Record British Entry for Manchester Track World Cup
Story posted February 1st, 2007
Event: Manchester World Track Cup, Feb 23-25
British riders will be out in strength for the finale of the UCI Track Cycling World Cup when it arrives in Manchester 23-25th February thanks to the support of UK Sport & Manchester City Council. This year sees not only a large squad from the Great Britain cycling team competing but also riders from other pro teams in the UK such as Plowman Craven/Evans Cycles and Recycling.
Great Britain Team
Racing in the colours of Great Britain will be 14 riders, the maximum allowed, and the squad contains all the usual suspects from a team that is one of the best in the World and has before, won the best nation trophy at such competitions.
Heading the sprint team will Olympic champion Chris Hoy who is expected to give his World Champion's jersey one final airing before the World Championships in the Kilometre. Other events Chris may ride include the Sprint where he will be a strong favourite and the Japanese Keirin on the final day where fresh legs from not having to do the Team Sprint may well see him do well in that. 
Also riding for GB will be World Championship Silver medallist Craig MacLean, triple Commonwealth Games medallist Ross Edgar and Commonwealth Games Silver medallist Matt Crampton. Another Olympic champion heads the endurance team when Bradley Wiggins leads a team for the Team Pursuit which has quality all the way through it. In all five riders vying for four positions and one has a sneaking suspicion that if all these boys are firing on all cylinders, the times they do for the Team Pursuit may well threaten the track record. As well as Bradley, riding for GB will be Ed Clancy, Geraint Thomas, Paul Manning, and Rob Hayles.
The Great Britain team also has medal potential with the girls in the squad as well. Anna Blyth has been riding well in the sprint events making the final in the Keirin in Moscow. The young lady from Leeds may be involved in as many as four events, Sprint, Keirin, 500TT and Team Sprint although its likely she will do less to keep her fresh and in contention for medals. Like the Team Sprint for women where she will ride with BMX World Champion Shanaze Reade who has taken to the track really well over the last three months.
There is more medal potential in the Womens Endurance team. As well as the experience of a rider such as Nikki Harris, GB will also be giving Lizzi Armitstead a run out in her first year as a senior whilst Olympic silver medallist in the Rowing and already a medallist in the Pursuit in a World Track Cup, Rebecca Romero will be looking to build on her success so far in cycling.
RIDERS: Chris Hoy, Craig MacLean, Ross Edgar, Matt Crampton, Anna Blyth, Shanaze Reade, Bradley Wiggins, Ed Clancy, Geraint Thomas, Paul Manning, Rob Hayles, Nikki Harris, Lizzie Armitstead, Rebecca Romero.
100% ME
Promoting 'drug free sport' is the young line up of Olympic Academy riders under the banner 100% ME. The team were given a fantastic start by Russell Hampton's win in the Scratch race in Los Angeles and they, the boys in the team that is, come to Manchester after a 10 day training camp in LA.
After the LA World Track Cup, the male riders stayed on for a camp where the coach Rod Ellingworth is yet again putting them through the ringer with eight days of training and two rest days. Four of the days have seen the riders doing two split sessions of two and half hours each. The first session working on individual aspects on their training and then in the afternoon, a team session working on lead outs and the like. And the other four days are not that easy being 5 to 6 hour group rides!
Whilst in LA, the Olympic Academy riders are not doing any track work which will be resumed when they return to the UK. Their target is to again make an impression at a World Track Cup event and the team will also see two more riders in the 100% ME colours, female Olympic Academy endurance riders Katie Curtis and Joanna Rowsell. Katie is down to do to the Points and Scratch race whilst Jo Rowsell will ride the Individual Pursuit and is also entered for the Scratch race.
One of the key events for the male riders in the 100% ME team will be the Team Pursuit where Andy Tennant, Ross Sander, Jonny Bellis and Steve Burke are again expected to line up to try and improve on their 4th place in LA. In other events, former World Junior Pursuit Champion Andy Tennant will tackle the Individual Pursuit, Russell Hampton the Scratch race, Ben Swift the Points race and in the Madison will be Ross Sander and Jonny Bellis.
RIDERS: Russell Hampton, Ben Swift, Steve Burke, Jon Bellis, Ross Sander, Andy Tennant, Katie Curtis, Joanna Rowsell
Science in Sport
In the black colours of Science in Sport will be mainly a Sprint line up with the only endurance rider being Wendy Houvenhagel who is currently in Majorca preparing for the Individual Pursuit, the event she is the current World Track Cup leader in as well as the winner of the same in last year's World track Cup competition.
The Sprint line up is also very impressive. Sydney Olympic champion for the Kilometre Jason Queally rides and is entered for the Team Sprint and Kilometre whilst Jason Kenny who was so impressive in the Sprint event in LA, rides the Sprint and Team Sprint. Whilst at a training session during the week we learned that Kenny's fourth place in qualifying for the Sprint (Los Angeles) may well have been a lot higher had he not 't-boned' a sand bag that lies on the side of the track to stop riders racing under the black line. For an 18 year old, he is certainly looking good for 2007 as a first year senior.
The final male sprinter in the black of SiS is Jamie Staff and he looks like getting his wish of a start in the Kierin, the event he won the World Title in at the 2004 World Championships in Melbourne. Jamie will also be part of the Team Sprint where he'll be looking to set a fast opening lap time to try and gain a place in the team for the World Track Championships as Man 1. The Manchester World Track Cup will be a very important one for the riders looking to make the World Championship Team Sprint squad as the selectors look to find the fastest riders out of the seven contenders to take to Majorca for the Worlds a month later.
The final rider in the black of SiS is the British queen of the sprint, Victoria Pendleton. It was back in 2002 that this young lady made her international debute at the Manchester Commonwealth Games and now she is one of the leading Women Sprinters in the World. As glamorous on the bike as she is off it, the Stotfold young lady is entered for three events, Sprint, Keirin and 500TT.
In Moscow, Victoria won the Keirin and was 7th in the Sprint whilst in her other World Track Cup meeting this year, Sydney, the former World Sprint Champion was 2nd in the Sprint. As the Worlds get ever nearer, and with Victoria looking very sharp at the last Revolution Track Open, the prospect of medal winning performances at Manchester is high on the agenda and certainly a big draw card for the event.
RIDERS: Jason Queally, Jason Kenny, Jamie Staff, Victoria Pendleton, Wendy Houvenhagel
Other Teams
The Manchester round of the UCI World Track Cup will also see other British riders in more teams. Recycling will have its own Chris Newton riding and the racer who loves to win, will be looking to go one better than LA where he was second in the Points race. Newton is also entered for the Scratch race. As we understand it, Recycling will also see Scotland's Kate Cullen riding and the Commonwealth Games medallist will be aiming to improve on her placings in LA where she failed to medal in the two events she rode.
Plowman Craven / Evans Cycles have also entered a team which will be spearheaded by former World Championship Silver and Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Tony Gibb. He is expected to be joined by teammate James Taylor and others in the team packed with riders who have a history of racing on the track (see team launch feature).
Event Programme Information and ticket information
Full details of the events can be found on www.worldtrackcycling.com which includes a link directly to the Ticketmaster event page or you can call the dedicated ticket hotline on 0871 2302621. Each day has a morning and afternoon /evening session. Day ticket prices start at only £12 for adults and £6 for under 16's.
Track Centre Dining
This exciting spectacle can be viewed from the comfort of a dining table in the track centre whilst enjoying the flavours of a special menu by top chef, Matthew Barrett. Guests will be able to enjoy flavours of the Mediterranean in a relaxed social environment, whilst the world's best cyclists approach the evening with a little more haste.
Packages are available for a minimum of two people (tables of 8 persons) and include:
A welcome drink on arrival
Informal dining with waitress service
VIP Car Parking
Official Programme
Hostess in attendance throughout the session
Dining is available during the evening sessions on Friday and Saturday and lunchtime on Sunday
Cost £50.00 + vat per person
Contact Rita Ballenca: +44 (0) 1372 464666
RELATED LINKS
Report -- Los Angeles World Track Cup:Los Angeles WTC
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Hoy: Olympic Champion Gunning for Kilo Win at Manchester World Cup >>>>
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Irish Coming to Manchester: >>>>
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