A strong Great Britain team which includes two Olympic and one world champion will travel to Cottbus in Germany for a fortnight’s training camp, part of preparation for the Commonwealth Games.

The trip will also take in the second round of the Sprintercup on 21 and 22 June and culminate in a final two days of racing at the Cottbus Grand Prix the following weekend.

The team sees Olympic champions Jason Kenny and Philip Hindes as well as junior world champion Dannielle Khan join forces with a host of podium programme as well as academy riders, some of whom will compete at the event for the first time.

Great Britain sprint coach Iain Dyer explained the ethos of the trip: “Basically we are wrapping up a solid training camp with some racing as well.

“On the first weekend we have a local sprinter cup meeting which is the second in a series of three. The following week on the Friday and the Saturday is the Cottbus sprint Grand Prix.”

The event normally has a quality start list and there will almost certainly be a strong field of riders in attendance from Poland, Russia and the Czech Republic as well as the home nation, Germany.

“This event normally attracts a very strong field and there is no question, we are going there for some hard work, Dyer affirmed.

“The racing is a bonus but it is very much a part of the hard work we plan to do.”

The team travelling to Cottbus is the largest team that Great Britain has ever taken to the event and is testament to the value placed on this summer.

“It is virtually everybody travelling because obviously from a home nations point of view, the Commonwealth Games has got a lot of riders competing who are on the squad and are riding for Scotland, England and Wales so that keeps our remit fairly broad at this time,” explained Dyer

“In addition to that, there are the under-23 European track championships in Portugal where we have got a few riders who will figure as well. It is probably the largest squad we have ever taken to Cottbus by a fair margin.”

This will be the last race outing the team will have before some fine tuning at their home stomping ground in Manchester prior to hitting the boards at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome on 24 July in Glasgow.

“We will be using the concrete surface in Cottbus for a bit of resistance work to train speed and power. When we get back to Manchester we are just looking to refine our speed and length and taper into the event in our familiar surroundings.

“I guess we’ll see what that nets us when we get to Glasgow.”

Great Britain will race at the Cottbus Sprintercup on the 21 and 22 June and the Sprint Grand Prix the following Friday and Saturday.

Great Britain Cycling Team squad for the Sprintercup and Sprint Grand Prix meetings in Cottbus, Germany

Men

Matt Crampton
Kian Emadi
Philip Hindes
Jason Kenny
Lewis Oliva
Callum Skinner

Women

Rosie Blount
Becky James
Dannielle Khan
Katy Marchant
Jess Varnish
Vicky Williamson