The 33-year-old has a range of sponsors who expect her to compete in long distance triathlons, and she certainly won’t be letting them down – instead intending to continue on her path and race in Rio as well.

She told The Guardian: “My main focus will remain long-distance triathlon and duathlon. That’s what my sponsors Tempo-Sport bikespeed.ch and NGI support me in competing at…[but] because of the hilly nature of the time trial course in Rio this is a truly rare opportunity that I can’t resist. I’ve decided it’s worth a serious attempt at targeting that event. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a comeback but 2016 will certainly be a different race programme for me.”

British Cycling Technical Director Shane Sutton explained to The Guardian that the GB Team contacted Pooley, commenting: “The wheels are well in motion to get Emma on track for the Games; she was sixth in the [Tour de] Vendée after not riding a UCI race for a while and that meant she had the points needed to qualify. We were looking around and on that hilly course there isn’t a rider on the national front capable of making the top 15. We looked at the course and we couldn’t let the chance slip by if Emma was interested so we approached her.”

Sutton added: “I’m really pleased that Emma is back with us as that enhances our medal opportunities in the time trial, and it will also enhance Lizzie’s opportunity to win if we can have a pure mountain climber like Emma with her in the road race. The field will fall away from behind but I don’t see Emma falling behind, so I would like to see her in the road race supporting Lizzie.”