The River Seine is set to play host to a dramatic opening ceremony and mark the official start of the 33rd Olympiad, where Paris will become only the second city to host the Summer Olympics three times, after London.
As ever, Team GB will send a strong contingent of cyclists who will contest the BMX, Mountain Bike, Road, Track and Time Trial events, with plenty of silverware expected.
Of the Scottish quartet, debutant Charlie Aldridge will be up first when he competes in the Mountain Bike XCO event on Monday 29th July at 1.15pm UK time. The Crieff man has enjoyed a brilliant 2024, his first in the Elite ranks, his selection for the Olympic Games fully deserved.
Now he will look to produce the ride of his life when it counts most, just as he has done in taking World titles in both the junior age group, and in the U23 event at a home World Championship last summer. Having secured a maiden Elite World Cup podium in Novo Mesto earlier this summer, the 6ft 4” powerhouse has every right to toe the line full of confidence, where he’ll race alongside Team GB teammate and pre-race favourite Tom Pidcock.
On his approach, Aldridge said:
“It’s a bit like World Champs last year, in that I’ll be trying to peak for the Olympics. For Worlds last year I was super nervous, because it was obviously at home, but once I got there I actually wasn’t too stressed. So just getting to the Olympics and being on the start line is going to be an amazing experience, so we’ll just race it and see how we get on.”
From one powerhouse to another, Jack Carlin will be the next Scottish rider in action, the sprint ace opening his Paris programme on Monday 5th August in the qualifying rounds of the Men’s Team Sprint. It’s set to be an action-packed schedule for the Paisley man, with the Team Sprint concluding the next day before the Men’s Sprint takes place Wednesday 7th to Friday 9th, and then the Keirin over the final weekend of the Games.
Carlin, like all the Scots on team, can be relied on to bring his very best when it counts, as he demonstrated when winning silver and bronze in Tokyo three years ago. More silverware is the aim of the game for the former Glasgow Riderz sprinter, but ultimately he’ll be dreaming of completing his set of Olympic hardware.
“I’ve been to Paris three or four times now and it’s arguably the nicest track in the world. I’ve had good results there in the past, and I know how it rides – it’s different to any track you’ll see in the UK, as it has a metre or two more bank on in which means the times are quick.
“The last Olympics was do or die every round, and you could really feel that. At a Nations Cup you knock someone out and it’s like ‘well done mate’ but at the Olympics they’d rather take you out than finish second! So, Paris will be a good track for it, and the French fans are loud at the best of times, probably just for the French, but hopefully there will be some other nations having some parties too.”
Next up is Neah Evans, who arrives in Paris after a turbulent year, but with the comfort of being two-time World Champion. Having shaken off the illness that hampered her spring preparations, and enjoyed a fruitful altitude training camp in Andorra, the Aberdeenshire native is raring to go as she heads for Paris.
It’s well documented that Evans came to cycling late, but has quickly established herself as one of the best track riders in the world, her burgeoning medal collection proof if any was needed. The final step has been graduating from serial medal winner to double World Champion, firstly in the Points race in 2022, and then in the Madison last summer, on the track she learnt to ride on.
It’s in the latter event where she’ll hope to win another title, alongside Elinor Barker who she rode with in Glasgow – that event taking place in the evening session on Friday 9th August. It is also likely Evans will contest the Women’s Omnium on Sunday 11th August, the final day of action in Paris.
Evans has fond memories of the velodrome in Paris, and she’ll hope to make more this August:
“Being on the GB programme, and in the TP squad, I’d medalled quite a few times at Worlds, but it was frustrating to have been so close to a World title, but never got one. So that moment in Paris, to get your first World title, was so special. Hopefully there’s more of that to come!”
Last, but by no means least, is Dundee’s Mark Stewart, who has been named as a travelling reserve for the Games. Having been part of the GB programme for a number of years, but never riding an Olympics, Stewart has turned his attention to the roads in recent years, but a return to the track last year resulted in a silver medal at the World Championships. After that effort he was very much in the frame for Paris, and were the number of quota places for an Olympic Games not so small, we dare say he’d be riding the Madison. As it is, he’ll be waiting in the wings should the opportunity to race arise.
On behalf of everyone in the Scottish Cycling community, we wish our Olympic stars ‘bon chance’!