Friday 19 December 2014 12:56, UK
Great Britain have named a youthful and inexperienced line-up for the third and final UCI Track Cycling World Cup of the season in Colombia next month.
The 16-strong squad is made up mainly of Olympic Academy Programme riders as senior names such as Jason Kenny and Laura Trott are spared the long trip to South America and allowed instead to prepare in Manchester for February’s world championships.
Jess Varnish and Matt Crampton are the highest-profile names in the team, which also includes guest riders Jonny Biggin, from Scotland, and Ellie Coster, from Wales.
Katy Marchant, meanwhile, will make her world cup debut after transferring from athletics to cycling last year.
British Cycling technical director Shane Sutton said: “I am pleased with how the team has performed so far in this world cup cycle and we are well on track as to where we want to be in terms of qualifying places for the Olympics.
“This has eased the pressure on us slightly and has enabled us to select a younger team for the final round, giving the academy an excellent opportunity to step up and race at this level.”
The third UCI Track Cycling World Cup will be held in Cali from January 16-18.
Men’s sprint: Jonny Biggin, Matt Crampton, Lewis Oliva.
Women’s sprint: Katy Marchant, Jess Varnish, Vicky Williamson.
Men’s endurance: Germain Burton, Matthew Gibson, Christopher Latham, Mark Stewart, Oliver Wood.
Women’s endurance (racing for Team USN): Ellie Coster, Emily Kay, Manon Lloyd, Emily Nelson, Amy Roberts.
