Great Britain 2012 Olympic cycling team announced
The full list of 18 cyclists representing Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympic Games has been announced.
There are no great surprises in the list, with defending Olympic champions Sir Chris Hoy, Victoria Pendleton, Geraint Thomas, Ed Clancy, Bradley Wiggins, Jason Kenny and Nicole Cooke all included.
Expectation is high of a huge home medal haul in the cycling events after Team GB came back from Beijing in 2008 with a total of 14 cycling medals, eight of them gold.
Millar included in road line-up
David Millar is included in the list of riders for the road disciplines. Millar announced that he would make himself available for Olympic selection earlier this month after the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned the British Olympic Association's lifetime ban for athletes convicted of doping. Millar previously served a suspension from competition after admitting to taking banned blood booster EPO.
Millar will support Mark Cavendish in his bid to win gold in the men's road race, the first cycling event in the 2012 Olympic programme on July 28.
The list of male road riders includes Britain's most decorated Olympic cyclist, Bradley Wiggins plus Steve Cummings, Chris Froome, Jeremy Hunt, Ian Stannard and Ben Swift. Only five riders in this list may take part in the race - the final selection will be made nearer the race.
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Bradley Wiggins and Emma Pooley will spearhead Britain's bid for a medal in the time trial events. Pooley won silver in 2008, and Wiggins switches focus from track to road having already won six Olympic medals on the boards, three of them gold. Wiggins goes into the 2012 Games directly after his bid to win the Tour de France overall. If in the final selection, it is likely that Millar will also ride in the time trial.
Both defending champion Nicole Cooke and Lizzie Armitstead have been selected in the women's road race. Katie Colclough, Sharon Laws, Lucy Martin and Emma Pooley are on the list. Four British women will part part in the road race.
Proven track talent
The British track team is a mix of old and new talent - all of them world class. Every rider included has a realistic hope of appearing on an Olympic podium this summer.
Both the men's and women's team pursuit squads need little introduction, and will both be solid prospects for a gold medal as well as the likely chance of setting new Olympic and world records in the fast London velodrome. Geraint Thomas, Ed Clancy, Steven Burke, Peter Kennaugh and Andy Tennant make up the pool of men's endurance riders, with Wendy Houvenaghel, Danielle King, Joanna Rowsell and Laura Trott in the women's.
"I am over the moon to be officially named as part of Team GB for the Olympic Games," said Rowsell. "This will be my first Olympics and I have been working towards this event for the last seven years. It makes it even more special that it will be held so close to home - this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I can't wait to get racing."
Clancy and Trott will bid for gold in the newly-introduced omnium discipline and will double-up with duty in their respective team pursuit squads.
Sir Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton will bow out of Olympic competition this year, and will be gunning to go out on a high. Both riders have three chances of a gold medal in the track sprint, team sprint and keirin disciplines. Jason Kenny, Jessica Varnish and 19-year-old Philip Hindes complete the GB sprint line-ups.
BMX and MTB selections
Despite fracturing his collarbone in the recent world championships in Birmingham, Liam Phillips has been selected for the BMX event alongside former world champion Shanaze Reade.
Annie Last and Liam Killeen will make a bid for the podium at the testing mountain bike cross-country circuit in Hadleigh Farm, Essex. It's Last's first Games, but Killeen's third having placed seventh and fifth in his last two Olympic outings.
The London 2012 Olympic Games run from July 27 to August 12.
Team GB London 2012 cycling line-up
Click on a rider's name to read a full profile
Road (men - five will take part)
Mark Cavendish
Steve Cummings
Chris Froome
Jeremy Hunt
David Millar
Ian Stannard
Ben Swift
Bradley Wiggins
Road (women - four will take part)
Lizzie Armitstead
Katie Colclough
Nicole Cooke
Sharon Laws
Lucy Martin
Emma Pooley
Track (sprint men)
Philip Hindes
Sir Chris Hoy
Jason Kenny
Track (endurance men)
Steven Burke
Edward Clancy
Peter Kennaugh
Andrew Tennant
Geraint Thomas
Track (sprint women)
Victoria Pendleton
Jessica Varnish
Track (endurance women)
Wendy Houvenaghel
Danielle King
Joanna Rowsell
Laura Trott
BMX (men)
Liam Phillips
BMX (women)
Shanaze Reade
Mountain bike (men)
Liam Killeen
Mountain bike (women)
Annie Last
Related links
London 2012 Olympic Games cycling schedule
Cycling Weekly's Olympic Games news section
Cycling Weekly's Essential Fan's Guide to Cycling at the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games is on sale now at WHSmith, major supermarkets, all good newsagents and the Cycling Weekly online shop priced £9.99. Full contents list>>
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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.