Michael Hepburn is back on the boards and ready to attack the road that leads to the Rio de Janeiro Olympics

EXCLUSIVE: Australian cycling star Michael Hepburn will return to the track after a two-year absence to bolster his country’s bid for Olympic gold in the team pursuit in Rio.

Cycling Australia Road National Championships Michael Hepburn going out in the time trial Picture:Wayne Ludbey

AUSTRALIAN cycling star Michael Hepburn will return to the track after a two-year absence to bolster his country’s bid for Olympic gold in the team pursuit in Rio.

The 24-year-old Queenslander has the full support of his professional team Orica-GreenEDGE (OGE) which this week is expected to finalise a contract extension.

Hepburn was part of Australia’s quartet that won silver behind Great Britain at the London Olympics in 2012 but left the velodrome in 2013 after becoming world champion in both the team and individual pursuit.

He has spent the past two years racing on the road with OGE winning the national time trial championship and finishing the past two editions of the Giro d’Italia.

Men's Team Pursuit silver medallists Jack Bobridge, Glenn, O'Shea, Rohan Dennis and Michael Hepburn.

Hepburn is currently in the United States preparing for the UCI road world championships where he is expected to ride the team and individual time trial.

“Over the past few months I have been in contact with Orica-GreenEDGE as well as (coach) Tim Decker at CA to start putting in place some plans for my bid to represent Australia on the track at Rio next year,” Hepburn told News Corp.

“It’s been a few years since I’ve been on the track and it’s also a completely new group of riders and staff compared with my time in the program before London.

“I’m really looking forward to putting my hand up and working hard to try to secure a spot in the team.

“I’ve followed the boys in the team pursuit over the past few years and have noticed how this discipline continually gets faster and more specific.

“It’s going to be a big ask coming from long road tours and adjusting the body to fire over that four minute effort again but with support from OGE and Cycling Australia, I’m very excited about the challenge and confident that we can build a program right up until the big goal in August next year.”

Hepburn’s return to the track squad means Rohan Dennis is the only rider from the team pursuit in London not to be seeking redemption on the boards in Rio. Jack Bobridge, Glenn O’Shea and Alex Edmondson are all still training in a bid to make the 2016 team.

He will join Australia’s track endurance squad next month after the road world titles.

“We know the quality of athlete that Michael is and it’s fantastic for him to put his hand up and want to try to represent his country again at the highest level in Rio,” national track coach Tim Decker said.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge of him attempting the transition back to the track.

“He adds strength to our numbers within the men’s track endurance squad, we’ve got up to 15 riders in the program who are all high quality athletes and this adds another one to the mix.”

Australia’s track team is currently preparing for the Oceania Championships in New Zealand from October 8-11 before the UCI track world cup season begins in Cali, Colombia, on October 30.

News about Hepburn’s track ambitions follows an announcement by New Zealand — the current team pursuit world champion — that Olympic medallist Hayden Roulston will end a seven-year hiatus from the track to boost its squad for Rio.

Great Britain has already lured Bradley Wiggins back to spearhead its team pursuit while superstar sprinter Mark Cavendish may ride the omnium.

[e-mail]

Originally published as Michael Hepburn is back on the boards and ready to attack the road that leads to the Rio de Janeiro Olympics