut-and-thrust of Premier League racing this year.
Leigh Cossey: Having preferred Mark Winwood to Leigh in the second test, in view of the need win at all costs, Leigh became a frustrated spectator and victim of the fact that the three Test scenario meant no second chances after defeat at Findon. He was introduced at Salisbury and did an excellent job in his single ride by racing to orders and grabbing a necessary third place. Having been a non riding GB squad member myself, under Roger Ellis, I fully appreciated his disappointment but I had to make my selections based on the need to find a winning formula.
This brings me to the final two squad members, both of which I'd built my team around - Captain Lee Aris and British Champion Gavin Wheeler.
Gavin Wheeler: l rate Gavin as the most naturally gifted rider in the sport and I'm proud to have witnessed his progress from a raw junior during my Southampton days. He was 100% committed to the GB cause and showed glimpses of his brilliance - but something was missing and it just wasn't his time to shine. He did have to cope with a re-occurring back injury, but I still considered an 80% fit Gavin Wheeler as a 'must have' rider in any team at this level. And it takes a team to win or lose, not just one rider.
Lee Aris: I couldn't help wonder if the pressures of managing the junior GB team, just minutes before taking to the track himself, was too much to place on his shoulders - this being reflected in first ride tape exclusions at both the Findon and Le Fevre Tests. We saw glimpses of spell-bound brilliance from Lee, with one race at Findon being probably the best ride I've ever witnessed - until he did something more exceptional in the next match! Yet, on both occasions, schoolboy errors were just around the corner in another race and this was hard for me to accept. By that I mean, hard to accept that Lee Aris is human after all.
Lee was the most supportive and intelligent individual that I could have chosen as my captain and I feel proud to have worked alongside such a talented person. I know that he shares my disappointment and may feel that he let himself down. But good champions sometimes need to take such knocks and I'm sure that he will go on to prove just what a champion he is, by using such disappointment to spur him to success in the future.
To all those followers of the team, in Australia and back home, I can only say that the boys really did their best and the effort cannot be faulted in that respect while, from a personal viewpoint, I can only apologise that I didn't achieve the desired results.
There are some lessons to be learned, in respect to the approach to future tours, which are all matters to be discussed within appropriate circles at British Cycling in due course. I will be happy to share my views with the Commission.
1 March 2009