Tuesday 7 October 2014 15:20, UK
Great Britain have selected a mix of experience and youth for next week's European Track Championships in Guadeloupe.
Laura Trott, Joanna Rowsell, Elinor Barker, Katie Archibald and Ciara Horne will form part of a strong women’s endurance line-up, but both Becky James and four-time national champion Jess Varnish are absent from the women’s sprint team, with Rosie Blount and Katy Marchant set to travel instead.
The men’s endurance squad is also near full strength, with Steven Burke and Sir Bradley Wiggins the only exceptions, but Jason Kenny and Philip Hindes have been omitted from the men’s sprint line-up.
Matt Crampton will be the older head in the trio, with Callum Skinner being selected as reward for his recent four national title wins and Lewis Oliva completing the team.
British Cycling technical director Shane Sutton said: “This European Championships marks the first opportunity for us to score Olympic qualification points for Rio and, as such, the squad as a whole is prepared and looking forward to this season’s racing.
“It’s good to see some new faces in the team, with Ciara Horne, who joined the Academy programme last month, making selection, as well as Mark Christian, who returns to the track team as a guest rider following his strong performance at the Commonwealth Games.”
The European Track Championships take place from October 16-19 in Guadeloupe, which is located in the Caribbean but belongs to France.
Men’s sprint: Matt Crampton, Lewis Oliva, Callum Skinner.
Women’s sprint: Rosie Blount, Katy Marchant.
Men’s endurance: Mark Christian, Ed Clancy, Jon Dibben, Owain Doull, Andy Tennant.
Women’s endurance: Katie Archibald, Elinor Barker, Ciara Horne, Joanna Rowsell, Laura Trott.
