Performance director Dave Brailsford said: "Chris Newton has been working with the Men's Endurance Academy over the past 12 months and he has done superb work bringing the group together on both the road and track and building a true team ethos.

"Chris will continue to work with the Academy men but with increased support from Keith Lambert so that he can commit time to his role with the Women's Road Team.

"We're confident that Chris' skills and capabilities will ensure that the Women's Road Team arrive at the London 2012 Olympic Games ready to give their best possible performance."

Newton said: "It's a privilege to be working with such a talented group of riders and I am looking forward to this new challenge."

Newton, who won two world gold medals and earned a silver and two bronzes in his Olympic career at Sydney in 2000, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008, will oversee the six riders who are vying for the four Olympic places; providing Great Britain qualifies the maximum quota of riders for the race on 29 July.

Four of the riders – Lizzie Armitstead (pictured below right), Emma Pooley (pictured below, leading), Lucy Martin and Sharon Laws – ride for Dutch outfit AA Drink–leontien.nl, whilst Nicole Cooke (pictured below in yellow) competes for Faren Honda Team with Katie Colcough on Team Specialized-lululemon.

Newton will work closely with all the trade teams through the season to ensure that the riders prepare as best possible ahead of the summer.


"What started out as eight or nine riders on the long list has been shortened down to six riders.

"My role looks over those six riders," Newton told British Cycling.

"They have all got their own coaches – they all report into me, I report to senior management.

We talk with the coaches to see what the best programme is for the individual rider.

"My role includes organising the nationals camp, team tactics for the Olympic Games, what variables we are looking at, how we manage them, how we can put them into some of the races earlier on, and so on.

"It's a lot of organising.

"I've got a bit of input with their coaches and if a particular rider needs something they can come to me.

"For instance, this year, we are working back from the Olympic Games to what an individual rider needs to perform at their best at the Olympic Games.


"We talk with the team managers of the pro teams and the coaches of that rider to get the correct race programme.

"What makes it difficult is that we have four riders in one team and another two riders in another two teams.

"You can't put a Great Britain team together and ride as Great Britain if that rider's pro team is competing in that race – it's a conflict of interest."

Instead, Newton is setting up camps to allow the six riders to train together.

The squad has already visited the Olympic road course at The Mall and time trial venue Hampton Court Palace as part of their preparation, with Newton methodical in ensuring the team is comfortable with every aspect of the race and its build up.

"I'm putting together camps and we've already had an Olympic recce at the road race and time trial course," Newton explained.

"The girls [have] got to know the layout, how long travel takes from accommodation to race start and race finish – simple things.

The programme is so tight that they know that as soon as they come off a race, we're into the Olympic build up.

"They know exactly what they need."

The women's Olympic road race will be fought over 140 kilometres on July 29 with the time trial over a distance of 29km taking place on August 1.

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