Britons saddle up for Tour de France success within five years

David Brailsford, performance director of British Cycling, whose track team won a record nine gold medals at this year’s World Championships, has made it his next goal. ‘It’s in my job description,’ he said yesterday.

Focal point: Cavendish (left) and Wiggins

The riders will be mostly British, formed around the nucleus of Bradley Wiggins, Mark Cavendish and Geraint Thomas, who will be in the Beijing Olympic track team next month. The support will come from the same coaches, mechanics, medics and scientists Brailsford has gathered around them in Manchester.

The difference will be in funding. Where the track team is funded by the Lottery, the road team will need corporate backers to stump up £6million a year.

Brailsford has spent the last month selling the idea to Britain’s largest companies and says he has met great enthusiasm. ‘Cycling is the new golf,’ he said. ‘It’s gone far better than I expected. It looks as if it is going to happen.’

Brailsford admitted he has been criticised in Britain for concentrating on the track when road racing is more popular. But the track offered more Olympic medals and the National Lottery was funding the effort with the Games as the goal.

‘I always felt there would come a time when it was right to be cracking the other part of cycling, and now the planets are all lining up nicely. It feels like the right time,’ he said.

No British rider or team has won the Tour but Brailsford believes it is possible. ‘We want to start at the top end with the Tour, at Premier League level and, using the same football analogy, as one of the big four. The idea is to be the first F1 team in road cycling,’ he said.

Last year’s Tour started in London and talks are under way to take it back there in 2012 as a prelude to the Olympic Games.