Sir Chris Hoy, Victoria Pendleton and Ed Clancy have been named as part of Great Britain's 17-rider team heading to Apeldoorn, Netherlands, for the 2011 UCI Track Cycling World Championships later this month (March 23-27).
Hoy (keirin), Pendleton (sprint) and Clancy (omnium) will all bid to defend the world championships titles they won in 2010, and they join a strong sprint and endurance line-up with most of Britain's top names in attendance.
Sam Harrison, Laura Trott and Dani King will make their senior Worlds debut at the event. Harrison was the revelation of the Beijing round of the 2010/11 track world cup, winning the omnium at his first attempt.
King and Trott join established, world cup-winning endurance riders Wendy Houvenaghel, Lizzie Armitstead and Joanna Rowsell. Houvenaghel and Rowsell were two thirds of the recent Manchester world cup winning team pursuit trio alongside Sarah Storey.
Olympic puruist champion Rebecca Romero has not been selected for the team - she missed riding in Manchester due to injury.
As expected, men's team pursuit stars Bradley Wiggins and Geraint Thomas will not take part. They are currently in the midst of early-season commitments on the road. Wiggins placed third overall at Paris-Nice on Sunday.
Only five male endurance riders have been selected - Clancy, Harrison, Steven Burke, Pete Kennaugh and Andy Tennant. This indicates a focus on the key Olympic endurance disciplines of the team pursuit and omnium after the individual pursuit, madison and points race were scrapped from the 2012 schedule.
"These World Championships are a further stepping stone towards the Olympic Games in London," said Team GB operformance director Dave Brailsford.
"Whilst the team is building momentum there's still plenty left in the tank. There's a great mood in the camp and the riders are very much enjoying the process of competing.
"For us it's a real positive to be going into the World Championships as the hunters rather than the hunted - the pressure is really on the Australians and the French to deliver, and it's a nice feeling for us to be going out there as the challengers."
Great Britain: Riders for 2011 Track World Champs
Women's Sprint
Becky James, Victoria Pendleton, Jess Varnish
Women's Endurance
Lizzie Armitstead, Wendy Houvenaghel, Dani King, Joanna Rowsell, Laura Trott
Men's Sprint
Matt Crampton, Ross Edgar, Sir Chris Hoy, Jason Kenny
Men's Endurance
Steven Burke, Ed Clancy, Sam Harrison, Pete Kennaugh, Andy Tennant
Related links
Manchester track world cup 2011: Cycling Weekly's coverage index
I'm not into cake stops - but - I made an exception to rate five British delicacies in one ride
The Rugby Flyer flies again: the story of the first sub-hour '25' time trial
