Olympic Cycling Question

How do team strategies work in the Olympics? Are there team strategies when so many want a medal (i.e. Spain with Valverde, Contador, Sastre, etc.)? Who gets to go for the gold? All of them? Wait and see who's got the legs on race day? Do alliances form with other country's teams? I would imagine strategies play a huge role, but curious how it all works.

they're "supposed" to be riding for their countries, bu it is murky. remember 2000 when the olympic podium was dominated by Telekom? (Ullrich, Vino and Kloeden). lot of talk about that.