Cycling: Britons disappointed as BMX replaces 'kilo' for 2008 Olympics
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Your support makes all the difference.One of Britain's key Olympic specialities - the kilometre event in track cycling - will not be on the programme at the 2008 Games.
One of Britain's key Olympic specialities - the kilometre event in track cycling - will not be on the programme at the 2008 Games.
Cycling's governing body, the UCI, has decided that the "kilo", together with the women's 500 metre event, will make way for new medals inBMX.
Great Britain secured gold medals in the kilometre in both Sydney 2000 with Jason Queally and again in 2004 at the Athens Games with Chris Hoy.
Hoy said yesterday that he was "deeply disappointed" and that he suspected that "they may have taken that decision because it's one of the most time-consuming of the track events."
Dave Brailsford, the performance director of British Cycling concurred with Hoy, and argued that he was confident that either Queally or Hoy "would have made the podium in Beijing" .
"I would have been more in favour of getting rid of the road time trialling event," he said. "Track is heavily dependent on state backing and it will suffer more if disciplines are removed from the Olympics."
l Axel Merckx, son of cycling great Eddy, clinched a fine lone stage win in the Dauphiné Libéré event here yesterday. Lance Armstrong finished in the main peloton, while the leader's jersey is now with Basque rider Iñigo Landaluze.
Alasdair Fotheringham writes for 'Cycling Weekly'
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