French track coach and former kilometre time trial specialist Florian Rousseau has added his voice to the growing chorus against the UCI's decision to remove the kilometre and 500m time trial from the Olympic Games in Beijing.
"It took my breath away when I heard about it," he told Cyclismag.com. "I'm very disappointed and sad. It's a mythical event. Why do they remove the kilo, while it's a discipline where physical qualities are put forward?
"It seems that the federations ruled in majority for the removal of the kilo. I don't think that nations like Australia will not react. But as far as France is concerned, it will wait a little bit before expressing an official position on the subject."
An online petition to the UCI and IOC has so far collected 2000 signatures, including those of Theo Bos, Chris Hoy, Jason Queally, Josiah Ng, Anna and Kerrie Meares, Yvonne Hijgenaar, Chris Witty, Josh Kersten, Dory Selinger, Jiri Jezek, Danny Clark, Phil Liggett, MBE, Tim Jackson, Shane Perkins, and many more.
