Cycling boss targeted by rivals

By James Munro
BBC sports news correspondent

Brailsford has masterminded Great Britain's cycling success

The man behind Britain's unprecedented cycling success in Beijing has told the BBC he has been approached by other countries to work for them at 2012.

But British Cycling performance director Dave Brailsford says national pride would not allow him to swap sides, whatever the money.

"Yes, I've had offers while I've been here," Brailsford said on Sunday.

"But with the London Games in 2012, it would be crazy to go. This is the greatest job in the world."

Great Britain's cyclists won 14 medals in Beijing, with eight golds providing almost half of the team total.

Nicole Cooke won Team GB's first medal of the Olympics, with gold in the road race, and Chris Hoy became the first Briton for 100 years to win three golds in one Games.

Brailsford said of approaches from rivals: "They'd say: 'You can't do anything more with the British team. Why don't you come and do something else? It'll be exciting. We've got a big budget, we are a big country.'

"But the worst job would be to lead a foreign team in that Olympics. I don't think I could stomach that really. National pride would not allow me to do it, no matter what somebody paid me."

British Cycling have to get the full financial package necessary to continue to deliver medals and keep people of Brailsford's quality, otherwise we will lose him BOA chairman Lord Moynihan

Brailsford's comments come as the British Olympic Association is considering paying cash bonuses to medal winners and their support staff at the London Games.

The BOA chairman, Lord Moynihan, said: "We have to look at what's happening in the rest of the world. A number of National Organising Committees, including the USA and Australia, do reward their medallists with cash bonuses."

He also appealed to the Government to confirm its funding commitment to elite sport as soon as possible, to prevent the best staff from being poached.

"British Cycling have to get the full financial package necessary to continue top deliver medals and keep people of Brailsford's quality, otherwise we will lose him, and we will lose other top coaches.

"It's a highly competitive market for coaches these days, and performance directors, and cycling will need to be well resourced in order to make sure that we are strong, if not stronger, if that is possible, in 2012."