YVONNE McGREGOR

© Associated Press

WEEK 2
Date: 7 August

The week started well; confirmation of my selection for the Olympic Games was a relief not only for me but for those who work alongside me too. My main event is the 3,000m Individual Pursuit on the track, to be held September 17 and 18, followed by the Olympic Road Race on September 25.

In addition, out of the three selected road riders, two will be selected at a later date for the Individual Road Time Trial, on the basis of form leading up to the Games. So the scene is set and my final preparation has begun for what will be my last Olympics. I intend to go there in the best form of my life and brimming with confidence.

Having competed in Atlanta four years ago, I became intensely aware of the enormous stresses and the nervous tension that emerge during the Olympic Games. I finished fourth in the Individual Pursuit there and clearly remember, with my bike clamped into the starting gate, that my left leg was shaking in the pedal as I awaited the clock counting down.

This experience will stand me in good stead this time around and while I will be very nervous, it's all about getting the mix right. You need to be both mentally alert and focused but also calm and relaxed under pressure.

In this final build-up phase to the Games, I will be spending some time each day focusing and mentally rehearsing for my event. This aspect of the sport cannot be overestimated - at this level, the thoughts in your head on the starting line can often be the difference between winning and losing. Inner strength makes the ultimate difference. As reported in last week's column, I have been racing in Sweden over the weekend at the Scandinavian Open Championships in a little town called Vardagrad, 100km NE of Gothenburg. We flew out on Wednesday morning from Stansted, with a further four-hour drive on arrival in Sweden - a 12-hour travelling day which does prove tiring throughout a season.

Thursday was spent resting, recovering and reconnoitring the Time Trial and Road Race courses. Then it was down to the racing. I was really up for these races, though the prime aim was using them as good Olympic preparation with two hard races back to back.

On Friday's menu was the starter - a 17km tough Time Trial, in which I finished second, just 2.6 seconds down on the winner. This was followed on Saturday with the main course - nine laps of an 11.6km circuit, totalling 105km (65miles). The racers stayed together to the half-way mark, at which point the Great Britain team decided to whittle the numbers down in the main bunch. To do so, we rode hard on the front, and with two laps remaining I broke away with a Norwegian girl. We finished 2 minutes up on the chasing bunch, but sprinting not being one of my strong point I was forced to be the bridesmaid for the second day running.

There was the slight disappointment at being so close to a win but all told I was more than satisfied with my weekend's work, which has provided me with further proof that my form is gradually reaching boiling point at just the right time.

Read Yvonne's diary for WEEK 1 ...

Read Yvonne's diary for WEEK 3 ...

Read Yvonne's diary for WEEK 4 ...

Read Yvonne's diary for WEEK 5 ...