Women's Olympic cycling preview

Here's @wheelie1977's look at the women's cycling programme...

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I wouldn't be getting overly carried away with women's racing as I don't follow it as much as I could. That said, some of the best racing out there on the track is in the women's events - there's a certain amount of pure hatred in it !

Track

Sprint & Keirin

I'll start off with Anna Meares versus Victoria Pendleton. This should be the most interesting of the events as there's no love lost. Some of you may have watched the recent documentary on Pendleton and she's quite a brittle character behind it all. However she's got the leading sports scientist returning to her team (also her fiancee) and the team behind her is stellar so she will be in the best form of her life going into the event. Everyone agrees that she is probably the best of them all when in form and that includes the Aussie Meares.

It stands to reason then that if you believe that she can get back to her form of the last Olympics, Pendleton stands a very good chance of a double gold. The World Champs would have been Pendleton at 85% and she won Gold in the Sprint but was surprisingly beaten in the Keirin Heats. I wouldn't think she'll make that mistake in London and I make her at least a joint favourite and certainly not a general 4/1

I think it's a 2 horse race in the Sprint and again I think home form may help Pendleton and so I'm predicting a double Gold for the Queen of British cycling.

Advised Bet

Keirin 1pt @ 4/1 Vicky Pendleton
Sprint 1pt @ 2/1 Vicky Pendleton

Team Sprint

Two World Records in 2012 World Champs against the home nation and still Germany are second favourites? It wasn't even a shock result, they were savagely quick. Anna Meares was 3/10ths of a second up on the first standing lap but still the Aussies lost 4/10 to Vogel on the second lap - that's an astonishing turn around and can be looked at in 2 ways. Either the Aussie Number 2 was off form or the Germans were sizzling. I'm thinking maybe a bit of both and we should see a right battle but I'll stick with the World Champs and World Record Holders at the prices.

Advised Bet

Germany 1pt @ 15/8 (Coral, William Hill)

Omnium

Laura Trott is a brilliant young cyclist. I'm not looking any further than her. if you get a chance have a look at the Elimination race in the World Champs, one of the best displays I've ever seen!

Advised Bet

Laura Trott 2.5pts @ 2/1 Boylesports

Women's Time Trial

Judith Arndt and Emma Pooley go head to head on a flat course and the power of the German should see her through. She's a big time Championship performer and current World Champion.

Advised Bet

2pts Judith Arndt @ 9/4 in BWIN (2/1 Generally)

Women's Road Race

This may well end in a bunch finish and my money goes then on the American Shelley Olds who is one of the quickest riders in the ladies peleton. Although all eyes will be on Marianne Vos, the Dutch woman serially under performs at big Championships - she's a 4 time silver medallist at the World Championships despite being the best rider in the World. If it comes to a sprint she will medal again but it's quite open between 3 of them - I include Georgia Bronzini who would be outright favourite if a bunch sprint is imminent. The recent Giro Donne shows there's not much between all 3 but at the prices Olds make a lot of appeal.

Advised Bet

Shelley Olds
1.5pts e/w @ 12/1 (Pays 1,2,3) Ladbrokes, Boylesports

Spot-fixing - you will never, ever be able to stop it

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lay the field - my favourite racing strategy

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