In September last year, Michael Hepburn announced his intention to make a return to the track and claim a place in the Rio Olympics team pursuit squad. In his first competitive team pursuit race in over two years, the 24-year-old was part of the squad that set a new national record of 3:53.010 to claim gold in the Cambridge Track World Cup round in December.
Hepburn's quest for gold in Rio started at the Australian national championships earlier this month before heading to Adelaide for the Tour Down Under, riding the majority of the six-stage race on the front of the peloton for Orica-GreenEdge who claimed four stage wins and the overall with Simon Gerrans.
"A little bit of both, obviously coming here with Caleb and Simon we are really targeting every stage so there are guys to help Caleb in the finish, there are guys to help Simon as well in the finish of the race," Hepburn told Cyclingnews of his role in the team for the Tour Down Under. "Then we have a couple of guys like myself and Durbo [Luke Durbridge] who are in charge of the stuff earlier on and keeping the breakaways in check. It's just my job for the race. I knew coming into the race that this was going to be my job and I think it will help the track stuff as well. Just a big block on the road, I haven't got a whole lot of road racing at the start of the year so I am just making the most of it."
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Having completed his road miles for the month, Hepburn will return to the velodrome at next week's Australian track nationals to get some further experience on the boards in the build up to Rio.
"I am going to stay in Adelaide the week after the race for the track nationals after this and hopefully the Worlds as well in London. I just need that little bit more track time as well so I am trying to get every session I can in and get a lot more comfortable riding the track again before the serious part with the Olympic build up later in the year," the three-time team pursuit world champion said of track programme.
Hepburn's run into the 2012 London Olympic Games, where Australia finished second to Great Britain in the gold medal final, included the Melbourne World Championships in which he won gold in the individual pursuit and silver in the team pursuit. Asked how he would compare his preparation for a second Olympic Games appearances to four years prior, Hepburn explained "I am feeling pretty confident about things. We have a really good group with about 10-15 guys in the squad and a lot guys with a shot of going to the Olympics," he said.
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