A host of Olympic, Paralympic, world and European medallists will compete in the forthcoming 2018 HSBC UK | National Track Championships.
The showpiece event of the track calendar, which takes place between January 26 and 28, will feature seven Olympic and nine Paralympic gold medallists, including Britain’s joint most-successful Olympian, Jason Kenny.
Kenny, who has recently returned to competition following a post-Rio hiatus, will compete in the team sprint event alongside another multiple Olympic champion, Phil Hindes.
The third member of Great Britain’s Olympic gold-medal winning team sprint trio, Callum Skinner, will compete in the kilo, as will London 2012 and Rio 2016 team pursuit champion Steven Burke.
Olympic and world champion Katie Archibald will defend all three titles which she won at last year’s championships, while she has also entered the keirin, in which she took a silver medal last year, and the sprint.
Archibald v Barker
— British Cycling (@BritishCycling) January 3, 2018
World champions @_katiearchibald and @elinorbarker will go head-to-head at this month's #TrackChamps
https://t.co/rQRbMEevKu pic.twitter.com/DFHGLspAHk
Archibald will be joined on the start line for the scratch and points races by fellow world champion and Rio gold medal-winning team-mate Elinor Barker.
Also registered to compete in the endurance events are 2012 Olympic team pursuit champion Dani Rowe; world and European silver medallist Emily Nelson; European Madison champion Ellie Dickinson; world cup gold medallists Emily Kay, Manon Lloyd and Neah Evans; and double former European champion, Ciara Horne.
Of the level of competition, Barker said: “I know everybody says it, but that’s because it’s true - there really is so much strength in depth and it’s really tough racing.
“I’ve actually won more world titles that I have national titles in my career, which I think just shows how tough the competition at national level is.”
Olympic bronze medallist Katy Marchant, who missed out on the chance to defend her four national sprint titles last year due to injury, is set to compete this year, and she will be joined by Great Britain Cycling Team teammate and two-time national champion, Sophie Capewell.
Reigning champions Jess Crampton and Lauren Bate will also take to the track. Last year’s three-time champion Dan Bigham returns to defend his titles in the individual pursuit, kilo and – alongside his Team KGF team-mates – the team pursuit.
Lewis Oliva and Ryan Owens will look to retain their titles in the keirin and individual sprint respectively, while the likes of former world champion Andy Tennant, world cup gold medallists Jack Carlin, Joe Truman and Mark Stewart; 2017 national scratch race champion Ethan Hayter; and defending points race champion Joe Nally will all compete.
A number of para-cycling titles are also up for grabs, and many of Great Britain’s Paralympians will be in competition. Four-time Paralympic and 12-time world champion Jody Cundy heads the line-up, while Rio 2016 gold medallists Sophie Thornhill, Lora Fachie, Louis Rolfe and Jon-Allan Butterworth will also be in the hunt for national champion’s jerseys.
