Great Britain Team for Europeans Announced
Story posted June 14, 2007
European Track and Road Championships (July 2007)
GB Cycling Team Press Release
A key development goal for the Great Britain Cycling Team’s younger riders in the Olympic Development (Junior) and Academy (Under 23) programmes, is the 2007 European Track and Road Championships. The team for these major championships in Germany (Track) and Road (Bulgaria) has now been announced.
They will certainly have a lot to live up to after the GB’s Juniors won the Best Nation Trophy (pictured below) and six Gold medals at the 2006 championships in Athens.
In 2006, the GB team won:
GOLD
Junior Sprint, Junior Men’s Keirin, Junior Team Sprint, Junior Team Pursuit, Junior Kilometre, Under 23 Team Pursuit,
SILVER
Junior Kilometre, Under 23 Scratch Race
BRONZE
Junior Womens Sprint, Junior Men’s Sprint
Team for 2007
The 2007 team includes the triple Junior World Champion Jason Kenny, from Bolton. He’ll line up alongside Junior Keirin World Champion Anna Blyth from Leeds. Both will be racing in the Under 23 category this time.
However, three World title winning Juniors from the 2006 Worlds remain in the Junior category: Team Sprint World Champions Christian Lyte and David Daniel are selected in the Sprint team for Cottbus, whilst Peter Kennaugh (World Scratch race champion) will get to show off his rainbow stripes in Cottbus before going to the European Road Championships.
One of the goals for the riders, especially those on the Academy, will be the European Champion's jersey as worn here by Jason Kenny who steps up to Under 23 level this year.
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The GB team is packed with high achievers, but also a number of riders who have yet to experience a major competition such as a European or World Championships. Riders making their debut at this level include Peter Mitchell, Tom Buck, Jess Varnish, Dani King, Alex Greenfield, Katie Colclough, Hannah Mayho
Andy Fenn, Luke Rowe, Rhys Lloyd, Jess Allen, Alice Monger Godfrey and Jonny McEvoy.
Road Challenge
Another change for 2007 is the addition of a squad for the European Road championships in both Junior and Under 23 categories. Last year, Jo Rowsell was Britain’s sole representative in the European Road Championships but for 2007, Junior and Under 23 teams have been selected as outlined below. They will be racing both Road Race and Time Trial.
The experienced campaigners on the road include Peter Kennaugh, Adam Blythe, Ian Stannard and Ben Swift who have all been on the podium for International road events this year and for the Women, Lizzie Armitstead has an international victory in her CV as well.
Major Event Experience
For those on the Olympic Development programme where riders are coached so they have not just the physical ability to compete at the top level but also the skills, the European Championships will provide them with an ideal opportunity to gain major event experience and help further their development in gaining selection for the Olympic Academy or Podium programmes in the coming years.
The full time riders on the Olympic Academy programme (Under 23) can also use the experience gained at such a major championship as a stepping stone to both the World Road and Track championships that follow this year and in years to come.
Last year, Geraint Thomas was winner of two medals, Gold and Silver at the Europeans and this year he's down to ride the Tour de France, proof of how the GB Cycling Team's programme is helping in the development of its riders on road and track and in other disciplines.
For the Academy sprinters whose events are held solely on the track, it is an ideal opportunity to gain World Class race experience and test the progress they are making whilst on this programme that is a stepping stone to the Olympic Podium Programme. Each of the riders will have performance goals that the team will be looking for them to achieve.
The Europeans will provide the Academy Endurance riders both track and road race experience where they will be able to gauge what level they are at in what is a World Class competition. It also provides an opportunity for them to push for selection for this years UCI Road Worlds being held in Germany (September).
Helping with Junior Rider Development
For the Juniors on the Olympic Development Programme, many of whom are still at school, the European Championships will be their single most important major championship in 2007. Unlike last year, when the World Junior Track and Road Championships were held in Europe, this year they are being held in Mexico and because of the long time away from home required to attend these championships only a small group of sprinters will travel to Mexico for the Junior Worlds to gain further race experience which for Sprinters is hard to come by at this level.
The Olympic Development Endurance riders meanwhile will stay in Europe and use the time during the school holidays to tackle races in Europe and work on the skills they will need if and when they get selected for the Olympic Academy (Endurance Men & Women) later that year.
The Olympic Development programme puts a lot of emphasis on the development side of helping these young riders and it was deemed better for them to remain home where this development can be better applied rather then send to a second major championship. This development phase during August is especially important for those endurance riders, male and female, looking to gain selection for the Academy this year.
During the period leading up to the selection phase, the riders will go through an intense training phase to equip them for the rigours of the racing they will encounter on the Academy and Podium programmes.
More on the team going to the European Championships will appear here on britishcycling.org.uk in the coming weeks.
GREAT BRITAIN TEAM
^ Riders making their European Championship debut (Track or Road)
European Track Championships - Cottbus (Germany)
Sprint
Academy
Matt Crampton
Jason Kenny
Anna Blyth
Lucy Ayres
Junior
Christian Lyte
Dave Daniell
Peter Mitchell ^
Tom Buck ^
Jess Varnish ^
Dani King ^
Female Endurance
Academy
Lizzie Armitstead
Katie Curtis
Nicki Harris
Junior
Alex Greenfield ^
Katie Colclough ^
Hannah Mayho ^
Male Endurance
Academy
Ben Swift
Russell Hampton
Jonny Bellis
Andy Tennant
Steve Burke
Junior
Andy Fenn ^
Adam Blythe
Peter Kennaugh
Luke Rowe ^
Mark McNally
Rhys Lloyd ^
European Road Championships Road – Sofia (Bulgaria)
(note: Riders marked with TT are also riding time trial)
Female Endurance
Academy
Lizzie Armitstead
Jo Rowsell - TT
Nicki Harris
Junior
Jess Allen - TT ^
Katie Colclough ^
Alice Monger Godfrey ^
Male Endurance
Academy
Ben Swift
Russell Hampton
Jonny Bellis
Andy Tennant
Ian Stannard - TT
Alex Dowsett -TT
Junior
Andy Fenn - TT ^
Adam Blythe
Peter Kennaugh - TT
Luke Rowe - TT ^
Mark McNally
Rhys Lloyd ^
Jonny McEvoy ^
