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Peter Keen questions Dave Brailsford's workload
ESPN staff
July 27, 2010
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Bradley Wiggins had a disappointing Tour de France, finishing 24th
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The success of the British cycling team at the 2012 Olympics could be in danger of being compromised, according to UK Sport performance director Peter Keen.
As the countdown to London 2012 gathers pace, much is expected of Britain's cycling team after they scooped eight gold medals in Beijing. The likes of Sir Chris Hoy, who won three golds at the 2008 Olympics and Victoria Pendleton, the undisputed queen of Britain's much-vaunted track team, will head a long list of track stars aiming for glory in two years' time.
Keen harbours fears that his counterpart at British Cycling, Dave Brailsford, has taken on too much after trying to win the Tour de France with Team Sky as well as fronting an Olympic campaign.
"It is a big risk. Dave knows I wouldn't have done the same thing. I'm a more conservative planner than Dave," he said. "He's well aware of the risks and my views on it. Time will tell."
The Tour de France did not prove overly successful for Team Sky. Three-time Olympic champion Bradley Wiggins, who was expected to challenge for a position on the podium, finished 24th and the only real highlights were Wiggins and Geraint Thomas managing top-10 finishes in Saturday's time trial and Thomas's early push for the maillot jaune on stage seven.
Three members of Team Sky's squad were British riders and when asked if there is a dilution of Brailsford's attention to Olympic cycling, Keen said: "Yes, there is.
"But there's a counter-argument that the very talented and driven people there need new challenges to refresh them and the Tour provides that."
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