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Kiwi cyclists enter strict final phase of Olympic preparations

July 13, 2021

While the Olympians don't fly to Tokyo until after the Games start, they've already started clamping down.

Protocol training and disinformation campaigns - that’s the New Zealand track cycling team’s reality as they enter the final phase of preparation for Tokyo.

While they don’t fly out until after the Games officially start, they’ve already started clamping down with masks and two-metre social distancing protocols.

“We’ve fully started protocol training,” Rushlee Buchanan told 1 NEWS.

“Masks all the time, lots of click and collect from Countdown.”

The team are going so far as to avoid outsiders that they’ve moved in together in Cambridge for their final two weeks in New Zealand.

Even without Covid, the logistics around taking a cycling team overseas are immense with management needing to transport 75 boxes of equipment and gear that make for around 1700kg of cargo that’ll be with them on the plane to Tokyo.

But while they can prepare for those challenges, there’s another obstacle that isn’t so clear cut. There is plenty of uncertainty about the on-track performance of rivals due to the absence of international competition.

Buchanan said the disinformation floating around is part of the fun though.

“I actually love the pre-chat Olympic gossip circle,” she said.

“You always hear titbits about what people are doing.”

There’s also the challenge of racing without spectators to look forward to although Campbell Stewart said they’ll take it in their strides.

“I guess it’ll probably make it feel like training,” Steward said.

“Most of the time it’s pretty quiet out there so maybe it might almost feel like it’s home.”

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