Olympic silver medallist Ellesse Andrews will line up for both the women’s team pursuit and the women’s team sprint on the first day of track cycling competition at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
Andrews was previously an endurance rider but is now a world-class sprint cyclist and hasn’t been on a pursuit bike for more than three years.
However the 21-year-old has offered to help following the withdrawal of Ally Wollaston who broke her wrist on the Tour de France Femmes.
Wollaston’s withdrawal left the New Zealand women’s team pursuit squad with just three riders and while only three need to finish the race, four must line up at the start.
Andrews told 1News she just wants to help the girls out the best she can, despite having only recovered from Covid two weeks ago.
“That’s really important for me to be able to help them do what they came here to do” she added.
Andrews, a sprinter, will join the team pursuit after Ally Wollaston was forced to pull out. (Source: 1News)
Because the event is also on the same day as the team sprint, Andrews will start the race and complete about half a lap, leaving the rest of the 4000 metres to the three remaining riders Bryony Botha, Michaela Drummond and Emily Shearman.
“It is a lot harder with three riders," Botha explained.
"It’s not as aerodynamic having three riders and having that two laps less recovery on the wheels, it does play a bit of a toll and I think we’re really going to feel that towards the end of the race but we just need to keep pushing through."
The New Zealand women’s team won silver in the event at the 2018 Commonwealth Games with Botha the only remaining member of the foursome.
“You always want to medal, you always want to do well, the best you can, but I think in this situation that we have now we’re just going to have to see how it goes, we have no idea what to expect.
“We’ve had a video chat [with Wollaston] and she’s very devastated about the entire situation. It would have been her first Commonwealth Games so she’s pretty gutted and we’re absolutely gutted as well - we love her and want her to be part of the team.”
The cycling competition at the Lee Valley Velodrome in London begins on Friday night NZT.
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