With the UCI track world championships starting just six days for now, the British team has suffered a setback with the loss of talented endurance rider Lizzie Armitstead from the lineup.
British Cycling has confirmed that 22 year old Armitstead “will not be attending the UCI Track Cycling World Championships due to a side strain. The team doctor has confirmed that she is responding well to treatment and a full recovery is expected, but not in time for the World Championships.”
Armitstead was one of the best medal hopes on the team, having won track World Cup events plus European championships in the past. In 2009 she was part of the winning team pursuit squad at the worlds, and picked up silver and bronze medals in the scratch and points races. She also rode well on the road, winning the best young rider classification in the women’s Giro d’Italia and taking the British under 23 title.
Last year she clocked up more track worlds medals, netting silver in the team pursuit and the omnium. She had a highly successful road season, with her victories including three stages and the point category in the Tour de l’Ardeche, stage six of La Route de France and a stage of the Tour de l’Aude. She was runner up to Emma Pooley in the British road race championships, defending her under 23 title, and was the silver medallist in the Commonwealth Games road race.
Armitstead’s place in the Omnium will be taken by the 18 year old Laura Trott. British Cycling will confirm the lineup for the women’s team pursuit next week.
Armistead will now concentrate on recovering for the road season. She is competing with the Garmin-Cervélo team this year and will have a chance to compete in many of the major women’s races.
Team lineup announced:
The other riders on the British Team were confirmed this week for the track worlds, which will take place in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands, from 23 – 27 March 2011.
The team will include three current World Champions, namely Chris Hoy (Keirin), Victoria Pendleton (Sprint) and Ed Clancy (Omnium). Three others will make their senior championship debut, including Trott, Sam Harrison and Dani King.
Notable absentees will be Olympic individual pursuit champion Rebecca Romero and Shanaze Reade, a former worlds gold medallist in the team sprint event.
British Cycling’s Performance Director Dave Brailsford said that the British riders would head to the worlds embracing a role which sees them less clearly defined as outright favourites than in the past. This is due to the recent success of other nations, including Australia, which dominated the Commonwealth Games track and road events.
“For us it’s a real positive to be going into the World Championships as the hunters rather than the hunted – the pressure is really on the Australians and the French to deliver, and it’s a nice feeling for us to be going out there as the challengers,” he stated.
“These World Championships are a further stepping stone towards the Olympic Games in London, and whilst the team is building momentum there’s still plenty left in the tank. There’s a great mood in the camp and the riders are very much enjoying the process of competing.”
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Great Britain squad for UCI world track championships in Apeldoorn:
Men’s Sprint:
Matt Crampton
Ross Edgar
Sir Chris Hoy
Jason Kenny
Men’s Endurance:
Steven Burke
Ed Clancy
Sam Harrison
Pete Kennaugh
Andy Tennant
Women’s Sprint:
Becky James
Victoria Pendleton
Jess Varnish
Women’s Endurance:
Wendy Houvenaghel
Dani King
Joanna Rowsell
Laura Trott