Jack Bobridge made his name as a cyclists on the road but wants to cement his legacy on the track

EVERY gruelling pedal stroke of the Giro d’Italia in May, Jack Bobridge was thinking of one thing — Olympic gold on the track in Rio.

Jack Bobridge is hoping it’s third time lucky in his chase for Olympic gold. Picture: Sarah Reed

EVERY gruelling pedal stroke of the Giro d’Italia in May, Jack Bobridge was thinking of one thing — Olympic gold on the track in Rio.

It seemed a long way from hauling himself over the Italian Alps for three weeks but it was all geared towards giving himself the best shot at clinching a gold medal in a race that lasts less than four minutes on a velodrome.

As part of Australia’s team pursuit in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012, the gold medal eluded him both times as Great Britain went on a rampage.

“Having Rio in the back of my mind was the biggest push to get to the finish,” said Bobridge, who rides professionally for Trek-Segafredo.

“Every day when it was hard I told myself ‘you have to push through, put these in the legs for Rio, this will be a massive building block’.”

The results sheet shows Bobridge finished last on general classification — 156th — but there were 42 riders who didn’t even make it to the final stage and that’s all Bobridge wanted to do.

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Jack Bobridge is hoping it’s third time lucky in his chase for Olympic gold. Picture: Sarah Reed

While many athletes in Rio will say they’ve been waiting four years for their moment, Bobridge has been waiting his entire life.

Although he is national road champion, Bobridge was born to be a ‘trackie’.

He was a junior world champion at 16, senior and Commonwealth champion by 21 and the year before broke the ‘‘unbreakable’’ individual pursuit record belonging to Chris Boardman, which still stands.

“Ever since I started cycling I was always on the boards,” he said of growing up in Adelaide’s northern suburbs.

“Even before I came into the (national) program I remember watching the guys race in Athens (in 2004).

“So I guess it’s been eight years since my first Olympics in Beijing but it feels like it’s been my whole career I’ve been waiting for Rio.”

In Beijing the team pursuit finished fourth and in London they were second as team GB broke the world record.

“I don’t think you ever let that go,” he said.

Jack Bobridge with his young daughter Amellie. Picture: Sarah Reed.

“I guess anyone would say a silver medal at the Olympics is fantastic but when you come off winning multiple world titles in the team pursuit we know we can win so to run second was pretty heartbreaking.

“It’s definitely stayed with me over the last four years and that’s why we’ve come back together and are working hard to try to get on the top step.”

The men’s team pursuit has undergone a significant transformation in Bobridge’s time.

The baby of the team in Beijing at 27, he is now the oldest member of the five-man squad in Rio along with Michael Hepburn, 24, and Alex Edmondson, 22, who both went to London, and are joined by debutants Callum Scotson, 19, and Sam Welsford, 20.

“I’ve said it quite frequently., I think it’s the best team and group we’ve had in both Olympic cycles I’ve done already,” he said.

“It was hard selection for (coach) Tim (Decker) this time. Last Olympics we had four guys nearly guaranteed to go, there was a bit of a fight for spots but nothing major.

“This time we’ve had to leave guys in Australia who could go and perform at Olympic level as well.

Jake Bobridge during the Tour Down Under. Picture: Sarah Reed.

“The guys we have and the guys we’re going to leave for the future is massive depth.”

As the team pursuit has evolved, so has Bobridge on and off the bike.

In the months before London 2012 he and Hepburn were disciplined for an alcohol related incident but this time they are older, wiser, focused and have embraced their responsibilities as leaders of the team.

“I guess from Beijing to now the biggest thing is I’ve grown up a lot,” said Bobridge, who has a two-year-old daughter.

“I have had my ups and downs but maturity is the biggest thing for me now.

“Leading into Rio I guess I look at it in a slightly different way to what I’d look at the Olympics.

“I was always racing and wanting the best but I think as you get older it is cemented a bit more in your brain what (winning) means.

“An Olympic gold medal would stay with you forever and for me it would be a massive closure on the track if the team is able to win in Rio.”

Originally published as Jack Bobridge made his name as a cyclists on the road but wants to cement his legacy on the track