The German team pursuiters rolled out on a new FES bike at the Track world championships in St Quentin en Yvelines, Paris this week as the arms race for Rio 2016 started in earnest.

There was no covering it up either. The bike was out on a stand by the team pits with no attempt to keep their aero findings under wraps as other teams have in the past. Ahead of London 2012 Chris Boardman and his secret squirel club drip fed bits of equipment out one at a time throughout the preceeding world cup series so as not to raise awareness.