US Olympic hopeful says Box Hill will be decisive in women’s Olympic road race

US Olympic hopeful Janel Holcomb in Surrey to check out the road race route. Click the image to download

US cyclist Janel Holcomb says Surrey’s Box Hill climb will prove the decisive point of the women’s Olympic road race as the 100 day countdown to the 2012 Games begins (18 April).

The Olympic hopeful described the course as “challenging from start to finish” after checking out the course last week (April 10) with fellow US teammates.

They were taken round the route by Surrey County Council’s Alan Flaherty, who worked with Olympic organisers to help design the Surrey stretch of the route.

Holcomb said: “Certainly Box Hill will be decisive, we go up it twice. I prefer climbs so I like it but I think the challenging part will be once we’ve gone over Box Hill and keeping things in control after the hill.

“The course is challenging from start to finish. It’s challenging in that it’s never really flat, there’s a lot of undulation.”

Speaking about her stay in the county, Holcomb said: “Surrey is an absolutely gorgeous area. It’s my first time to the UK and I couldn’t imagine a better way of seeing it.”

With 100 days to go, Surrey County Council’s 2012 Games preparations are in full swing.

Helyn Clack, who is Surrey County Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Services and the 2012 Games, said: “Surrey will be a hive of activity over the next 100 days. We’re organising an event where 2,012 school children will form a human London 2012 logo and there’ll be a host of other activities across the county as we countdown to host the men’s and women’s Olympic cycling road races on the opening weekend of the Games.”

Highlights over the next 100 days include:

• Torch relay (10, 17 and 20 July)
• 31 Olympic and Paralympic teams will train in Surrey
• Thousands of school children will compete in the P&G Surrey School Games
• 450 volunteers will get training to welcome Olympic cycle race and time trial spectators
• Libraries will become pop-up tourist information points to encourage spectators to visit local attractions and businesses

Ends

For more information, please contact Surrey County Council media officer Nicole Herlihy on 020 8541 8039 or email nicole.herlihy@surreycc.gov.uk

Notes to editors

View Janel Holcomb’s bio at: http://www.usacycling.org/janel-holcomb.htm