British Cycling has confirmed the team of riders who will represent the Great Britain Cycling Team at the forthcoming UCI MTB World Championships in Vallnord, Andorra from 31 August-6 September.
The 29-strong team includes 2014 downhill world champions Gee Atherton and Manon Carpenter.
Both will face stiff competition from other British riders to retain their title, with Josh Bryceland, runner up to Atherton last year, named in the squad, while Rachel Atherton and Tahnee Seagrave are also selected having completed an all British podium alongside Carpenter in 2014.
Grant Ferguson will compete in the men’s cross-country U23 category and will be hoping to build on his recent second place at the recent European Championships, while Alice Barnes is selected following her recent podium finish in the U23 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup cross-country series in Canada.
Annie Last will compete in the elite women’s race.
British Cycling technical director, Shane Sutton, said: “We’ve selected a strong squad for this year’s World Championships with some experienced riders in the downhill categories especially. We’re enjoying a golden age of downhill racing in this country and I hope to see this continue at the worlds.
“We also have some talented young riders who’ve made the team. Grant Ferguson and Alice Barnes have enjoyed some excellent results so far in 2015 and will be hoping to carry that form into the biggest event of the year, and we know what Annie Last is capable of when she produces her best form. I wish them all luck in their races.”
Great Britain Cycling Team for the 2015 UCI MTB World Championships
Mountain bike cross-country
Elite women
Annie Last
Under-23 men
Grant Ferguson
Iain Paton
Under-23 women
Alice Barnes
Junior men
Fraser Clacherty
Mark Mcguire
Thomas Craig
Will Gascoyne
Junior women
Evie Richards
Ffion James
Mountain bike downhill
Elite men
Gee Atherton (automatic as reigning world champion)
Mike Jones
Josh Bryceland
Danny Hart
Matt Simmonds
Sam Dale
Brendan Fairclough
Bernard Kerr
Elite women
Manon Carpenter (automatic as reigning world champion)
Rachel Atherton
Tahnee Seagrave
Katy Curd
Junior men
Laurie Greenland
Frazer McCubbing
Bradley Swinbank
Neil Stewart
Elliot Heap
Charlie Hatton
James Purvis