British Cycling has today announced the 14 riders who will compete across the road race and time-trial events in the UCI Para-Cycling World Championships in Baie-Comeau, Canada, from Thursday 11 to Sunday 14 August.

Reigning Paralympic and world champion, Dame Sarah Storey, will be aiming to add to her 11 world titles, and will compete in both events. Joining her in the C5 category will be current national champion, Morgan Newberry. Daphne Schrager will compete in the C3 road race and time trial, with the aim of replicating her podium success from last year’s World Championships, while Fran Brown competes in C1.

In the women’s tandem races, after competing for their respective home nations at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, Sophie Unwin and pilot Jenny Holl will be reunited and looking to retain their road race world title, and hopefully add a time-trial gold to their collection.

In the men’s events, new pairing Chris McDonald and pilot Adam Duggleby will contest the MB events, while Felix Barrow and Matthew Robertson will compete for rainbow jerseys in the T2 and C2 categories, respectively.

Double Paralympic gold medalist Ben Watson will line up for the C3 events, as will Tokyo silver medalist Fin Graham. Current time-trial world champion George Peasgood will compete in both C4 events, while Matthew Faucher will line up in both H5 hand-cycling events.

Hand-cyclists Luke Jones and Alex Brooke-Turner were selected in the H3 and H4 categories respectively but have sadly withdrawn from the competition due to medical reasons.

Great Britain Cycling Team Performance Director, Stephen Park CBE, said:

“We have an incredibly talented squad of para-cyclists, and going into the UCI Para-Cycling Road World Championships with five reigning world champions, some in more than one discipline, really highlights the success we’ve enjoyed at this event over recent years.

“After recent World Cup successes across the team, I am excited to see what our returning athletes will deliver, as well as how riders competing in their debut world championships measure up at this level.”

Para-cycling pathway changes

This will be the Great Britain Cycling Team’s first para-cycling world championships since Tokyo and represents the start of a new era for the squad, following a number of changes to the coaching team over recent months.

Following her retirement from the team Helen Scott has transitioned into a new Paralympic Foundation Coach role, while David Daniell has joined from Scottish Cycling as Paralympic WCP Coach following Tom Hodgkinson’s move to British Triathlon. In the talent development pathway, Joel Enoch and Emma Pitt have joined to identify new and emerging talent to bring into the Paralympic pathway.

Park added:

“With now only two years to the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games I’m really pleased that Helen Scott and David Daniell have both settled quickly into their roles, providing coaching and support to help our riders fulfil their potential.

“There’s a huge focus on strengthening the para-cycling pathway across British Cycling, whether that’s in our grassroots clubs, national series or talent development activities. We’re delighted to have Joel and Emma on board to support this work, and look forward to watching another exciting generation of riders progress to representing Great Britain in LA and beyond.”

Full squad

Men

Matthew Robertson (MC2)

Finlay Graham (MC3)

Ben Watson (MC3)

George Peasgood (MC4)

Matthew Faucher (MH5)

Felix Barrow (MT2)

Women

Fran Brown (WC1)

Daphne Schrager (WC3)

Dame Sarah Storey (WC5)
Morgan Newberry (WC5)

Tandem

Sophie Unwin piloted by Jenny Holl (WB)

Chris McDonald piloted by Adam Duggleby (MB)