Olympics delay 'could boost Britain's cycling medal haul'

British Cycling performance director Stephen Park says nation's elite riders are "gutted" about postponement of Tokyo Olympics but believes extra year can help m bring home more medals.

decision to move Games back 12 months due to coronavirus came as riders were ramping up ir final preparations for an event y have spent past three years focusing on.

But Park said despite upheaval, it was an opportunity for team who have dominated Olympic cycling events since Beijing Games in 2008.

"Of course our riders are gutted about Tokyo," Park told Britain's Press Association, saying most riders would have preferred to compete this year.

"But re is a little bit of relief that we've w got one more year so we've got a real opportunity to be even better in 2021 than we were in 2020," he added.

Britain came back from UCI Track World Championships in Berlin last month with only one gold medal and Park admitted at time ir era of dominance in velodrome could be over.

Britain have won men's team pursuit at past three Olympics but in Berlin y saw Denmark break world record three times to win in a time of three minutes 44.672 seconds, more than five seconds better than Britain's fastest-ever time.

But Park said re was sense of panic and y would use extra time to reset.

"We're t going to strip it down and rebuild it because we don't think it's broken," said Park.

"Despite what ors might think looking in at results, we weren't a million miles away.

"We're t starting again with a blank piece of paper. We've got good history, good process in men's endurance."