Pooley starts to lay Olympic foundations

As she prepares to start her season at the Trofeo Costa Etrusca in Italy on Sunday, Emma Pooley has already started laying down the foundations for an assault on Olympic time trial gold.

"This is the year to get ready for London, the season when I really need to make the changes for a time trial that is so different to the last Olympics and Geelong," she told Cycling Weekly.

Accordingly, during her long winter's training in Australia, Pooley has been doing some sprint training to improve her speed on the flat.

Out in the warm Perth weather, Pooley has got in a solid base. She told Cycling Weekly her last week was the best to date, clocking up 1,120 kilometres.

Now part of the smaller Garmin-Cervélo amalgam, Pooley also talked of similarly-downsized goals compared to the all-conquering Cervélo team she raced with in 2010.

"It's a very different year, on a smaller squad, without a specialist climber or time-trial specialist. We're not as versatile, and the management doesn't expect us to produce as many results as last year," she said.

In an outstanding last season, Pooley alone won 12 times. Her victories including the Tour de l'Aude, GP Plouay and British National Championships.

The 28 year old noted her main goals for 2011 were a defence of her Flèche Wallonne (20 April) title and a first Giro Donne victory in July, adding: "I don't think I'll win as much as last year."

As for a defence of her world time trial title, Pooley said she'd be content with a top 10 finish in Copenhagen.

Pooley is now back in Europe for the Trofeo Costa Etrusca, a race she won in 2009 on a different course.

Olympic champion Nicole Cooke will also be racing there on Sunday. Both leading British women are scheduled to then go on to the Trofeo Binda World Cup opener on March 27.

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Pooley wins Worlds time trial