Updating yesterday's story on Neil Stephens, Guiness writes that "The Australian Cycling Federation yesterday did an about-turn to ensure that two of our top road cyclists compete at next month's Olympic Games."
"24 hours after telling The Australian it could not change its selection criteria - Olympic contenders must ride in at least 3 of the 3 designated races - the ACf granted Neil Stephens and Patrick Jonker exemptions from Saturday's final trial on the Isle of Man. Stephens had already been told by the manager of his Spanish ONCE team, Manolo Saiz, that he could not race on Saturday because it clashed with a Tour de France training camp."
South Australian Jonker faced a similar fate as his brilliant form in this week's Tour of Catalonia, in Spain, has put him into strong contention of a place in ONCE's Tour line-up. It is believed the battle to secure their exemption raged all yesterday between the ACF and the Secretary-General of the Australian Olympic Committee, Craig McLatchey.
Before yesterday's sudden announcement, ACF President Ray Godkin said the ACF criteria had "cut its legs off" from fielding the best Australian road team to go to Atlanta. And he added that any exemption to Stephens from attending Saturday's race would expose the ACF to a "Pandora's Box" of legal battles in the Arbitration Commission. But in justifying the ACF's change of heart, Godkin said the riders' undoubted world class and current form were factors that could not be ignored.
He said " It's about a case of two riders being too successful for their own good. Neil and Patrick are without a doubt the most successful Australian road riders this year. They are both ranked in the top 150 in the world. And to exclude them from the Olympics for something beyong their control would be detrimental to Australia."
Stephens when told the news said "I'm rapt to hear this. And I know Patrick will be as well". Stephens was contacted during a mountainous 230km ride on the first day of ONCE's training camp yesterday. He went on "Having the chance to ride in the Tour with a team that can win and then go and ride for your country in the Olympics is a double bonus."
Watt, 32, won the 2.75km prologue time trial in 7mins9s, defeating Luthuania's Rasa Olikeviciute by 5 secs and New Zealand's Rebecca Bailey by 12 secs.