Copenhagen Track World Cup: Preview

• Thursday, 12 February 2009
• Lionel Birnie
• 0 Comments

Britain's riders go in search of more medals at the final Track World Cup of the season, which starts on Friday (February 13) in Copenhagen, Denmark.

With qualification for next month's World Championships in Poland all but done and dusted in most of the events, the main focus is to fine-tune form and win selection for the Worlds.

In the World Cup events, British Cycling have the luxury of fielding riders as Great Britain, Sky+HD and Team 100% ME, but when it comes to the World Championships there are fewer places on offer.

Having won 15 gold medals at the opening round of the World Cup in Manchester in the autumn, small but specialised squads were sent to subsequent rounds in Melbourne, Cali and Beijing.

Although the likes of Bradley Wiggins, Geraint Thomas, Rebecca Romero and Wendy Houvenaghel are absent from Copenhagen, this weekend marks a return to something near full strength.

And a good three days of results could see Great Britain topple Germany at the top of the overall World Cup team standings.

Sir Chris Hoy is back in top-class competitive action for the first time since winning three gold medals at the Olympic Games in Beijing, and for many others it is the first racing at this level since November.

The squad has a mix of youth and experience and it will be interesting to see how some of the younger riders who caused a stir in Manchester get on against stronger opposition on foreign soil.

Visit www.cyclingweekly.co.uk during the weekend for all the results and reports

FRIDAY’S FINALS

WOMEN’S INDIVIDUAL PURSUIT
British entry
Joanna Rowsell (Team 100% ME)

MEN’S POINTS RACE
British entries
Chris Newton (Great Britain)
Luke Rowe (Team 100% ME)

WOMEN’S SCRATCH RACE
British entries
Alex Geenfield (Great Britain)
Lucy Martin (Great Britain)
Lizzie Armitstead (Team 100% ME)
Katie Colclough (Team 100% ME)

MEN’S TEAM SPRINT
British entries
Ross Edgar, Matt Crampton, David Daniell (Great Britain)
Chris Hoy, Jason Kenny, Jamie Staff (Sky+HD)

MEN’S INDIVIDUAL PURSUIT
British entry
Ed Clancy (Great Britain)

WOMEN'S SPRINT
British entries
Anna Blyth (Great Britain)
Helen Scott (Great Britain)
Victoria Pendleton (Sky+HD)

SATURDAY’S FINALS

WOMEN’S 500M TIME TRIAL
British entries
Anna Blyth (Great Britain)
Victoria Pendleton (Sky+HD)

MEN’S TEAM PURSUIT
British entries
Rob Hayles, Chris Newton, Ed Clancy, Steven Burke, Peter Kennaugh (Great Britain)
Mark Christian, Andy Fenn, Luke Rowe, Erick Rowsell (Team 100% ME)

WOMEN’S POINTS RACE
British entries
Alex Geenfield (Great Britain)
Lucy Martin (Great Britain)
Lizzie Armitstead (Team 100% ME)
Katie Colclough (Team 100% ME)

MEN’S KEIRIN
British entries
Ross Edgar (Great Britain)
Chris Hoy (Sky+HD)

MEN’S KILOMETRE TIME TRIAL
British entry
David Daniell (Great Britain)

WOMEN’S TEAM SPRINT
British entries
Anna Blyth, Helen Scott (Great Britain)

MEN’S SCRATCH RACE
British entry
TBC

SUNDAY’S FINALS

WOMEN’S TEAM PURSUIT
British entry
Lizzie Armitstead, Katie Colclough, Joanna Rowsell (Team 100% ME)

WOMEN’S KEIRIN
British entries
Anna Blyth (Great Britain)
Helen Scott (Great Britain)
Victoria Pendleton (Sky+HD)

MEN’S MADISON
British entries
Rob Hayles & Peter Kennaugh (Great Britain)
Mark Christian & Luke Rowe (Team 100% ME)

MEN’S SPRINT
British entries
Ross Edgar (Great Britain)
Matt Crampton (Great Britain)
Chris Hoy (Great Britain)
Jason Kenny (Great Britain)

RELATED LINKS
UCI Track Cycling World Championships 2009 preview
International track results 2008-2009
Cycling Weekly's Dummies' Guide to Track Racing