Track endurance riders Georgia Baker and Amy Cure and Tour de France contender Richie Porte all used the word privilege to describe their opportunity to represent Australia in Brazil next month.

“I’m on top of the world,” said Baker, 21, of Perth. 

“It’s pretty exciting and definitely a dream come true. It’s something I’ve been working towards for a couple of years and to finally achieve it is pretty exciting and a real privilege to represent Australia at this level of competition.” 

Speaking from Europe where he is riding his sixth Tour de France, Porte, 31, of Launceston, said: “It’s a massive honour. I remember growing up and watching the Olympics on TV so it is exciting to be part of it.

“I’ve got a few weeks to go through before I can really think about it but it is one thing I really wanted to do.” 

While Baker and Porte are making their Olympic debuts, Cure, heads to Rio with a contrasting mindset to London where she was selected but did not get to ride.

“I think in London I was more thinking about just being an Olympian,” said the West Pine 23-year-old.

“When I was younger I would come home from school and watch the Olympic Games and I knew I wanted to go there one day and that’s what I found in cycling and loved and enjoyed.

“When the opportunity came I just really wanted to make that team and got a bit caught up in that but now I’m not going to Rio just to get a jersey I’m going there to stand on the start line and win a gold medal.”