British Cycling has today announced the 12 riders who will represent the Great Britain Cycling Team at the forthcoming UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Ostend, Belgium, which take place from 30th – 31st January.

Tom Pidcock, winner of the silver medal in last year’s elite men’s race despite being aged only 20 at the time, will line-up to take on the world’s best male riders once again. Evie Richards, the two-time under-23 women’s world champion, will represent Great Britain in the elite women’s race.

European silver medalist Thomas Mein and bronze medalist Cameron Mason have been selected for the under-23 men’s race with brothers Dan and Toby Barnes, Rory McGuire, Oli Stockwell and Ben Turner also set to compete for the Great Britain Cycling Team. In the under-23 women’s category, the 2020 bronze medalist Anna Kay will be back in action along with Hattie Harnden and Josie Nelson.

Performance Director Stephen Park said: “It’s been a pleasure to follow the British cyclo-cross riders this season and to see their brilliant performances. It gives me great confidence of some good results for the riders who we have selected to represent Great Britain in the forthcoming world championships.

“Tom Pidcock has backed up his performances from the road and mountain bike seasons excellently with two podium finishes so far in the world cup series as well as taking the victory in the Telenet Superprestige in Gavere just before Christmas. He has without doubt established himself as ‘one to watch’ in the elite men’s race and I’m excited to see how he does this year, having finished second last year in his debut race in this world championship category.

“At the European championships, we saw Thomas Mein and Cameron Mason both on the podium in the under-23 men’s race, finishing in second and third place respectively, and they too have been impressive during the world cup series, both securing top ten finishes in the elite men’s class, so I’ll be interested to see how the experience of riding up a category will play out in their under-23 men’s race.

“In the women’s events, I’m looking forward to watching Evie race in Ostend, partly as part of her preparations for Tokyo selection for the mountain bike race, but also because of her passion for cyclo-cross and her potential to do well on this course. Anna Kay is showing good form this season, with two top ten finishes in the elite women’s races at the world cups, and I know she’s keen to get herself back on the under-23 women’s podium this year.

“We received the news on Friday that the juniors are unable to compete, and while I know they are disappointed, we completely understand and respect the decision given the circumstances.

“As an elite sports team, we acknowledge we are in an extremely privileged position to be able to continue with our operations, and it’s not something we are taking lightly. The team traveling to Belgium are committed to doing the nation proud, not just in their performances but in their conduct while representing the Great Britain Cycling Team. I can’t wait for the first world championship event of 2021 to be underway, and kick-off what should be a brilliant year for cycling in Britain.”

Great Britain Cycling Team for the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships, Ostend:

Elite Men

Tom Pidcock

Elite Women

Evie Richards

U23 Men

Dan Barnes

Toby Barnes

Cameron Mason

Rory McGuire

Thomas Mein

Oli Stockwell

Ben Turner

U23 Women

Hattie Harnden

Anna Kay

Josie Nelson