British Cycling performance director Dave Brailsford will have London 2012 in mind at the Track World Championships.
GB chief hoping to be 'in the mix'
The London 2012 Olympics are at the forefront of British Cycling performance director Dave Brailsford's mind at the Track Cycling World Championships in Holland this week.
The penultimate World Championships before the Olympics open in Apeldoorn on Wednesday, with Britain fielding a team of established talents including Sir Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton and up-and-coming youngsters like Sam Harrison, Dani King and Laura Trott.
"It's a performance-based worlds for us, rather than a results-based one," said Brailsford, who oversaw Britain's dominance in Beijing, where the team accumulated seven gold medals from 10 events.
"I'm more concerned about the performances than the results, but you want to be in the mix.
"You want to be within touching distance and convert in 2012."
Australia finished the 2010 World Championships top of the medal table with six golds - double Britain's haul.
But three of their titles were in non-Olympic disciplines.
Brailsford, though, knows Australia, France, Germany, New Zealand and the rest will all be aiming to peak for London.
"They know it's the Olympic medals that count," added Brailsford.
"When it comes to the Olympic medals it's nip and tuck."
Capital gains
Brailsford expects Britain to hit their peak for London and not before, particularly for individuals like Hoy, who has won 10 world titles, and Pendleton, who has won five world sprint titles in the last six years.
He added: "You've got two generations - the older experienced guys who are still performing and I think they'll really step up next year.
"They need that big stage. Olympic year is what they're waiting for.
"To them it's not about another World Championships - it's about London 2012.
"Then you've got a new generation, a really young generation coming through.
"It's a stepping stone towards 2012."
The combination of the generations is strongly illustrated in the two-woman, two-lap team sprint, where Pendleton is set to combine with Jessica Varnish.
Brailsford is excited to see them perform together and says Varnish has now thrust all her energies into the crucial starting lap.
Three riders are making their senior World Championship debuts in Apeldoorn, in Harrison, Trott and King - aged 18, 18 and 21, respectively.
All three are in with a chance of Olympic selection and emerging from the shadows to medal in London, just as Jason Kenny and Steven Burke did prior to Beijing.
Exciting times ahead
Harrison won the six-discipline omnium at this season's Track World Cup event in Beijing and has excited the British coaches.
Brailsford added: "He is a phenomenal talent. He's the real deal this kid.
"His ability now for his age is phenomenal.
"If he continues on the current trajectory he's going to have a really strong claim for a place at the Olympics."
Trott is a similar talent.
Brailsford added: "She is fast. She's got speed."
King, meanwhile, has held off competition to secure a place in the women's three-kilometre team pursuit, including from Rebecca Romero, having only become fully involved in the Olympic programme this season.
Harrison is on standby for the team pursuit, with Ed Clancy recovering from illness, and Andy Tennant, Burke and Peter Kennaugh completing the team.
The other Olympic discipline taking place on day one is the three-man, three-lap team sprint, where Hoy, Kenny and Matt Crampton will be hoping to put together their strong component parts to challenge for a medal, having struggled in the event recently.
