Olympian Mark Foster with the 2012 Olympic Torch

Four-time Olympic Champion Sir Chris Hoy and Olympian Mark Foster have called on the nation to recognise people who have made a difference in their local communities, by nominating them to carry the Olympic Flame.

The Olympic Torch Relay will be a 70-day celebration starting at Land’s End on 19 May 2012, travelling thousands of miles and bringing the spirit and inspiration of the London 2012 Games to hundreds of communities across the UK. From today, Lloyds TSB is inviting the public to nominate somebody who’s made a difference in their local community and inspired others, for the once in a lifetime opportunity to be an Olympic Torchbearer.

To help communities share in the excitement of the Torch Relay, Lloyds TSB will be taking the London 2012 Olympic Torch on a tour of the UK this summer. The London 2012 Olympic Torch Tour is an interactive roadshow where visitors can have their photo taken with the London 2012 Olympic Torch and other historical torches, learn about the history of the Relay, play interactive games, and nominate someone for the chance to carry the Olympic Flame. The tour was launched today in Manchester’s Exchange Square and will travel extensively throughout the UK, visiting many of the Olympic Torch Relay Celebration Sites.

Chris Hoy with his torch-bearer nominee Geoff Cooke and the 1948 London Olympic Torch

Sir Chris Hoy and Mark Foster have been among the first to nominate and encourage the public to get involved by submitting and sharing their own Torchbearer nominations. Sir Chris has nominated Geoff Cooke, whose competitive career spans six decades and who was the British Cycling’s national coach for ten years; as well as 94 year-old Andy Coogan, a World War II veteran and former champion middle distance runner from Carnoustie, Scotland who missed the chance to fulfill his athletics potential because of the war, but who still supports and coaches runners today.

Mark has nominated his swimming instructor Mrs Ann Hardcastle who spotted his talent in his home-town of Southend-on- Sea when he was only five years old. Mother to Olympic Silver medallist Sarah Hardcastle, Mrs Hardcastle has been central to the development of a number of elite UK swimmers and it is for this that Mark has nominated her for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Nominations can be made online via www.lloydstsb.com/carrytheflame from 9th June until 12 September 2011.

Rochelle Gilmore gold medallist in Delhi

Leader of the Lotto Honda Ladies Team, Rochelle Gilmore earned a gold medal for her victory in the Road Race at the 2010 Commonwealth Games on Sunday with a superb final sprint finish.

On a course perfectly suited to a road race sprinter, Gilmore was determined to secure the top spot at the Games, held in Delhi, India. Her success followed silver medals in both the Manchester Games in 2002 and the 2006 Games on her home turf Down Under.

Rochelle Gilmore said: “I’m thrilled to have won a Commonwealth Games gold medal. It’s been a long, tough season and I’m delighted that all the hard work and dedication has paid off. The Australian team did a fantastic job keeping the race together for a sprint finish and I felt fresh and ready to win the sprint after riding for 110km.
Looking forward, the 2011 World Championship course will be relatively flat so I have a great chance there and the Olympics in 2012 are also on a sprinter’s city circuit so hopefully it will be a good couple of years.”

Gilmore forfeited a place at the recent World Championships to avoid post-event fatigue and make sure her preparations for India were perfect. Her training regime included time in the Alps. “Some of the most famous Stages in cycling history have taken place in the Alps and the mountains are a fantastic training ground,” said Gilmore. “I spent three days in Chamonix with the Lotto Honda Ladies Team to prepare for the Commonwealth Games. As a wannabe racing driver, it was also a treat to test the Honda CR-Z on the mountain passes.”

Gilmore entered her first BMX race at the tender age of three years old, she now combines her world class cycling with a succesful business career that includes her own label clothing.

During the summer months the cyclist works and trains in Italy, competing across Europe with the Lotto Honda Cycling team.

Emma Pooley

Britain’s Emma Pooley won the Road World Championships time trial in dominant style, claiming the gold medal by seeing off Germany’s Judith Arndt in Australia.

Pooley becomes the first British woman to win the trials, clocking up a time of 32 minutes 48.44 seconds, 15.17 seconds faster than Arndt. New Zealand’s Linda Melanie Villumsen finished in third place.

Pooley’s gold winning triumph came after having to switch to another bike minutes before competing, after officials found a discrepancy on her original first choice machine.

Pooley was able to put it behind her and was quickest at every checkpoint on the 22.9km (14.22 mile) course in Geelong. She was marginally in front at the first checkpoint but gradually extended her lead over the length of the course, posting a time that was 43.94 seconds clear of the field.

The 2008 Olympic silver medallist Pooley said;

“The Olympic Games is pretty special, but in a way that was easier for me because I had no expectations and no pressure. This time it was different. I trained specifically for this, doing a lot of hill training and intervals on my time trial bike. Now I get to wear the world champion’s jersey with the stripes for a whole year.”

Pooley will be competing in the women’s road race on Saturday where she has a chance of a second gold medal.

lance armstrong last tour de france

USA cyclist Lance Armstrong, seven time winner of the Tour de France, has announced that 2010 will be his final effort on the tour, the rider broke the story through his popular Twitter network site.

The Tour de France gets underway on Saturday from the Dutch city of Rotterdam and Armstrong will be looking for a strong finish for his Radioshack team.

While an eighth win on the tour seems too much to ask, it is impossible to underestimate Armstrong who already holds the record of seven wins in France and who finished in third overall last year with the Astana team. How he would love to finish his last race here in first place.

Although his team won the last Tour de France, it was team mate Alberto Contador who took the honours, following a very public dispute between the two riders that culminated in Armstrong leaving the team and forming the Radioshack team.

This year Armstrong has finished third in the Tours of Switzerland and Luxembourg while he crashed out of the Tour of California.

The seven-time Tour de France winner revealed he was keen to take part in the event which would also help boost awareness of his cancer work. The 2010 Tour Down Under takes place from January 17 to 24.

Armstrong was speaking after the final day of his global cancer summit, in Dublin, where he said he was shocked at the impromptu turnout of supporters, keen to join his ride around Dublin’s Phoenix Park last night.

The racer has used his ‘Twitter’ announcements to invite cyclists to join him during his visit to various UK destinations and was particularly surprised at the turnout in Dublin, where an estimated 1,200 riders joined their hero.