The urge to win will never subside for Liam Phillips but he says this weekend’s Olympic BMX test event is about the bigger picture.
Phillips is one of Britain’s most successful BMX riders having taken the World Championship crown in 2013 before adding World Cup titles in 2014 and 2015.
Rio is next on the horizon for the 26-year-old and he already has plenty of Olympic experience having taken to the track in Beijing and London.
And, with an Olympic medal still missing from his collection, Phillips believes this weekend is the perfect opportunity to begin his preparations – though winning on the day will still be on his mind.
“There’s obviously a race there, and we’ll go there to race,” he told British Cycling.
“But the emphasis will be much broader than that. It’s not just about going there and getting a performance.
“It’s about spending time on the track and potentially we’ll do more on the track leading up to the event than we’d usually do before a race, because it’s great exposure for us.
“I’ll just be trying to learn as much as possible to aid a great performance next year. There’s definitely a lot more to it than a traditional race. I can’t wait.”
“It’s so much more than just looking at the result (from the race). There’s so much more to learn away from that.”
Sportsbeat 2015