Commonwealth Games: Ellis eyeing Rio

Cyclist Lauren Ellis is at the Commonwealth Games but also casting ahead to the Olympics. Photo / Christine Cornege

Kiwi cyclist Lauren Ellis may have a busy programme in Glasgow but she can hardly help casting a careful eye towards Rio.

While Ellis will compete in three events at the Commonwealth Games - the individual pursuit, the scratch race and the points race - the one that attracts most of her attention is conspicuous by its absence.

The 25-year-old has stated her focus lies largely with the team pursuit, an event in which she helped New Zealand to a fifth-place finish at the London Olympics. With that discipline being left off the track cycling programme in Glasgow, the racing she will do in the next week arrives with a dual purpose.

First, of course, is the aim of every athlete at these Games. Ellis took silver in the points race four years ago in Delhi and, naturally, she has designs on adding to her medal collection this time around.

But then there is the long-term goal of working toward Rio and Ellis hopes the experiences of these Games will hold her in good stead for a future full of Olympic-sized dreams.

"For us, the women's team, because our programme got put on hold after the Olympics, it's really good us being all together again," she said. "Just having the focus on that programme, being together, training together - it's been good.

"After this, obviously that's when the team pursuit will come into focus again ahead of 2016."

In the meantime, though, Ellis will be attempting to play her part in what many observers expect to be the most successful New Zealand team at these Games. Though there are medal hopes on the road and the mountain, Bike NZ expects the track to produce a significant medal haul.

The Kiwi track team took home nine medals from Delhi - one gold, five silver, three bronze - and a similar cache will again be the goal. Ellis, for her part, is concentrating her efforts less on the individual pursuit on Saturday morning (NZT) and more on both the 10km scratch race on Sunday morning and the 25km points race on Monday morning.

"Definitely the mass-start races are what I'll be aiming for more," she said. "But it is a team event - I'll be racing with two other riders - so who knows what's going to happen. I might end up riding for one of them if they get in an early break."

But if Ellis is the one who finds herself in that early break, she's backing her legs to keep her at the front of the field, having shaken off recent injuries just in time for another tilt at the Commonwealth Games podium.

"I feel good, the form's coming up," she said. "I've had a few issues in the last few months with injury and illness and things, but they're all behind me now and my legs are starting to feel good on the track. I'm ready for race day."