GB Team for 2007 Track World Championships

 

News Posted 15 March 2007

British Cycling Coverage >> Home Page Track Worlds (interviews, pictures etc)

 

The Great Britain Cycling Team for the 2007 UCI Track World Championships, to be held in Palma, Majorca on 29 March - 1 April, has been announced. The team includes Triple Athens Olympic medallist Bradley Wiggins, making his first appearance at the Championships since 2003, when he won the Individual Pursuit and another Athens Olympic champion in Chris Hoy. Whilst Wiggins is aiming for double gold in his events, Individual Pursuit and Team Pursuit, Hoy will be looking for double Gold too in the Kilometre and the team sprint if selected.

 

Back in action - Brad Wiggins set to ride his first Track Worlds since 2003

 

Competition for places in the team has been the toughest ever. Selection tests have taken place for the Men's and Women's Team Sprint whilst there was also fierce competition amongst Olympic Academy endurance riders for a spot on the team.

 

The 2007 squad for Palma includes a number of riders making their senior World Championship debuts. Notable amongst these are Junior World Champions Anna Blyth and Shanaze Reade and Junior World Championship Silver medallist Jonny Bellis.

 

Anna won the Women's Keirin at last year's Junior World Track Championships, but Shanaze's title was won in BMX in Brazil. Shanaze made her Track racing debut only last month, picking up a silver in the Women's Team Sprint with Anna at the Manchester World Cup event, setting the fastest time ever for the event on a 250 track in the process. The Women's Team Sprint makes its first appearance at the World Championships this year.

 

Also making her Senior World Championship debut will be young endurance bunch-race specialist Katie Curtis who was prevented from riding the Manchester World Track Cup after a crash the week before the Manchester World Cup took place. Katie has been fine tuning her form in the Newport Track League and is expected to do well as she takes the step up to racing senior women.

 

Right: On the side of GB in Palma will be consultant coach Jan van Eijden who is pictured here sharing a joke with Victoria Pendleton in training.

 

Olympic Rowing Silver medallist turned cycling pursuiter, Rebecca Romero, is also among the selections. In training this week, free from illness that held her back at the Manchester World Track Cup, Rebecca has been setting some personal bests in training with only her training wheels in.

 

Another of the exciting selections is Wendy Houvenaghel who set the Worlds second fastest time for the Women's Pursuit at Manchester a few weeks ago. Wendy is in confident mood in training as the form continues to get better. After her third trip to Majorca for road training in less than two months, the World Track Cup champion for the Womens Pursuit is now in full track training mode to look for a medal in Majorca.

 

Amongst the male endurance riders, up and coming racer Jonny Bellis (interview) is the only new name after he was selected from the riders in the Olympic Academy vying for the single spot on offer for an Academy endurance rider. He will be taking part in the inaugural Mens Omnium World Championship.

 

The Track Worlds will be Endurance coach Matt Parker's first World Championships. Here he chats to Ed Clancy about his role in the Team Pursuit.

 

Final selection details for the team events will be settled closer to the championships themselves.

 

Sprint Riders

Anna Blyth
Victoria Pendleton
Shanaze Reade

Matt Crampton

Ross Edgar
Chris Hoy

Craig MacLean

Jamie Staff

Endurance Riders

Katie Curtis

Wendy Houvenaghel
Rebecca Romero
Jonny Bellis

Ed Clancy

Rob Hayles

Paul Manning

Chris Newton
Geraint Thomas

Bradley Wiggins

More Info: GB Team Biographies

 

Senior World Track Championship Debutants

 

Anna Blyth & Jonny Bellis

 

 

Katie Curtis & Shanaze Reade

 

Rebecca Romero

 

More Photos

 

Performance Director Dave Brailsford discusses the performances of his riders with Performance Manager Shane Sutton and Endurance coach, Matt Parker.

 

Performance manager Shane Sutton gives the endurance riders a pep talk after a team pursuit effort on the track whilst coach Matt Parker looks on.

 

 

The training camp has a distinct pre-Worlds feel to it as riders go through their normal warmup routine they will use at the Worlds.

 

Geraint Thomas leads the Team Pursuit riders around the track during one of three efforts on Tuesday.

 

Wendy Houvenaghel was fast in training on Tuesday.

 

 

RELATED LINKS

Track Worlds Website