Cavendish heads British Cycling's Worlds long list

Mark Cavendish wins, London-Surrey Cycle Classic 2011

Mark Cavendish heads British Cycling's long list of riders to represent Great Britain at the 2011 road world championships in Copenhagen, Denmark, over September 19-25.

Britain qualified for eight places in the men's road race event, and Cavendish is spearheading the country's bid for the world title. He will be backed by one of the strongest British squads ever seen at the championships on a course that suits the Manxman's explosive sprint finish.

The women's road race team is equally as strong, with Emma Pooley, reigning Olympic champion Nicole Cooke and Lizzie Armitstead among those vying for a place on the seven-woman team.

Current Vuelta a Espana overall leader Bradley Wiggins will contest the men's time trial alongside 2010 runner-up David Millar and on-form Alex Dowsett.

British time trial multi-champion Julia Shaw has been selected alongside current world champion Emma Pooley and Sharon Laws in the women's time trial.

"This is the biggest team we've taken to a Road World Championships demonstrating the continuous progression of road racing in the UK," said British Cycling performance manager David Brailsford.

"It's great to see the positive impact that Team Sky has had on young developing riders, with Geraint Thomas, Chris Froome, Pete Kennaugh and Alex Dowsett all being long-listed.

"We are heading to the road Worlds with serious aspirations this year. The long-listed team will be narrowed down over the next week, and everyone on the team - both riders and support staff - is excited about the event."

Cavendish abandoned the Vuelta a Espana on stage four due to an unspecified illness, which has raised questions over his racing fitness going into the world championships. There is still a chance that he may ride the Tour of Britain (September 11-18) as last-minute preparation for the Worlds.

Cavendish won the London-Surrey Cycle Classic Olympic test event on August 14 in Great Britain colours, seen by many as a dry run for the Worlds as much as a leg tester for next year's Games.

Elite Men's Road Race (Eight places)

Mark Cavendish

Steve Cummings

Alex Dowsett

Chris Froome

Jeremy Hunt

Pete Kennaugh

Dan Lloyd

David Millar

Ian Stannard

Ben Swift

Geraint Thomas

Bradley Wiggins

Elite Men's Time Trial (Two places)

Alex Dowsett

David Millar

Bradley Wiggins

Elite Women's Road Race (Seven places)

Lizzie Armitstead

Katie Colclough

Nicole Cooke

Catherine Hare

Nikki Harris

Sharon Laws

Lucy Martin

Emma Pooley

Emma Trott

Elite Women's Time Trial (Three places)

Sharon Laws

Emma Pooley

Julia Shaw

U23 Men's Road Race (Five/six places - to be confirmed after Nations Cup)

Mark Christian

Andy Fenn

Jonny McEvoy

Dan McLay

Mark McNally

Tom Moses

Luke Rowe

Erick Rowsell

Scott Thwaites

Simon Yates

U23 Men's Time Trial (Two places)

Mark Christian

Joe Kelly

Erick Rowsell

Junior Men's Road Race (Five places)

Owain Doull

Jon Dibben

Grant Ferguson

Matthew Holmes

Sam Lowe

Alistair Slater

Junior Men's Time Trial (Two places)

Owain Doull

Jon Dibben

Junior Women's Road Race (Four places)

Elinor Baker

Hannah Barnes

Lucy Garner

Amy Roberts

Junior Women's Time Trial (Two places)

Elinor Barker

Hannah Barnes

Related links

Britain up to seventh in UCI World Rankings

Cavendish previews Copenhagen Worlds course

Project Rainbow Jersey: Britain's bid for Worlds title

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Nigel Wynn
Former Associate Editor

Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.