Meares feels 'lost' without coach Barras

(AAP) Anna Meares, Australia's cyclist of the year, admits to feeling "lost" after the removal of Martin Barras from the head track coaching role.

As Cycling Australia's high-performance program rebuilds from a barren Beijing
Olympics, Barras has left the track program and will now run the national women's
road squad.
Meares paid an emotional tribute to Barras on Sunday night when she became only the
second woman to win the "Oppy", the Sir Hubert Opperman Medal, as Australia's top
cyclist of the year.
She also won the female track cyclist and people's choice awards after her amazing
comeback from a broken neck to win silver in the sprint at the Olympics.
It was Australia's only cycling medal at the Games.
"When he first told me he (Barras) was no longer going to be my coach, I probably
cried more than when I first learned I'd broken my neck and could miss the Olympics,
such is the relationship I have with him," Meares said.
"I really felt lost and I still do feel lost that he's not going to be my coach
leading into London.
"But I'm faithful in the board of Cycling Australia, in employing someone that will
take the program forward."
After several years working overseas, Gary West has returned to oversee the track
sprint squad, but only until the world titles next March.
Cycling Australia is still working out who will run the sprint squad in the lead-up
to the London Olympics.
Meares stressed she had no problems with West, saying he had spoken to her and
understood her emotions.
"He's handled himself really well in the matter and the guys are getting along with
him really well," she said.
Meares was careful in her comments about the decision to remove Barras as head track
coach.
"I don't want to be caught in a situation where I'm disagreeing with the people who
have a made a decision to move Martin Barras on," she said.
"But he has definitely left very big shoes to fill and the innovation that he brings
to sprint cycling, the knowledge and the enthusiasm to constantly look for changes
and ways to improve are second to none in the world."
Meares admits to still feeling emotionally drained after the comeback from her neck
injury, which happened when she crashed in a race on January 20.
She returned to training a fortnight ago and hopes to compete at next year's world
titles.
Meares also said there was no problems with motivation at the start of the new
Olympic cycle, especially given the British now dominate track cycling.
British sprint queen Victoria Pendleton beat Meares for the sprint gold medal in
Beijing.
"Especially when there's British involved, there's a little bit of extra pride there
as well," she said.