British Cycling has announced that Jonathan Tiernan-Locke has withdrawn from the Great Britain team for Sunday’s World Championship road race. The reason for the decision has not been specified, but it is another blow to the 28-year-old’s first troubled season at the top level of the sport.
After a tumultuous 2012 season for Continental team Endura Racing - which saw him win the Tours of the Méditerranéen and Haut Var in February, the Tour Alsace in July, and become the first home winner of the reincarnated Tour of Britain in September - Tiernan-Locke singed for Sky Procycling, but has struggled in his first year at the top level of the sport.
After a difficult spring and early summer, Tiernan-Locke took some time off, citing the increased training load of the WorldTour team as the primary cause of his problems. Returning to many of his old methods, his season restarted at the Vattenfall Cyclassics at the end of August; after working for teammate Chris Froome at the GP Québéc two weeks ago, the 28-year-old appeared to have found some form, but apparently not enough to ride Sunday’s World Championship race.
Tiernan-Locke’s 23-year-old Sky teammate Luke Rowe will take his place in the team, alongside 2011 World champion Mark Cavendish, Steve Cummings, Josh Edmondson, Tour de France winner Chris Froome, Ian Stannard, Geraint Thomas, and time trial silver medalist Bradley Wiggins.
British Cycling has also confirmed the six-man line up for Friday’s under-23 road race, five of whom finished this month’s Tour of Britain as part of the Great Britain team. The squad will be led by Devon stage winner and third overall Simon Yates, alongside twin brother Adam, Jon Dibben, Owain Doull and Ali Slater, with Joe Perrett as the one rider to have not ridden the Tour of Britain.
The Great Britain women’s team for Saturday’s women’s road race will fill just four of its six allocated places, after the withdrawal of former time trial World champion Emma Pooley, and the non-selection of Sharon Laws. British champion Lizzie Armitstead will be supported by 2011 and 2012 Junior World champion Lucy Garner - who is expected to gain valuable experience in her first senior Worlds - one sixth of Specialized-lululemon’s team time trial World championship team, Katie Colclough and British cyclocross champion Nikki Harris, whose experience will see her look after Armitstead in the nervous early laps of the race.
Great Britain teams for Toscana 2013 World Championship road races
Elite Men
Mark Cavendish, Steve Cummings, Josh Edmondson, Chris Froome, Luke Rowe, Ian Stannard, Geraint Thomas, Bradley Wiggins
Elite Women
Elizabeth Armitstead, Katie Colclough, Lucy Garner, Nikki Harris
Under-23 Men
Simon Yates, Adam Yates, Jon Dibben, Owain Doull, Joe Perrett, Ali Slater.