- Double town criterium medallist pulls out of Games to focus on work commitments.
- Reserve rider Greenside moves in at late notice.
FORMER professional cyclist Greg Mansell has withdrawn from the NatWest Island Games.
After being named in Team Jersey’s 16-strong cycling squad just last month, the 27-year-old – who won town criterium and road race bronze in Bermuda two years ago – has confirmed that he will play no part in next month’s showpiece event having dropped out to focus on work commitments.
Isle of Wight 2011
Men’s town criterium – silver
Bermuda 2013
Men’s town criterium – bronze
Men’s road race – bronze
Men’s team time trial – bronze
With just 30 days remaining until the first home Games in 18 years Mansell has passed up what may well be a once in a lifetime opportunity to excel in front of a home crowd, but the former Team UK Youth rider says he was not prepared to compete unless he was at his absolute best.
‘It’s not about the event; it’s more about the time needed to get the fitness I’d like,’ said Mansell. ‘I’ve been monitoring it over the last month or so and with the hours I can put into it I wasn’t able to keep the fitness up. I don’t want to do the Games when I’m not 100 per cent, so I thought it would be best to give someone else the opportunity to perform.’
Despite Halksworth’s improvement in form, which guided him to a JCA time-trial victory on Sunday, the two-time UK Ironman champion will not benefit from Mansell’s decision. It will instead be Howard Greenside who fills the void ( having originally been named as Team Jersey’s reserve rider), with the 36-year-old set to make his first Games appearance as part of the mountain bike team, which is now without Richard Tanguy who has moved across to the five-man road team.
‘I’m still happy that we’ve got strength in depth and we’ve still got experience there, I don’t feel that it will affect the team’s performance.’
Road
Men: Chris Spence, Sam Firby, Jack Rebours, Stephen Haley, Richard Tanguy.
Women: Kim Ashton, Laura Chellingworth, Clare Treharne.
Mountain bike
Men: Rhys Hidrio, James Patterson, Ollie Lowthorpe, Richard Payne, Howard Greenside.
Women: Helene Monpetit, Jemima Leach, Catherine Liron.