Tour of Britain stars to feature in Mark Cavendish’s rainbow jersey defence
After releasing the long lists last week, British Cycling has announced the final line ups for the Great Britain team at the road World championships, to be contested in Limburg, Netherlands, between September 15th and 23rd. The Elite Men’s team will be headed by defending champion Mark Cavendish (Team Sky), although the hilly course around Valkenburg – which will finish shortly after the famous Cauberg climb – will not suit the strengths of the Manx sprinter.
As well as the big stars of British cycling, like Team Sky’s Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins and runner-up Chris Froome, the team will also include a number of riders that have performed in recent races, including the currently ongoing Tour of Britain. Vuelta a España stage winner Steve Cummings (BMC Racing) will be in the team as well as Britain stage winner Luke Rowe (Team Sky), and Jonathan Tiernan-Locke (Endura Racing), who took the gold jersey in today’s stage.
With Team Sky dominating the team, it will be completed by British time trial champion Alex Dowset, road race champion Ian Stannard, and sprinter Ben Swift; Dowsett and Froome were already conformed as riding the time trial, with Olympic champion Wiggins choosing to sit the event out.
The women’s team will be built around the talents of Olympic silver medallist Lizzie Armitstead and 2010 World time trial champion Emma Pooley (both AA Drink-Leontien.nl), and 2008 World and Olympic champion Nicole Cooke (Faren-Honda). Armitstead and Pooley will be joined by teammate Sharon Laws, with Katie Colclough (Specialized-lululemon) and cyclocross specialist Nikki Harris (Telenet-Fidea), who rides her first road Worlds since she crashed out of the 2009 Mendrisio race.
Pooley will also contest the time trial, along with national champion Wendy Houvenaghel.
The Under-23 Men’s will also include stars from the Tour of Britain, with Josh Edmondson and Simon Yates both finishing strongly in Caerphilly today, with Scott Thwaites taking the third place.
Elite Men’s road race
Mark Cavendish, Steve Cummings, Alex Dowsett, Chris Froome, Luke Rowe, Ian Stannard, Ben Swift, Jon Tiernan-Locke and Bradley Wiggins
Elite Men’s time trial
Alex Dowsett and Chris Froome
Elite Women’s road race
Lizzie Armitstead, Katie Colclough, Nicole Cooke, Nikki Harris, Sharon Laws and Emma Pooley
Elite Women’s time trial
Wendy Houvenaghel and Emma Pooley
U23 Men’s road race
Josh Edmondson, Scott Thwaites and Simon Yates
U23 Men’s time trial
Sam Harrison and Joe Perret
Junior Men’s road race
Germain Burton, Jon Dibben. Tao Geoghegan Hart, Chris Lawless, Alex Peters and Will Stephenson
Junior Men’s time trial
Jon Dibben and Tao Geoghegan Hart
Junior Women’s road race
Elinor Barker, Lucy Garner, Emily Kay, Jessie Walker and Molly Weaver
Junior Women’s time trial
Elinor Barker