Ashford cyclist Jamie Staff has slammed the world governing body for limiting each nation to one rider per event at the Olympics and fears the rule will turn athletes against the sport.

Under the stewardship of performance director Dave Brailsford, Great Britain claimed seven of the 10 gold medals on offer in the Laoshan Velodrome in Beijing and added a further three silvers and two bronzes.

In all but one case, the silvers and bronzes came in events where Great Britain also won gold.

But the new move from the UCI ensures only one rider can compete per event, ensuring fierce competition for places ahead of London 2012.

And Staff (pictured) believes up and coming cyclists will be forced to turn their back on their events.

“We’re trying to encourage people to participate in a sport and they’re not doing themselves any favours,” said Staff, who was speaking at the launch of Eurostar's 2012 Olympic sponsorship.

“Looking at it from an athlete’s point of view, you’ve got a nation where you’ve got five or six athletes. If only one gets to ride, what kind of encouragement is that for the other riders?

“Within a team you start to see two or three rising to the top. But for those are not quite there, they think, ‘you know what, in my lifetime I’m probably not going to get to do it’ so they give up.

“So it’s not encouraging people to keep going or even to try and make that effort to get from junior level to the elite ranks so it doesn’t make sense to me.

“I can see from their point of view, they just want the best of the best at the Olympics and that’s all it’s about which is great.

“But at the end of the day, our program is based on Olympic results – that’s where the funding comes from.

“It’s all about the Olympics and if a kid doesn’t think he’s got a chance of making the Olympics, then he might not bother.

“I don’t know if it’s written in stone yet but I’m hoping that it isn’t and it won’t happen.”

Eurostar is an official provider to the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics and will be holding a unique triathlon that takes in Paris, Brussels and London on September 14th.

For more information visiit www.eurostartricityathlon.com

Do you think Staff is right to voice his concern? Should anyone who meets the required standard be allowed to compete in the Olympics? Have your say below.