Eight Olympic Champions will represent Team England in cycling this summer.
The 31-strong squad of cyclists who will represent Team England at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow has today been confirmed by Commonwealth Games England at the National Cycling Centre in Manchester.
Olympic champions Laura Trott, Joanna Rowsell, Dani King, Ed Clancy, Steven Burke, Jason Kenny and Philip Hindes, as well as Matt Crampton who won a silver medal in the team sprint at the 2006 Games in Melbourne, are amongst the riders who are selected to ride the track events taking place at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome from 24 – 27 July.
Para-sport cycling makes its debut on the Commonwealth Games track programme, with 2014 two-time world champion Sophie Thornhill selected to represent Team England, piloted by Helen Scott.
Sir Bradley Wiggins (top of page) makes selection for the road team, as does Alex Dowsett who won the silver medal in the Time Trial in Delhi 2010 and Steve Cummings who enjoyed Commonwealth Games victory on the track in the team pursuit in Melbourne 2006. Representing the women is Delhi 2010 silver medallist Lizzie Armitstead who is joined by a strong team of riders including road professionals Emma Pooley and Lucy Garner.
Olympian Annie Last headlines the mountain bike squad.
Laura Trott said: "I'm delighted to be representing England at the Commonwealth Games in August. Nothing beats putting on national kit and competing for your home nation. I'll try my best to do everyone proud!"
Ed Clancy said: “I’m proud to have made selection for the England team at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. My first Commonwealth Games was in Melbourne 2006, it was my first major Games and it was a valuable experience for me as an athlete. The racing is always of a very high standard and it would be great to add a Commonwealth Games medal to the collection.”
Lizzie Armitstead said: “It’s always an honour to be selected to represent your country, and I’m proud to be a part of the England team. I won the British national road race in Glasgow last year which took in part of the Commonwealth Games course. The crowds were amazing then so I’m sure this summer will be something else.”
Team England Chef de Mission Jan Paterson said: "This cycling team is undoubtedly the best we have ever seen selected for Team England. To have eight Olympic Champions line up alongside previous Commonwealth Games medallists and some supremely talented younger athletes is genuinely exciting for us. Whether it’s on the track, the road or at the mountain bike course cycling fans are in for a treat when Team England are competing."
Technical Director Shane Sutton said of the selection: “I believe we have selected a very strong team for this year’s Commonwealth Games, and it’s great that we have such a talented pool of English cyclists to select from.
"It’s also promising to see some of our young academy riders, such as Danni Khan, also make selection for something as big as the Commonwealths. I speak on behalf of all the team when I say we can’t wait for the racing to begin in Glasgow.”
The team in full is as follows:
Women’s Track Endurance
Lizzie Armitstead (dob: 18/12/1988; born: Otley, West Yorkshire; lives: Monaco)
Dani King (dob: 21/11/1990; born: Southampton; lives: Cardiff/Manchester)
Joanna Rowsell (dob: 05/12/1998; born: Cheam, Surrey; lives: Manchester)
Laura Trott (dob: 24/04/1992; born: Harlow, Essex; lives: Manchester)
Men’s Track Endurance
Steven Burke (dob: 04/03/1998; born: Colne, Lancashire; lives: Colne, Lancashire)
Ed Clancy (dob: 12/03/1985; born: Holmfirth, Yorkshire; lives: Holmfirth, Yorkshire)
Jon Dibben (dob: 12/02/1994; born: Southampton; lives: Stockport)
Andy Tennant (dob: 09/03/1987; born: Wolverhampton; lives: Cheshire)
Women’s Track Sprint
Dannielle Khan (dob: 01/09/1995; born: Solihull; lives: Stockport)
Jess Varnish (dob: 19/11/1990; born: Bromsgrove; lives: Cheshire)
Vicky Williamson (dob: 15/09/1993; born: Norfolk; lives: Cheshire)
Men’s Track Sprint
Matt Crampton (dob: 23/05/1986; born: Manchester; lives: Cheshire)
Kian Emadi (dob: 29/07/1992; born: Stoke-on-Trent; lives: Cheshire)
Philip Hindes (dob: 22/09/1992; born: Krefield, Germany; lives: Manchester)
Jason Kenny (dob: 23/03/1988; born: Bolton; lives: Manchester)
Para Cycling Tandem
Sophie Thornhill (dob: 09/02/1996; born: Stockport; lives Stockport)
Helen Scott (pilot) (dob: 25/07/1990; born: Halesowen, Birmingham; lives: Manchester)
Women’s Mountain Bike
Alice Barnes (dob: 17/07/1995; born: Northamptonshire; lives: Stockport)
Beth Crumpton (dob: 10/06/1994; born: Worcestershire; lives: Stoockport)
Annie Last (dob: 07/09/1990; born: Derbyshire; lives: Derbyshire)
Men’s Mountain Bike
David Fletcher (dob: 27/02/1989; born: Nottinghamshire; lives: Nottinghamshire)
Paul Oldham (dob: 05/09/1977; born: Colne, Lancashire; lives: Colne, Lancashire)
Women’s Road
Lizzie Armitstead (dob: 18/12/1988; born: Otley, West Yorkshire; lives: Monaco)
Hannah Barnes (dob: 04/05/1993; born: Northamptonshire; lives: USA)
Lucy Garner (dob: 20/09/1994; born: Leicestershire; lives: Belgium)
Dani King (dob: 21/11/1990; born: Southampton; lives: Cardiff/Manchester)
Emma Pooley (dob: 03/10/1982; born: Norwich; lives: Zurich)
Joanna Rowsell (dob: 05/12/1998; born: Cheam, Surrey; lives: Manchester)
Laura Trott (dob: 24/04/1992; born: Harlow, Essex; lives: Manchester)
Men’s Road
Stephen Cummings (dob: 19/03/1981; born: The Wirral; lives: Italy)
Jon Dibben (dob: 12/02/1994; born: Southampton; lives: Stockport)
Alex Dowsett (dob: 03/10/1988; born: Chelmsford, Essex; lives: Chelmsford, Essex)
Tom Moses (dob: 03/05/1992; born: Keighley, West Yorkshire; lives: Keighley, West Yorkshire)
Ian Stannard (dob: 25/05/1987; born: Chelmsford, Essex; lives: Castlethorpe, Buckinghamshire)
Andy Tennant (dob: 09/03/1987; born: Wolverhampton; lives: Cheshire)
Scott Thwaites (dob: 12/02/1990; born: Ilkley, West Yorkshire; lives: Leeds)
Sir Bradley Wiggins (dob: 28/04/1980; born: London; lives: Chorley, Lancashire)