Great Britain and Australia have both named strong line-ups for February's track cycling World Cup in London.
The event, at the Olympic Velodrome, is set to become an early chance to see the likely squads for the 2012 Games.
Sir Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton lead the British team while Anna Meares and Jack Bobridge star for Australia.
GB chief Dave Brailsford called the event a "learning opportunity" ahead of the Games, adding: "We have selected a full-strength squad accordingly."
His Australian counterpart, Kevin Tabotta, said: "This will be our only opportunity to race on the Olympic Velodrome and familiarise both athletes and staff with the environment ahead of the Games.
"We are on target to qualify the maximum [number of] track places for the Games, so the focus now it to ensure we are in the best possible position to win medals in London."
Ross Edgar, earlier suggested as a doubt for London's leg of the World Cup series as he recovers from injury, is named in the British sprint squad and is now likely to form the GB men's sprint team alongside Hoy and Jason Kenny.
"With the Olympics being on that track later in the year, it's obviously going to be important for everyone," said Olympic and world champion Kenny.
"It would be nice to turn up there in form, be competitive and get stuck into the racing to get a feel for the place."
With Bradley Wiggins opting to focus on road cycling, Geraint Thomas will lead the British men's pursuit squad.
Laura Trott, Dani King and Wendy Houvenaghel, who won Britain's only world title last year - until Kenny's retrospective promotion to gold early in January - are reunited alongside Joanna Rowsell in the women's pursuit line-up.
Pendleton and Jess Varnish resume their quest to better Australian rivals Meares and Kaarle McCulloch in the women's sprint events, a contest won in style by Australia at the last world championships, where Meares picked up gold in the sprint, team sprint and keirin.
Bobridge returns to the Australian men's pursuit team, also world champions, to line up against the British.
SOURCE:http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/16814607
No comments:
Post a Comment