Having started out as something of an experimental unit before the last Olympics, and undergone some personnel changes since then, the Irish women's team pursuiters have come the longest way of most Irish athletes who will be at the Olympic Games this year.
Though the qualification process is not yet officially over, the new UCI rankings have been published and Ireland has shot up the standings at precisely the right time. They have just completed a near two-month stint away from home, bookended by the UCI Nations Cups in Adelaide and Hong Kong, with a rare lengthy training stint as a team in between.
And the results of that investment since the start of the year - indeed over the last four years - have been immense. When the pressure was at its hottest in Hong Kong, the Irish broke their own national record and took the silver medal.
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And now with the hard yards done, all four Irish riders have been reflecting on their journey towards Paris. Lara Gillespie said each one of them had "sacrificed and committed a lot" and "given absolutely everything" to get into the amazing position they have now carved out for themselves.
"It was just really amazing to execute and deliver a plan that we had spoken about, trained so hard and raced for previously," Gillespie said of winning team pursuit silver in Hong Kong, which she followed up with bronze in the omnium.
"It's really satisfying to execute and deliver something that we know we've been capable of. We've been training and going really well the past few weeks and we had that inner confidence to carry us through all of our rides. As a group we've stepped up racing and training as a unit and it's all come together at the right time.
"Not only does it reflect the great training block that we had in Australia but it also reflects the past few years in how every rider has given absolutely everything to the team pursuit. We've sacrificed and committed a lot.
"We were absolutely gunning for a podium spot (in Hong Kong) and it's good to get three really solid rides out. We're really looking forward to the next few months, building on our performance… a high and emotional day, a big box ticked."
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Kelly Murphy, also a star performer internationally in the individual pursuit, said the experience of being away for two months - especially training together in Brisbane between the two Nations Cups - was crucial for the team.
"Brisbane was a pivotal camp for us, with having good weather we could load the training up whilst minimising exposure to cold and sickness," she said, adding the Queensland cycling community have really rowed in behind them.
“We were all hitting PBs in the gym and on the track, and the uninterrupted time together meant we are more in sync now than we ever have been. We can read one another’s body language better, communicate better within the race and manage pace and distance better than we ever have done.
Mia Griffin, who last season was also instrumental in helping qualify a place for Ireland in the road race at the Olympics, said she and her team mates were delighted with their ride in Hong Kong.
"I think our training block in Australia – six weeks spent on the track and road – paid dividends," she said, echoing Gillespie and Murphy. "That solid amount of time together helped us… we could take peace in the fact that we were really well prepared.
“It’s nice coming home with a silver medal and giving us confidence going into the next few months is really important. It’s such a good stepping stone towards breaking into those faster times – we're getting very competitive against the bigger nations.”
Alice Sharpe, the former Irish road champion and now such an experience campaigner, expressed the satisfaction of hitting the target after the years of effort.
“I think it’s been a long time coming, but that frequent time on the track and a big, prolonged training block with the same goal in mind really helped for the ride to come together. Getting closer and closer to the Olympics it’s such a huge confidence boost.
“If we don’t end up going to Milton, then (silver in Hong Kong) would have been our last team pursuit ride together before the Olympics; a nice note to end on and when we get back to training it’s something to look back on and be proud of.”
