Vos to push Olympic time trial selection

Marianne Vos has asked her attorney to look into forcing The Netherlands national team to nominate her for the Olympic time trial, according to her manager Orlando van den Bosch. The 21 year-old, who last year won the Women's World Cup, was notified last week that she had not been selected for the time trial, but would be nominated for the road race and the track points race.

National Coach Johan Lammerts said that she should concentrate on the points race, where her chances are better, but Vos countered, "They can't ignore my versatility like that." There are four days between the two races, and "That is enough time for me to recover," she told telesport.nl. "I even think I need the time trial in order to be good in the points race. Before the road race, I will have no competitions for two weeks, and without the time trial, I would have another eight days without competition. I am a rider who needs to race to be good. I understand nothing of this decision. Others are now deciding what is right for me."

She added that Lammerts had previously indicated to her that she would ride. "In our conversations the last few weeks, he said that my participation would be no problem. It's crazy – we have been given two start places, but only Miriam Melchers will ride. It's not as if I would be taking the place of someone else."

Vos indicated that after hearing the news last Friday she had considered totally calling off her participation in the Olympics. "But the Games are only held once every four years. I have prepared myself for them for months. I can't just throw that all away." (SW)

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