Three Welsh riders will head to Andorra for the UCI MTB World Championships. Manon Carpenter and Mike Jones will be looking for success in the Mountain Bike Downhill Championship, whilst Ffion James will compete in the junior women's event in the Mountain Bike Cross Country Championship.
British Cycling has today 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.”
If you're interested in getting involved in cycling this summer, check out our holiday activities across Wales.
Great Britain Cycling Team:
MTB XCO
Elite Women
- Annie Last
U23 Men
- Grant Ferguson
- Iain Paton
U23 Women
- Alice Barnes
Junior Men
- Fraser Clacherty
- Mark Mcguire
- Thomas Craig
- Will Gascoyne
Junior Women
- Evie Richards
- Ffion James
MTB DHI
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
