No fewer than 30 Scottish cyclists have been selected for the Great Britian squad for the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.

Amongst the Scots making the grade are current World Champions Neah Evans, Neil Fachie OBE and Fin Graham, with all three looking to defend their titles at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome; Graham will then join the para-road squad down in Dumfries and Galloway as he goes in pursuit of more success. Of the contingent, 19 Scots will be taking part in the Mountain Bike events at Fort William and Glentress, with over 50% of the British Cross Country (XC) squad made up of Scottish riders.

Linlithgow’s Cameron Mason will join the Peebles’ Isla Short leading the Scots charge in the Elite Cross Country events, and of the prospect of these historic championships, Mason said:

“The Worlds are going to be insane! I want to make the most of them being right on my doorstep, which is why I am going to shoot for two disciplines: the Cross Country Olympic and Marathon.

“I can’t wait for these World Championships; they are going to be era-defining. We’re going to be looking back on this in 10 years’ time remembering when all the Worlds were in Scotland”.

Former Junior World Champion and Birmingham 2022 Team Scotland rider Charlie Aldridge, from Crieff, will be aiming to replicate his World title at Under-23 level, and will be joined by Perth-native Rory McGuire, West Lothian’s Sam Chisholm and Edinburgh’s Anna Flynn.

The Championships will see a celebration of local riders to the Tweed Valley, with Peebles Cycling Club alumni Ben Allan, Anna McGorum, Elena McGorum, Corran Carrick-Anderson and Emily Carrick-Anderson all making selection to the Great Britain squad in the Junior and Under-23 ranks. Scots Daisy Taylor and Rueben Oakley will also be in action in the junior cross-country races.

Fort William’s famous Aonach Mór has been the site for annual UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup events but will host the UCI MTB Downhill World Championships for the first time in sixteen years this August.

Fort-native Mikayla Parton will be representing Great Britain in the Elite women’s downhill events and looking forward to the prospect of racing on home trails next month, Parton had this to say:

“It’s so exciting for Fort William to be hosting the downhill events at the UCI World Championships in August and I’m so pleased to be on the Great Britain squad. I’ve learnt to ride bikes in Fort William and to be a part of such a big event on my doorstep is very special.”

Joining Parton in the Elite Women’s field is Louise-Anna Ferguson and Pheobe Gale, who have both produced excellent performance so far this season in the Downhill World Series circuit, while Greg Williamson will be the sole Scot in the Men’s Elite event.

Invernesian Aimi Kenyon will be joined by fellow Highlander Nina-Yves Cameron are the two Scots competing for success in the junior events. It’s been a breakthrough season for Kenyon who has been to the fore of Downhill World Series events all summer.

On the track, four-time World Champion Katie Archibald MBE will be competing in her ninth UCI World Championships but the first to take place in her native Scotland and will be looking regain the coveted rainbow jersey on her home track. She will team up with the aforementioned Evans in the Team Pursuit and possibly the Madison, with Aberdonian Evans defending her Points Race title.

Paisley’s Jack Carlin and Lauren Bell from Forres will be looking for success in the Sprint events. Carlin, who claimed two medals at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, will also be joined by Ali Fielding in the Team Sprint, whilst sixteen-time World Champion Fachie will once again ride the tandem with pilot Matt Rotherham, the pair chasing yet more silverware.

Mark Stewart has been selected for both Track and Road events, with the Dundonian producing several top performances on the road this season, while tandem pilot Jenny Holl will join Fin Graham in doubling up on both para-road and track events. Strathpeffer’s Graham will take part in the Men’s C3 Road Race and Time Trial, while Stirling’s Holl, who will be piloting Sophie Unwin, the pair having won two titles in France and Canada last year at the respective World Championships.

On the chance to compete on home roads next month, the former Stirling Bike Club rider said:

“The idea of riding a home Worlds is just unreal, and to have my friends and family come watch is just the dream. It’ll be so good for Sophie and me to defend our world titles at home.”

The road events will see Anna Shackley, off the back of her excellent ride at the Giro Donne in Italy, looking to fight for Under-23 Road Race glory. After an excellent fifth place in Wollongong last year, Shackley will look to home advantage as the Milngavie rider will aim to impress on the Balloch-Glasgow parcours.

It’s a similar story for Team DSM’s Sean Flynn who be looking to top off his first season as a WorldTour rider with a start in the Road Race. The men’s elite road race starts in his native Edinburgh before meandering its way through the Central Belt and entering a circuit around the centre of Glasgow. Callum Thornley is also named at U23 level. The final selections for the elite races will take place just before race day.

Reece Thomson will make history as he becomes the first BMX Flatland rider to compete in a UCI World Championships and Finn Johnstone will be in action in the BMX Trials events, both of which will take place at Glasgow Green.

We would also like to wish the very best of luck to the Scots competing in the BMX Challenge and Gran Fondo events, which will take place at Glasgow BMX Centre and in Tayside, respectively.

Of the 31 riders selected, Scottish Cycling’s Head of Performance and Coaching, David Somerville, said:

“Firstly I want to say congratulations to each and every one of those selected – being picked to ride at a home championships, and an inaugural one at that, is a special opportunity, that I know they’ll make the most of. Cycling in Scotland is certainly on the up, and we see that with the depth across the team, from the household names who we know are targeting rainbow jerseys, through to those making their debut at this level in the age-group race – this is just the start for them.

“I have no doubt all of our riders will leave no stone unturned in their final preparations, but also hope they can take pride in their selection, and soak in the atmosphere and use it to their advantage come competition day.”

Full list of riders:

Road (long list)

• Sean Flynn – Men’s Elite Road Race
• Mark Stewart – Men’s Elite Road Race
• Callum Thornley – Men’s U23 Road Race and Time Trial
• Anna Shackley – Women’s U23/Elite Road Race
• Michael Gill – Mixed Relay Time Trial

Para-Cycling Road

• Fin Graham – Men’s C3
• Jenny Holl (piloting Sophie Unwin) – Women’s B Tandem

Track

• Jack Carlin – Men’s Sprint
• Ali Fielding – Men’s Sprint
• Lauren Bell – Women’s Sprint
• Mark Stewart – Men’s Endurance
• Katie Archibald MBE – Women’s Endurance
• Neah Evans – Women’s Endurance

Para-Cycling Track

• Fin Graham – Men’s C3
• Jenny Holl (piloting Sophie Unwin) – Women’s B Tandem
• Neil Fachie OBE (with pilot Matt Rotherham) – Men’s B Tandem Sprint

BMX Freestyle Flatland

• Reece Thomson – Men’s Elite Flatland

MTB Cross Country

• Isla Short – Women’s Elite
• Cameron Mason – Men’s Elite
• Charlie Aldridge – Men’s Under 23
• Corran Carrick-Anderson – Men’s Under 23
• Sam Chisholm – Men’s Under 23
• Rory McGuire – Men’s Under 23
• Anna Flynn – Women’s Under 23
• Anna McGorum – Women’s Under 23
• Elena McGorum - Women’s Under 23
• Ben Allan – Men’s Junior
• Reuben Oakley – Men’s Junior
• Emily Carrick-Anderson – Women’s Junior
• Daisy Taylor – Women’s Junior

MTB Downhill

• Greg Williamson – Men’s Elite
• Phoebe Gale – Women’s Elite
• Louise Anna-Ferguson – Women’s Elite
• Mikayla Parton – Women’s Elite
• Nina-Yves Cameron – Women’s Junior
• Aimi Kenyon – Women’s Junior