USA Cycling: Todd Wells Hopes Third Time Is The Charm

BOX HILL, ENGLAND - JUNE 23: A general view of the Box Hill section of the 2012 Olympic Cycling Road Race Route on June 23, 2011 in Box Hill, England. London Olympic 2012 organisers have pledged to protect the area after fears that spectators trampling across the hillsides would damage the rare plants and wildlife that form the natural habitat of Box Hill as people watch the London 2012 Olympic Games cycling road races. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images).

Todd Wells hopes he can win this time around in his third Olympic cycling appearance.

Is this Todd Wells's chance to finally win a medal at the 2012 Olympics? This will be his third games, and he was selected by the coaches to attend this time around. Wells finished seventh in the 2011 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, which probably contributed to his eventual selection to the team, but his prior history as a cyclist had to help him.

Here's more information on Wells courtesy of the Arizona Daily Star.

Maybe, in his second Olympic trip, Wells felt the weight of his own expectations. Or he was nervous, knowing that, for the second time, he was on his sport's biggest stage.

"As a mountain bike racer, we don't participate in front of the world very often," he said. "You certainly don't have to go through security and metal detectors to get to the races."

At 36 years old, this will be the last games that Wells ends up competing in as he plans on focusing on endurance events that won't be part of any Olympic games. Wells's connection to the region lies in where he attended colleges, which was at the University of Arizona.

Wells finished 43rd at his event in the Beijing Olympics.

For complete coverage of the Summer Games in London, please stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated 2012 Olympics hub.