GB WOMEN'S TEAM PURSUIT SET FOR DEBUT

• Tuesday, 15 January 2008
• Cycling Weekly
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A new event on the track agenda this season is the women's team pursuit, a 3,000-metre race for squads of three.

The Russian trio won the first World Cup event in Sydney in November with a time of 3-29.072, beating Australia into second place. The Ukrainians won the second World Cup of the season in Beijing before Christmas.

Well, they had better watch out because the British are coming.

British Cycling's performance director hinted before Christmas that Great Britain would debut in the women's team pursuit soon, and this week he has confirmed they will enter the World Championships in Manchester (March 26-30).

And the squad's debut could come as early as next month, in the final round of the World Cup in Copenhagen.

"There are more events to go for in the World Championships than there are in the Olympics," said Brailsford: "One of the new events is the women's team pursuit and that's really exciting. The British team are not only getting strength in depth but also strength in breadth across more disciplines than we have before.”

British world-class individual pursuiters Wendy Houvenaghel and Rebecca Romero are favourites for two of the three team pursuit places but who is in the frame for the final place?

"We are doing some work on that at the moment," explained Brailsford: "We have got Lizzie Armitstead, Rachel Heal and Jo Rowsell and we are doing some testing and training. We will decide the final team closer to the date."

PICTURE: Rebecca Romero in action in the individual pursuit. It looks like Romero, Wendy Houvenaghel and one other could be the first trio to enter the team pursuit for Britain.