Richie Porte has been confirmed as the leader of the Australian men’s team at the Tokyo Olympics, with Amanda Spratt and Rohan Dennis also headlining the team.
Porte, podium finisher in the 2020 Tour de France, will headline the men’s squad for the Olympic road race, while one-day specialist Amanda Spratt will lead the women’s team.
Time trial star Rohan Dennis (Ineos Grenadiers) will also ride in both the road race and will compete for TT gold in Tokyo.
But with the coronavirus pandemic still raging in Japan, fears are growing that the event could be cancelled after initially being delayed last year.
Porte, who has returned to Ineos Grenadiers this season, told The Guardian: “We can aim to be up there for the podium ... It would be a dream for anyone to medal at the Olympics. Obviously that’s the big goal but I think it’s just going to be an absolute miracle that these games are going to go ahead.”
The Tokyo Olympics are still scheduled to run from July 23 to August 8, but there is growing uncertainty about the delayed event.
A recent poll found that more than 80 per cent of Japanese people oppose hosting the games taking place this year, while the Tokyo Medical Practitioners Association has called for the event to be cancelled, saying hospitals are already overwhelmed with coronavirus cases.
Porte will be hoping for redemption if the Olympics go ahead, after going into the 2016 games in Rio as one of the pre-race favourites, before he crashed out with a broken shoulder.
The men’s road race will suit a climber and Grand Tour rider like Porte, as the course covers 244km of hills around Mount Fuji, with a total elevation gain of 4,865 metres.
Spratt (Team BikeExchange) has been a major contender in one-day races in recent seasons and has now stepped up her leadership responsibilities after Annemiek van Vleuten left the team for Movistar.
The 33-year-old, a multiple podium finisher in the World Championship road race, will be surrounded by a strong team during the 147km women’s race, including her team-mate Grace Brown and rising star Sarah Gigante (Tibco-SVB), who will also compete in the TT.
Spratt said: “It’s such an honour to be selected for my third Olympic Games. That's been over a 10-year period, as well, it's something I've never complacent about. I'm really looking forward to being able to use what I've learned from those and really go there and performing Tokyo with a great team.”
Australian road cycling squad for Tokyo Olympics
Women
Amanda Spratt
Grace Brown
Tiffany Cromwell
Sarah Gigante (time trial)
Men
Richie Porte
Jack Haig
Cameron Meyer
Rohan Dennis (time trial)
