GB team for UCI Mountain Bike World Championships
British Cycling is pleased to today announce the 44 riders that will represent Great Britain at this month’s UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Val di Sole, Italy, from 25 – 29 August.
The event will see rainbow jerseys awarded in the cross-country, downhill, four-cross and E-MTB disciplines, and Great Britain will be hoping to build on its impressive performance at the 2020 championships, in which the team finished second in the medal table with three gold, one silver and one bronze medal.
Cross-country
Fresh from becoming Britain’s most successful female mountain biker at an Olympic Games, Evie Richards is set to represent Great Britain once again as part of the 13-strong team selected for the cross-country races. Joining her in the elite women’s race will be Annie Last and Isla Short.
In the under-23 events, the 2019 junior world champion Charlie Aldridge will compete, as will Cam Orr and Harry Birchill, while Anna Kay and Harriet Harnden will compete in the women’s event. Corran Carrick-Anderson, Joe Blackmore and Nathan Smith will contest the junior men’s event, while Elena McGorum and Ella MacLean-Howell will line-up in the junior women’s race.
Stephen Park, Performance Director for the Great Britain Cycling Team, said: “Thanks to the fantastic performances by both Evie and Tom Pidcock at the Olympic Games, mountain bike is firmly on the British public’s radar, and this gives the team an extra boost as we approach this year’s world championships.
“Evie will be carrying with her the momentum she built for the Games, and I think we can expect to see some strong performances from other members of the team across the categories too, with their training targeted to this race.
“I’ll also be looking for the junior and under-23 riders to make the most of being teammates with Evie, and indeed Annie Last who has a history of major event race results to her name. These world championships will offer an invaluable development opportunity to these riders.”
Evie Richards added: “I’m really looking forward to competing at the world championships. Tokyo was such a fantastic experience and it was great to have the opportunity to raise the profile of mountain biking, especially as Tom and I did so well out there. Since I got back, I have been able to re-focus and I’m ready to race again in Val di Sole.”
Downhill
Current world champion, Reece Wilson, will look to defend his rainbow jersey in Val di Sole, while the 2019 Val di Sole downhill world cup winner Laurie Greenland and two-time world champion and reigning national champion Danny Hart have also been selected for the elite men’s race. Matt Walker, Greg Williamson, Bernard Kerr, Charlie Hatton and Joe Breeden complete the elite men’s squad.
In the elite women’s race, Tahnée Seagrave, who has two world championship silver medals to her name, will once again line up for Great Britain, alongside Mikayla Parton, Stacey Fisher and Katherine Sharp.
In the junior women’s event, Phoebe Gale will look to continue her exciting form after recent national championship and world cup wins. The junior men’s team will be made up of overall junior world cup winner from 2020, Ethan Craik, along with recently-crowned European champion Jordan Williams. Dennis Luffman, William Brodie, Preston Williams, Jack Piercy, Ryan Brannen and Connor Smith complete the junior men’s team.
4X
In the elite men’s 4X race, Scott Beaumont, Elliott Heap, Connor Hudson, Charlie Currie, Zac Hudson, Will Evans and Daniel Wagstaff will all take to the start line, where Heap will be looking to improve on the silver medal he won at the Val di Sole 4X world championships in 2019.
Josie McFall, who has looked impressive in this year’s 4X national series events, will be the sole British entrant in the women’s race.
British Cycling’s Mountain Bike Downhill and Four-Cross Co-ordinator, Michael Vickers, said: “The world championships is undoubtedly a highlight of the racing calendar, and with so many podium contenders in the squad I’m looking forward to a brilliant five days of racing.
“It’s been brilliant to watch the emergence of a new and exciting generation of riders over recent years, culminating in Great Britain taking six of the top 11 places in the junior men’s downhill event at last year’s world championships. With the new long-term plan for the gravity disciplines we announced earlier this year and the expansion of our talent development hub activities, the future is incredibly bright.”
E-MTB Cross-Country
Tracy Moseley will be joined by Karen Pepper and Harriet Harnden in the E-MTB Cross-Country discipline. The riders will be looking to build on Great Britain’s first world championships medal in the discipline in 2020, secured by Tom Pidcock.
Full rider list:
Cross-country
Elite Women: Annie Last, Evie Richards, Isla Short
Under-23 Men: Charlie Aldridge, Harry Birchill, Cam Orr
Under-23 Women: Harriet Harnden, Anna Kay
Junior Men: Joe Blackmore, Corran Carrick-Anderson, Nathan Smith
Junior Women: Ella Maclean-Howell, Elena McGorum
Four-cross
Elite Women: Josie McFall
Elite Men: Scott Beaumont, Charlie Currie, Will Evans, Elliott Heap, Connor Hudson, Zac Hudson, Daniel Wagstaff
Downhill
Junior Women: Phoebe Gale
Junior Men: Ryan Brannen, William Brodie, Ethan Craik, Dennis Luffman, Jack Piercy, Connor Smith, Jordan Williams, Preston Williams
Elite Women: Stacey Fisher, Mikayla Parton, Tahnée Seagrave, Katherine Sharp
Elite Men: Joe Breeden, Laurie Greenland, Danny Hart, Charlie Hatton, Bernard Kerr, Matt Walker, Greg Williamson, Reece Wilson
E-MTB
Women: Harriet Harnden, Tracy Moseley and Karen Pepper