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Paul McNamara

Hong Kong cycling’s head coach Herve Dagorne has urged Ceci Lee Sze-wing to embrace the “challenge of her life” in the Olympic velodrome on Sunday.
Lee delivered a mixed performance to place 64th in the women’s road race last Sunday, overcoming “stress and anxiety”, and critical feeding-zone errors, to achieve her goal of reaching the finishing line.
Surviving the punishing 158-kilometres Paris course would “give [Lee] confidence for Sunday”, insisted Dagorne. He warned, however, that Hong Kong’s cyclists were “not here for experience, we are here to perform”.
The goal for Lee in her favoured, four-discipline omnium event is to finish in the top-half of a 22-woman field.
“It is the challenge of Ceci’s life, but if she has an offensive mindset, she will be in a good position in all the races,” said Dagorne.
“She knows what to do, it is all in her hands – she just has to do it.
“She pushed hard [in road race], and she has to go deep again. She still has lots of work to do, the areas where she is weak are important to perform at this level.
“But if she gives her best, physically, technically and tactically, whatever her final position, she will go home with a positive mindset, and be ready for the next step.”

That next step will happen under a new endurance coach, with Hong Kong Sports Institute inviting applications for the post until August 21. The new coach will take responsibility for coaching Lee, a task Dagorne has undertaken all this time.
A two-times Olympic racer, Dagorne has worked with Lee for six years, initially as national cycling coach, then with more autonomy as head coach.
The Frenchman, who is responsible for overseeing the entire Hong Kong cycling operation, has already added Anthony Peden, the Kiwi former New Zealand team sprint coach, to his staff.
“It will be a new coach and a new start for Ceci [after the Olympics],” said Dagorne, who was appointed full time in March following Shen Jinkang’s near 30-year reign.
“When Shen was head coach, I was not fully involved in the management of Ceci. Some habits have to change with the new coach. I tried, but I couldn’t change everything in four months.”
Dagorne has steadily introduced a diet of European road racing for Hong Kong’s cyclists, a significant departure from the former arrangement of regular training camps in mainland China.

“It has been a shock for them, seeing how the top riders go from one race to another every weekend, with all the travelling,” Dagorne said. “[Adjusting to European racing] will be the main [focus] after the Olympics.”
Lee stayed in the Olympic Village on Sunday night following her road race, abandoning plans to immediately relocate to a base in Roubaix in favour of massage and quality recovery.
She spent Monday to Thursday in the northern French city, where Hong Kong cycling took over a hotel and had sole access to the local velodrome every afternoon.
“In Paris, we would have had a two-hour journey to the velodrome, for one hour of training, shared with seven other teams,” Dagorne said.
The mastermind behind a 2012 Olympic omnium silver for Bryan Coquard, in his former role as French track head coach, Dagorne insisted Lee “could have done better” in her opening race.
The 23-year-old was on the wrong side of the road through the second feeding zone, after losing her bearings. On another occasion, she dropped a bottle of energy drink handed to her by Dagorne.
“I didn’t expect her to be so stressed,” said Dagorne, who also revealed that stomach problems had forced Hongkonger Vincent Lau Wan-yau’s retirement from Saturday’s men’s road race.
“Ceci could not relax and think about strategy and technique,” Dagorne added. “She was more anxious about her opponents’ skill and whether she could finish. That took away energy, then she couldn’t replace it during the race [because of feeding problems].
“She can be better, but she was in contact with the best riders in the world, and realised she could handle it. For Sunday, it will be better.”


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Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Paris Olympics: Hong Kong cyclist Ceci Lee ready for ‘challenge of her life’ at velodrome

Ceci Lee will compete in the Olympic omnium on Sunday after finishing 64th in last week’s road race. Photo: Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China.

Lee will have a new coach following the Games. Photo: Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China.

Hong Kong’s Lee (far left) is making her Olympic track cycling debut in the French capital. Photo: UCI.

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Noah Lyles (far left) receives care from medical staff following the men’s Olympic 200m final. Photo: Reuters

Letsile Tebogo (left) wins the 200m ahead of Kenny Bednarek (second left) and Noah Lyles. Photo: Reuters

Noah Lyles sits on the track after finishing the 200m final at the Stade de France. Photo: Reuters

Lyles’ partner Junelle Bromfield is competing for Jamaica at the Paris Olympics. Photo: Reuters

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Wu Yanni believes Chinese sprinting is lagging behind the sport’s major powers. Photo: Xinhua.

The 27-year-old Wu insists she was capable of claiming 100m hurdles gold in Paris. Photo: Xinhua

The Chinese men’s relay quartet will compete in Friday’s final after surging to semi-final victory. Photo: AFP

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China’s diving queen Quan Hongchan has inspired fans as much for her story outside the pool as for her talents on a board. Photo: Xinhua

Quan Hongchan’s family’s humble beginnings meant it was difficult for her to play with toys as a child. Photo: Xinhua

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United States sprinter Erriyon Knighton competed in the 200m heats in Paris despite failing a doping test in March. Photo: Reuters

Following the revelation of Erriyon Knighton’s failed doping test, Chinada want more tests for US athletes. Photo: Reuters

Sport

Paris Olympics 2024

Hong Kong

Lee, who will compete in her pet omnium event on Sunday, will have a new coach after the Games, with Herve Dagorne relinquishing the role


Lee, who will compete in her pet omnium event on Sunday, will have a new coach after the Games, with Herve Dagorne relinquishing the role.


Hong Kong Sports Institute