Pooley scouts Beijing course

Emma Pooley of Team Specialized Designs for Women has joined the ranks of those who have checked out the parcours in Beijing for next summer's Olympic Games. The Briton hopes to ride both the time trial and the road race.

Interviewed on the team's website, team-specialized.com, she said that she didn't look at the first part of the road race course, from Tiananmen Square to the Badaling Expressway. After that though, she noted, "there are a lot climbing metres, so you have to be a good climber. How difficult this climb will be, with totally different climate conditions, is hard to tell at this point. But it could well be that this climb will be deciding."

The time trial starts and ends at the Great Wall. "The course pleases me very much," she said. "The first half actually just goes up, and the descent is fast and not at all technical. Plus the view is great."

The trip halfway around the world was worthwhile. "I now have a much better idea of the courses and what a challenge they offer," Pooley said. "I am really looking forward to the race. I hope that I will be strong enough next year to be chosen. At any rate, I am very motivated to train and improve myself - with this goal in mind!"