Orica-AIS team provides Australia’s four riders for women’s road race at Rio Olympic Games

AUSTRALIA’S professional women’s cycling team Orica-AIS has produced the four female road riders who will compete in next month’s Rio Olympics.

National road race champion Amanda Spratt.

AUSTRALIA’S professional women’s cycling team Orica-AIS has produced the four female road riders who will compete in next month’s Rio Olympics.

Current national road race champion Amanda Spratt, time trial champion Katrin Garfoot, world championship silver medallist Rachel Neylan and former Australian champion Gracie Elvin make up the team that will tackle the gruelling 130.5km course which starts and finishes at

Copacabana beach.

Garfoot, who was fourth at the world championships last year, will also ride the time trial and is a genuine medal contender.

Cycling Australia completed its 31-person team for Rio on Tuesday after the two riders who appealed against their non selection in the women’s road and men’s mountain bike programs last week had their cases dismissed.

World championship silver medallist Rachel Neylan.

“Words can’t describe the feeling of deep happiness and pride I have at the moment,” said Neylan, who will make her Games debut after switching to cycling from athletics.

“To become a world class athlete and have the opportunity to perform as an Australian Olympian has been a lifelong dream.”

Neylan, Spratt and Garfoot were part of a Cycling Australia team that went to Rio in May to scout the course, while Elvin won a one-day race in Belgium in the same month which helped secure her spot.

Feeling so extraordinarily happy, proud & excited... I've been named in the @AUSOlympicTeam!! #Rio2016 https://t.co/SIzfBSxMvu

— rachel neylan (@rachneylan) July 12, 2016

As well as announcing the women’s road component, the Australian Olympic Committee also revealed the two riders who will compete in men’s mountain bike in Rio.

Victorian Dan McCconnell, 30, will become the first Australian mountain biker to compete in three Games when he is joined in Rio by Tasmanian Scott Bowden, 21, who will make his Olympic debut.

McConnell will also be joined in Brazil by his partner Rebecca Henderson who is Australia’s sole women’s mountain bike rider at the Games.

Originally published as Orica-AIS team provides Australia’s four riders for women’s road race at Rio Olympic Games