When Anna Henderson took silver in the women’s time trial, and Tom Pidcock a spectacular gold in the men’s mountain biking, there was good reason to be optimistic about Team GB’s prospects in the Paris 2024 cycling programme.
But although it was bookended by medal success, this was an Olympic campaign that, unlike others, never really caught fire. Bad luck, illness, injury and losses of form or confidence combined too often to thwart the best laid plans.
