The British teams for the 2018 World Championships in Austria have been confirmed, with Simon and Adam Yates headlining the elite men’s squad.
Simon Yates, the current leader of the Vuelta a España, and Mitchelton-Scott team-mate Adam have both made selection for the men’s road race on September 30.
Also named in the team is Tour of Britain stage winner Ian Stannard (Team Sky) and the reigning British champion Connor Swift from Madison-Gensis.
>>> UCI Road World Championships 2018: dates, route, where to watch and more
The women’s team also features big names, including Dani Rowe and Hannah Barnes.
British Cycling performance director Stephen Park said: “British riders have excelled themselves on the road this season at all levels and it’s been a pleasure to watch them in action.
“We’ve selected a strong team to take on this year’s world championships, and there’s a lot of talent within the squad.
"It’s great to see so many WorldTour riders on our start list but equally, it shows what a great place we are in as a nation to be able to give riders such as Hugh Carthy, Connor Swift, Dani Christmas, Alice Cobb and Anna Henderson the opportunity to make their debut appearance at world championship level for the Great Britain Cycling Team.”
Also taking to the start line in the Union Jack kit will be Hugh Carthy (EF Education First-Drapac), Pete Kennaugh (Bora-Hansgrohe), James Knox from Quick-Step Floors, and Team Sky’s Tao Geoghegan Hart.
The obvious omissions from the men’s road race and time trial squads are Team Sky’s Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas.
Both Tour de France winners announced earlier this month they will not be riding the Worlds after a brutal race calendar that included wins in both the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France.
Mr Park added: “Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas are obvious omissions from the men’s team, and this was a decision we made mutually. Given the challenging nature of the course, we want every rider selected to be able to give their 100% to the team, and on the back of what has been an incredible season for both Gee and Froomey, it’s understandable they are unable to commit to this.
“I’m looking for us to carry on the momentum of this season into Innsbruck and I’m expecting to see some good performances in each race. We can then build on this in 2019 when the world championships come to Yorkshire and we can look forward to competing on our home roads.”
The two riders selected for the men’s time trial will be Alex Dowsett (Katusha-Alpecin) and Geoghagen Hart, while the women will be represented by Alice Barnes (Canyon-Sram) and Hayley Simmonds (WNT).
2018 UCI World Championships British team
Elite Men’s Road Race:
Hugh Carthy
Tao Geoghegan Hart
Pete Kennaugh
James Knox
Ian Stannard
Connor Swift
Adam Yates
Simon Yates
Elite Men’s Time Trial:
Alex Dowsett
Tao Geoghagen Hart
Elite Women’s Road Race:
Hannah Barnes
Dani Christmas
Alice Cobb
Anna Henderson
Dani Rowe
Sophie Wright
Elite Women’s Time Trial:
Alice Barnes
Hayley Simmonds
Under-23 Men’s Road Race:
Mark Donovan
Ethan Hayter
James Shaw
Max Stedman
Stephen Williams
Under 23 Men’s Time Trial:
Ethan Hayter
Charlie Tanfield
Junior Men’s Road Race:
Lewis Askey
Alfie George
Mason Hollyman
Ben Tulett
Sam Watson
Junior Men’s Time Trial:
Joe Laverick
Ben Tulett
Junior Women’s Road Race:
Elynor Backstedt
Pfeiffer Georgi
Amy Monkhouse
Amelia Sharpe
April Tacey
Junior Women’s Time Trial:
Pfeiffer Georgi
Elynor Backstedt
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