Top trio will miss out on world championships

BRITISH Cycling has named a 20-strong squad for next month’s UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Hong Kong — but Olympic champs Jason and Laura Kenny and Ed Clancy will miss the event.

Ten riders are in line to make their World Championship debuts, while Olympic champions Katie Archibald, Elinor Barker, Steven Burke and Callum Skinner add experience to the group.

Jason Kenny, who took his tally to six Olympic golds following three golds in Rio last summer, and his wife Laura announced last month they were expecting the birth of their first child, having married in September last year.

It was expected that Jason would miss the event, which runs from April 12 to 16, after taking an extended break post Rio.

British Cycling head coach Iain Dyer said: “The team is made up of a good mix of experienced and developing riders across all the disciplines.

“Throughout the earlier World Cups and at the UEC European Track Championships last year, there was a good opportunity to bring some new riders into the front line. They gave a really good account of themselves and that’s reflected in the selections we have made. I am looking forward to seeing them step up i nto world championship level competition.

“It is also great to have some of our Olympians in the squad. This year’s worlds will allow them to race different events which were not possible in previous years due to the focus on the Olympic events.

“This is particularly true for the endurance riders who can broaden their experience in the new format omnium plus the Madison, which both have the potential to feature in the Tokyo 2020 track cycling.”