Taverham’s Team GB cycling boss Iain Dyer offended by accusations from rivals

Head coach Iain Dyer . Picture Tim Goode/PA Wire. (Image: PA Wire/Press Association Images)

After claiming seven gold medals from 10 track events at both the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, Britain's riders have flexed their collective muscles once again in Rio.

The resignation of technical director Shane Sutton in April under discrimination allegations, which he denies, has not derailed Britain, with the team winning six golds, four silvers and a bronze medal in the Rio Velodrome.

And leading rivals were left scratching their heads for the third time in eight years, after thinking they had caught up since London 2012, suggesting Britain's behaviour was sinister.

Australia's Anna Meares, who beat Victoria Pendleton to the women's sprint title at London 2012, said in the Sydney Morning Herald: 'It's not just the Australian team that have questions. We've talked to the Germans and the French.

'The British are just phenomenal when it comes to the Olympic Games, and we're all just scratching our heads going 'how do they lift so much when in so many events they have not even been in contention in the World Championships?

'They've got it together, and to be honest I'm not exactly sure what they've got together.'

Germany's Kristina Vogel said: 'They were cannon fodder when you look at the last few years. Now they come along with a (high) level.

'I don't want to accuse anyone of anything but it is all very questionable.'

British Cycling contend that they are funded for the Olympics, roll out their best kit gradually up until a Games and have the best coaches and support staff to enable their riders to peak at the right time.

Dyer also believes rival teams have not improved since March's Track World Championships in London, and may even have slowed down.

Asked if he found the criticism offensive, Dyer said: 'If what I am hearing is true, yes, it is.

'It's a shame. I can only point to the fact you can look at athletes here who are simply not at their best.

'We've won 12 world titles since London 2012. If that makes us cannon fodder coming into the Olympics then so be it.

'I have no gripes with Anna. She's a remarkable athlete and been an absolute torch bearer for cycling and women's track cycling.

'(But) any athlete moments after coming down from not achieving what they targeted or dreamt of achieving is understandably going to be disappointed about that.

'Hopefully on reflection she can just see that we are all just trying our hardest and doing a great job.'

British Cycling sprint coach Justin Grace has more experience and knowledge of rival teams than most, having coached his native New Zealand, had a short spell in France and then moved to Manchester.

Grace coached all nine riders on the men's team sprint podium - Britain won ahead of New Zealand and France - in the past three years.

Dyer added: 'Other teams think they are looking at the same things that we are looking at to the extent we are, but now he is on our side of the fence he sees that we do it better and do it in more forensic detail and get better outcomes.'

Sir Dave Brailsford, the mastermind behind the Beijing and London successes and now head of Team Sky on the road, is famed for his 'aggregation of marginal gains' philosophy, where you look at the component parts of a sporting performance and improve each as much as feasibly possible.

Dyer reckons Britain are ahead of the rest of the world in that regard, setting the agenda which rivals are trying to follow.

He added: 'Around track centre, I think we get a lot of admiration for what we do. People who understand admire the way we go about it.

'The low hanging fruit disappeared years ago. There was a lot of talk of people catching up because they just saw the gains that we had started to make was stuff they could copy and emulate.

'Now the devil is in the detail. The marginal gains have never been more marginal and aggregating that together has never been more important.'