Cycling | Gireau targeting top six finish in team sprint at the Asiad

The Indian cycling team’s head coach Kevin Sireau has set ambitious but clear targets for Indian track cycling, with the Asian Games and Olympic qualification firmly in focus, and believes the ongoing Track Asia Cup is a crucial starting point in that journey.

“This is the first international event for us,” said the Frenchman about the UCI Class-2 Track Cycling event on Thursday. “It will serve as the first benchmark to check all the gear, and finalise rider positions and team combinations.”

With world ranking points on offer, he stressed that the Chennai event was “not a test event,” adding “we have to get a good result from here.”

Looking ahead, Sireau identified the Asian Championships (in the Philippines in March) and the Asian Games (in Japan in September and October) as India’s “biggest targets” this year. His aim is clear for the Asian Games: “Minimum top six on the Team Sprint,” while also targeting “one or two medals.”

The two-time Olympic silver medallist underlined that his long-term mission is qualification for the 2028 LA Games. “I’m here for that. And on the way to the Olympics, we have different targets, like the Asian Games and the Asian Championships.”

Professionalism

Since taking charge of the team two years ago, Sireau has prioritised professionalism, shaping the team’s habits and standards.

“It’s not magic, it’s not fast. They work hard day by day. I have tried to improve simple things like team cohesion, and respect for timing — like adhering sharply to the timings for training and sleeping. When you add all these small things, it becomes a big thing,” he said.