Cycling star Nicole Cooke today hailed the formation of an entirely British professional team as "the biggest step forward in women's sport in this country for many, many years".
Twice a winner of the women's Tour de France and one of Britain's brightest hopes for Olympic success in Beijing this summer, 24-year-old Cooke heads a squad of 10 women and two men who will ride a full season of events under the new team colours.
They will be sponsored by Halfords and will ride bikes designed by Chris Boardman, a gold medallist himself in Barcelona in 1992.
Cooke has only just returned from testing her new equipment on the course where she so desperately wants to make up for the disappointment of missing out on a medal in Athens four years ago.
On being part of the new set-up, the 24-year-old from Wick in the Vale of Glamorgan said: "It's absolutely fantastic.
"This will be the first ever British professional women's team and I am very, very excited.
"When I was younger, following my dream meant not being in Britain, but being based abroad. I joined a professional team in Italy and moved there when I was 18 - it certainly wasn't ideal.
"This is something I want to make the most of and to start with British-only riders is one of the best things. I can train with my team-mates and if I can help them to learn faster than I did it will make for a very strong team.
"Also to have a British sponsor involved is a very big bonus."
Cooke's taste of what is to come in China has left her in confident mood.
"Going to Beijing and being able to ride the bike I'll be on at the Olympics was very important," she continued.
"Instead of just visualising what the race might be like I could get the sensation of it.
"I like what I saw of the course. It's going to be very demanding, but it's going to be a very good race."
To the great relief of the former world number one, pollution was not an issue while she was there.
"Perhaps the smog levels were not very high, but it was not an issue," Cooke said.
"I have so much more experience compared to four years ago. I made some mistakes in terms of tapering and different types of training, although at the time I thought I was doing what I thought was best.
"I was running more on adrenalin in the last few weeks and I've learnt from that."
(re-opens) Dave Brailsford, performance director of British cycling, will also be the team's general manager and he intends the innovative new approach to be the first step on the road to a full British professional team.
"There are 18 gold medals available in cycling in the Olympics and currently we have 13 realistic podium opportunities," he said.
"For London 2012, we are aiming for 16 out of 18. Our job is to convert those opportunities into medals.
"We are very happy with the results that have been coming from the programme so far.
"Prior to lottery funding, we had one cycling gold medal in 76 years (Boardman) - not a great return - but in Sydney and Athens we came home with eight medals and we've also had over 60 world championship podiums."
The two men joining the squad are Rob Hayles and Tom Southam.
"It's predominantly a women's team, but I am confident enough of my sexuality to be part of this," joked Hayles, the 34-year-old from Portsmouth who in Athens won a team silver and bronze and in 2000 won team bronze and in the madison crashed in the final moments when holding second place.
"I have three Olympic medals, which I am really pleased with, but gold is the one I want. I'm not aiming for the podium, I'm aiming for the very top of it and I'm sure Nicole is the same."
The squad, to be known as Team Halfords Bikehut, is: Nicole Cooke, Catherine Hare, Tanja Slater, Wendy Houvenagel, Joanna Rowsell, Lizzie Armistead, Katie Curtis, Emma Trott, Jessica Allen, Katie Colclough, Rob Hayles and Tom Southam.
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