Clancy called up for GB trip
ED CLANCY has been included in the Great Britain squad for the UCI Track Cycling World Championships.
The 32-year-old former Holme Valley Wheelers rider is in the squad for the event which begins in Apeldoorn, Holland on February 28.
Olympic medal winner Clancy is a four-time world champion (in 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2012) and four-time European champion (in 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014) in the team pursuit.
Laura Kenny will return to competitive cycling just over six months after having her first child after being selected by for the championships.
The 25-year-old and her husband Jason Kenny – British cycling’s golden couple – have both been named in Britain’s squad for the event.
Laura, a four-time Olympic champion, and Jason, a six-time Olympic gold medallist, announced the arrival of their son Albert in August last year.
“So there we go.. I’m am excited to announce that I’m going back to where it all began. I have been selected to ride for GB at the world championships at the end of the month!” A post shared by Laura Kenny (@laurakenny31) on Feb 7, 2018 at 1:07am PST
Jason, 29, returned to competitive action in January, while Laura has been back in training for the past four months. However, such a swift return to racing for the latter is something of a surprise.
“I’m looking forward to getting back into the Great Britain skinsuit and racing at the world championships again,” said Laura, who will ride in the team pursuit.
“The last five months since Albie was born have been amazing and my life has changed a lot, but Jason and I are loving every minute of being parents.
“I returned to training about four months ago, and I’ve been really pleased and I guess a bit shocked by how fast my form has started to come back.”
It was in Apeldoorn that Laura Kenny won her first world title - in the team pursuit - at the 2011 World Championships.
“Every time the team line up for a race we want to win and the worlds will be no different, but I’m not putting too much pressure on myself in Apeldoorn,” she added.
“I’m interested to see how the team pursuit get on with racing against the world’s best again. It is all made even sweeter by being on the track where I won my first elite world title too!”
Jason Kenny won the team sprint alongside Phil Hindes, Ryan Owens and Jack Carlin at the national track championships at the end of January, but suggested then it would be a ‘stretch’ for him to make the squad for the worlds.
The Kennys are two of seven Olympic champions who will represent Britain at the event, with Hindes, Clancy, Katie Archibald, Elinor Barker and Callum Skinner also selected.
The squad includes a number of new faces. Ethan Hayter and Lauren Bate will make their world championship debuts, as will Dan Bigham and Charlie Tanfield, who are not part of the British Cycling programme but have impressed greatly while riding for Team KGF during the world cup season.
“The team from KGF and I couldn’t have asked for a better track season, we’ve already achieved our goals that we’ve set so I’d like to see how far I can take this at the world championships and the Commonwealth Games, if I’m selected,” said Tanfield, who won a world cup gold in the individual pursuit and in the team pursuit with KGF.
Archibald will be defending her rainbow jersey in the omnium, while Barker is the defending champion in the points race.