British Cycling has today announced the 18 riders who will represent the Great Britain Cycling Team at the forthcoming UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships which are set to take place in Dübendorf, Switzerland on 1st – 2nd February.
Lining up in the under-23 men’s event is Ben Tulett, last year’s junior world champion, along with Cameron Mason, Thomas Mein and Ben Turner, while in the under 23 women’s race the recently crowned elite National Champion Hattie Harnden and the European silver medallist Anna Kay have both made selection.
Junior national champions Rory McGuire and Millie Couzens have been selected to represent Great Britain, as have the silver medallists Oliver Stockwell and Josie Nelson and the bronze medallists Corran Carrick-Anderson and Anna Flynn. They will be joined by Ben Chilton, Joe Kiely and Maddie Wadsworth.
British Cycling’s cyclo-cross co-ordinator Matt Ellis said: “The squad which has been selected to represent the Great Britain Cycling Team in Dubendorf is a really interesting one, with lots of prospects and lots to look out for.
“On the elite side, we’ve seen Pidcock really get to grips with racing against the world’s best men this season and he’s very much looking to peak at these world championships, which I am confident he is capable of. It’s also great to see Evie back racing for us, she’s been incorporating a lot of cyclo-cross training into her mountain bike programme as these world championships are a big target for her.
“In the under-23 categories, we’ve seen some strong performances at international level this year and in particular I’ve seen Anna Kay really step up and grow in confidence. On the men’s side, Thomas Mein similarly has stepped up and his victory at the world cup in Tabor highlighted this.
“In the junior categories, we’ve got a real mix of background talent. As well as our out-and-out cyclo-cross riders, we have Millie Couzens and Oli Stockwell both joining us from British Cycling’s track endurance junior academy programme while Anna Flynn and Corran Carrick-Anderson are members of the mountain bike development squad. It’s great to see the number of riders within the squad who can transfer their skills across disciplines at such a high level.
“British Cycling has a history of success at world championships, and every year I see this legacy motivating the team on race day. I think we have some real potential again this year, and I look forward to seeing what the team can achieve.”
Tom Pidcock said: “Obviously, the world championships is the biggest cyclo-cross race on my calendar for the season, and I’ve been building up towards it so I know I’ll be there in good shape. I’ve marked up some good results lately and training is going well. There’s not been a race on this course before, and from what I know the weather could have a big effect on the race, but it’s the same for everyone so I’m not too worried I’m just looking forward to putting on the Great Britain jersey again and trying my best to do it proud.”
The Great Britain Cycling Team for the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships, Dübendorf:
Elite Men
Tom Pidcock
Elite Women
Beth Crumpton
Evie Richards
Under-23 Men
Cameron Mason
Thomas Mein
Ben Tulett
Ben Turner
Under-23 Women
Hattie Harnden
Anna Kay
Junior Men
Corran Carrick-Anderson
Ben Chilton
Joe Kiely
Rory McGuire
Oli Stockwell
Junior Women
Millie Couzens
Anna Flynn
Josie Nelson
Maddie Wadsworth
