Williamson prepared to battle for Great Britain team sprint spot

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Great Britain's Victoria Williamson is ready to battle for a place in the team sprint as the journey to the Rio Olympic Games continues.

The 21-year-old will compete against London Olympian Jess Varnish for the man-one role in the women’s event with both having travelled to Mexico for this weekend’s opening round of the UCI Track Cycling World Cup.

“I'm really looking forward to the world cup season, the first one is out in Mexico and hopefully I can put in a good performance there to start the ball rolling for the season,” said Williamson, who is joined by Varnish and Dannielle Khan in the women's sprint squad.

“My target for the winter is to get the team sprint position man one. It's me and Jess that go for man one and it's very competitive and they'll just take whoever is going best at the end of the season for worlds really.

“It's healthy competition, we get on well so it's all about doing your best.”

Williamson has a bronze medal to her name from her debut on the world-championship stage in 2013, when she paired with Becky James in the team sprint at the Minsk Arena in Belarus.

Last year she missed out as Varnish stepped in to partner James in Colombia with Great Britain again taking bronze in the event.

Regaining her place for next February’s 2015 UCI Track Cycling World Championships at France’s new national velodrome in Paris is now the goal for the VC Norwich rider.

“That is the main target at the end of the season, to ride the team sprint at the worlds but there's a lot of process goals on the way there to get that selection,” said Williamson, who has risen through the ranks at British Cycling since joining the Olympic Development Programme in 2011.

“Obviously you need to be going the best out of all the man ones on the squad to get selected in the first place. Then you've got to consistently improve”

That process begins at the Pan American Velodrome in Guadalajara at the first of three world cup meetings with London and Cali to both stage rounds of the series.

A difficult summer saw Williamson hospitalised with illness after a track meeting in Germany prior to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Having returned and won three medals at the British Cycling National Track Championships in September, she believes her form is improving at the perfect time.

“I have had a few setbacks this year. Before the Commonwealth Games I was ill in hospital in Germany for two weeks and then I had a couple of niggles and injuries which have set me back on training a little bit,” Williamson said.

“I think my form is really good, I've got a bit of consistency now and I've been going really well.

“I've got some PBs on peak powers on track so hopefully in can ride well in Mexico.”

The opening round of the UCI Track Cycling World Cup takes place from 7-9 November.

Report and images will be on the British Cycling website.

Buy tickets for the London UCI Track Cycling World Cup on 5-7 December.

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