The world’s best mountain bikers will descend upon the Czech Republic from 29 June-3 July for the 2016 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships.
Nove Mesto na Morave plays host to the five-day event which features cross-country, eliminator and relay events.
Eight riders have been selected for the Great Britain Cycling Team across five age and gender categories.
Team
Grant Ferguson continues his elevation to elite competition in the Czech Republic with his first taste of the senior world championships.
The 22-year-old battled to under-23 bronze in Andorra at last year’s world championships and recently achieved a career best 15th in the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Albstadt, Germany last month.
Currently ranked 45th in the UCI rankings, Ferguson will be keen to ensure another top-20 finish.
Under-23 cyclo-cross world champion Evie Richards will compete in the under-23 women’s race, looking to continue her excellent form in 2016.
The Malvern teenager won back-to-back under-23 world cup silver medals and has been unbeatable in the British Cycling MTB Cross-country Series this season.
Richards is joined in the under-23 women’s race by non-programme rider Beth Crumpton. The 22-year-old has been called up following a consistent season in the British Cycling MTB Cross-country Series and on the world cup circuit.
Iain Paton completes the Great Britain Cycling Team line-up in the under-23 category. Paton took 31st in the UEC European Mountain Bike Championships in Sweden in May and was part of the team relay squad that finished fifth.
European champion Sophie Wright heads up the junior entrants in the Czech Republic.
The 17-year-old dominated in Huskvarna and will be looking to add world honours to her European title. She is joined by Emily Wadsworth in the junior women’s race, with Will Gascoyne and Cameron Orr in the junior men’s event.
Competition
All eyes will be on Switzerland’s Nino Schurter in the elite men’s race. Schurter is the reigning world champion and sits top of the UCI rankings with two world cup wins in 2016.
2014 world champion and two-time Olympic champion Julien Absalon will be keen to regain his title. The Frenchman, currently ranked second, is joined by compatriot Maxime Marotte, third in the rankings.
Reigning Olympic champion Jaroslav Kulhavy is also one-to-watch in his home country. The Czech rider has two top five finishes at world cup stages in 2016.
The main competition for Evie Richards in the under-23 women’s race will come from Swiss rider Sina Frei. The European champion pipped Richards to gold in successive world cup rounds in 2016 and is joined by reigning under-23 women’s champion, her international team-mate Ramona Forchini.
Entry lists
Venue
Cross-country course
Team relay course
Schedule (UK time)
Friday 1 July
2pm: Junior women’s cross-country
4pm: Junior men’s cross-country
Saturday 2 July
10am: Under-23 men’s cross-country
2pm: Elite women’s cross-country
Sunday 3 July
10am: Under-23 women’s cross-country
2pm: Elite men’s cross-country
How to follow
- Updates will appear @BritishCycling on Twitter
- A report from each day will appear on the British Cycling website
- Follow the official event hashtag using #XCOWorlds
