Rio 2016: Owain Doull expects pursuit winners to break world record

Owain Doull (right) was a member of the British team that won European gold in 2013, 14 and 15

Owain Doull believes the GB men's pursuit team will probably have to set a world record to win gold in Rio.

The 23-year-old from Cardiff lines-up alongside Sir Bradley Wiggins, Ed Clancy and Steven Burke as GB attempt to repeat their London 2012 gold medal.

They were beaten by Australia in the 2016 World Championship, and Doull expects another showdown in Rio.

"You're thinking the Olympics is most likely going to be GB v Australia and that's how it's being seen," he said.

"I don't think we'll be far off [the world record] anyway. Unless it's a really slow track in Rio I'm pretty sure the world record will go."

Clancy and Burke were both in the gold-medal winning team in London, when Wiggins won the time trial on the road.

Doull is the only one of the current team who did not take part in London 2012.

"I was in the first year of the academy and watching it [the Olympics] was unbelievable and it seemed like a millions miles away - for me anyway," added Doull.

"So to be here four years later is something I never really expected to happen personally."

Sir Bradley Wiggins (left) and Owain Doull during the 2016 tour of California

Doull steps into the vacancy left by fellow Welshman Geraint Thomas, who will be competing in the road race in Rio.

Thomas was in the gold-medal winning teams in London and Beijing - wins that mean GB are the team the others are targeting in Rio.

But Doull, who made his British debut in 2013, says the quartet are in excellent form ahead of Rio.

"It's really positive," he said.

"We're into new ground with the training we've been doing and everyone's really positive and really excited and if we get beaten out there all we can say is 'well done' to whoever beats us because we're in really good shape.

"Fortunately for us everything's going well at the minute and you're not carrying anyone everyone's pulling their weight and travelling at a really fast speed.

"The past three or four years, all the world cup and the track competitions, was always going to be a sort or learning and stepping stones towards Rio for me, so to finally be this close to it is exciting."