Selection - World XC MTB Championships

GB Team Selection: 2008 MTB Cross-Country World Championships

The MTB XC World Championships are to be held in Val-di-Sole, Italy from 17th to 22nd June 2008. Selection date for the MTB XC World Championships is 20th May 2008.

Strategy

The aim of the GB Cycling Team at the MTB XC World Championships remains consistent with previous year's goals. For senior riders, the aim is simply to win medals and gain top fifteen places. If it is not felt that there are British riders capable of attaining these performances, then a team will not be entered in that category of the World Championships.

Selected riders will be expected to comply with the WADA anti-doping whereabouts system. This can/will also be used to reinforce the British Cycling Anti Doping Policy.

Selected riders may be required to undergo physiological and/or medical assessment in the period between the selection date and the event. This will be to confirm fitness following injury, illness or a period of marked under-performance. All physiological assessment will be conducted at the National Cycling Centre by British Cycling's Olympic Programme's Team Staff

Any rider racing internationally and wishing to be considered for selection has a responsibility to keep the Olympic Programmes Administrator up to date with their MTB XC results.

Any riders targeting selection for this event must be prepared to commit fully to a programme of preparation and training for the World Championships which may include one or more residential camps. Failure to attend other than by a Doctor's certificate will result in deselection from the World Championships.

Reserves may be named for any event. The selection panel may reconvene at a date between selection and competition to withdraw a rider from the World Championships if a case is subsequently put forward by a National coach or other suitably qualified individual with evidence that a rider is likely to under perform to a significant degree. A de-selected rider may be replaced only with another rider named as part of the team who is deemed by the selection panel to be performing better and likely to achieve a top 15 position. This can occur at any time between the selection deadline and competition but replacements can only be drawn from the selected athletes (including reserves) whose names were published at the time of selection.

All selections are made by a selection panel chaired by the Performance Director. A minimum of two further selection panel members are nominated by the Performance Director, who may include but is not restricted to Performance Manager, Senior Management Team members, coaching staff and expert advisers.

Elite men and women

The team will be selected for the elite events on a discretionary basis by the selection panel. The selection panel will consider only riders deemed to be competitive at this level, and may elect to take fewer than the maximum permitted riders for these events. The panel would consider the following factors in coming to a decision:

International Race performances in the period 1st March 2008 to 19th May 2008.
Commitment to the GB Cycling team anti-doping policies.
Specific nature of the course.
Process for qualifying places for 2012 Olympic Games, based on the points of the top 3 ranked male and top 3 ranked female riders from each nation.

U23 men and women

The team will be selected for the U23 events on a discretionary basis by the selection panel. The selection panel will consider both riders deemed to be competitive at this level, and those who have an identified need to experience competition at this level, who are deemed to have potential to win medals in Major Championships in future years, particularly with a view to the London 2012 Olympic Games. Selection is on a discretionary basis by the selection panel. The panel would consider the following factors in coming to a decision:

Race performances in the period 1st March 2008 to 19th May 2008 which demonstrate evidence of a rider's progression and development towards a medal winning performance. The selection panel will take account of age and experience of riders, as well as the quality of field and nature of the courses in competition.
Competitive performances in international events will receive a weighting.
Commitment to the GB Cycling team anti-doping blood testing policies.
Specific nature of the course
Process for qualifying places for 2012 Olympic Games, based on the points of the top 3 ranked male and top 3 ranked female riders from each nation.

Junior men and women

The team will be selected for the junior events on a discretionary basis by the selection panel. Only riders born in 1990 and 1991 are eligible for selection for the 2008 Junior World Championships events. The selection panel will consider both riders deemed to be competitive at this level, and those who have an identified need to experience competition at this level, who are deemed to have potential to win medals in Major Championships in future years, particularly with a view to the London 2012 Olympic Games. Selection is on a discretionary basis by the selection panel. The panel would consider the following factors in coming to a decision:

Race performances in the period 1st March 2008 to 19th May 2008 which demonstrate evidence of a rider's progression and development towards a medal winning performance. The selection panel will take account of age and experience of riders, as well as the quality of field and nature of the courses in competition.
Competitive performances in international events will receive a weighting.
Commitment to the GB Cycling team anti-doping blood testing policies.
Specific nature of the course

Team Relay

We continue to aim towards a medal winning performance in the Team Relay; therefore selection of relay specific athletes may be made in order to progress towards accomplishment of this goal.

The selection panel will consider both riders deemed to be competitive at this level, and those young and developing riders or those newer to the sport that have an identified need to experience competition at this level. This is to enable experience of international competition to those who are identified has having potential to win medals in Major Championships in future years, particularly with a view to the London 2012 Olympic Games. Selection is on a discretionary basis by the selection panel. The panel would consider the following factors in coming to a decision:

Race performances in the period 1st March 2008 to 19th May 2008 which demonstrate evidence of a rider's progression and development towards a medal winning performance. The selection panel will take account of age and experience of riders, as well as the quality of field and nature of the courses in competition. Competitive performances in international events will receive a weighting.
Commitment to the GB Cycling team anti-doping blood testing policies.
Specific nature of the course
Ability to contribute towards the Team Relay's overall goal of moving towards a medal winning performance.

British Cycling operates a formal appeals procedure for challenging selection decisions which is available on request from the British Cycling Excellence office. The Appeals Procedure must be instigated within 48 hours of the team being published on the British Cycling website (anticipated publication date 21st May).