In the team pursuit, riders start as a quartet before dropping to three when the one at the front has given everything. "There is strategy in play, different heights and orders," said Tanfield, the veteran of this team at 29. The changes meant Tidball, Tanfield and Vernon lined up alongside 19-year-old Henry Hobbs, who is competing at his first major championships. England built an early lead before Australia crept their way back to have the advantage shortly after halfway. "I could tell we were up [ahead of Australia] but we were also starting to fall apart a bit.