Racing

Mark Cavendish and Lizzie Deignan head Great Britain worlds shortlists

Strong sprint teams named for Qatar championships as both Cavendish and Deignan big for second world title

Mark Cavendish will be backed by a strong Great British sprint squad as he bids for his second UCI Road World Championship win in Qatar in October.

The Manx Missile will bid to complete the third part of his three major targets for the season, having already pulled on the Tour de France yellow jersey for the first time and won his first Olympic medal, silver in the Rio 2016 omnium.

With a pan-flat desert course awaiting in Qatar for the Championships, taking place from October 9 to October 16, the 30-time Tour de France stage winner and 2011 world champion is among the pre-race favourites.

Mark Cavendish will bid for a second world title, backed by a strong sprinting line-up (Pic: Alex Whitehead/SWPix.com)

And he will be backed by a strong British team, with plenty of sprinting strength on the ten-man shortlist revealed by British Cycling.

Eight of the remaining nine riders will make up the British team in Qatar, with sprinters including Ben Swift, Dan McLay and national champion Adam Blythe in contention.

Cavendish’s Dimension Data team-mate, Tour of Britain winner Steve Cummings, is also on the ten-rider shortlist, alongside Movistar’s Alex Dowsett – both of whom are likely to take Britain’s two places in the time trial.

Tour of Britain stage winner Ian Stannard and fellow Team Sky men Luke Rowe and Geraint Thomas – the latter of whom led Cavendish out as he won in 2011 – also feature, and the ten-man shortlist is completed by Bora-Argon 18’s Scott Thwaites.

Defending women’s champion Lizzie Deignan (formerly Armitstead), will race under her married name for the first time after her and Team Sky’s Irishman Philip Deignan tied the knot this month.

The current holder of the rainbow jersey has also enjoyed success in the desert before, winning the 2015 Tour of Qatar, and joins national champion Hannah Barnes in the provisional eight-strong British team.

Barnes’ sister, under-23 champion Alice, has also earned a spot, alongside Dani King, who will leave Wiggle-High5 for Cylance Pro Cycling in the winter.

National criterium champion Eileen Roe, junior road race champion Abby-Mae Parkinson, 35-year-old Laura Massey and rising star Annasley Park complete the line-up.

National time trial champion Hayley Simmonds will race against the clock, meanwhile, joining Hannah Barnes for the event.

There is no place for sprinter Lucy Garner (Wiggle-High5), however, meaning only Alice Barnes returns for the road race, from the team who supported Armitstead in 2015.

Defending champion Lizzie Deignan (formerly Armitstead) will lead the British women’s team (pic: Sirotti)

British Cycling also confirmed the six riders set to race in the under-23 men’s road race, with Team Sky-bound Tao Geoghegan Hart among them.

The sprinters course is more likely to favour Team Wiggins’ Chris Latham, however, or Gabriel Cullaigh – who finished fifth in the Under-23 European Championships road race last week.

Two riders who have earned trainee spots at WorldTour teams – Cannondale-Drapac stagiaire Jon Dibben and Lotto-Soudal stagiaire James Shaw – are also included, with Welsh time trial ace Scott Davies completing the line-up.

Two of the six will also race in the time trial, with Davies likely to take one of those two places.

Great Britain team for 2016 UCI Road World Championships

Elite men (from)
Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data)
Adam Blythe (Tinkoff)
Steve Cummings (Dimension Data)
Alex Dowsett (Movistar)
Dan McLay (Fortuneo-Vital Concept)
Luke Rowe (Team Sky)
Ian Stannard (Team Sky)
Ben Swift (Team Sky)
Geraint Thomas (Team Sky)
Scott Thwaites (Bora-Argon 18)
nine places qualified for road race, two for time trial

Elite women – road race
Lizzie Deignan (Boels-Dolmans)
Alice Barnes (Drops Cycling Team)
Hannah Barnes (Canyon-SRAM)
Dani King (Wiggle-High5)
Laura Massey (Drops Cycling Team)
Annasley Park (GB Academy)
Abby-Mae Parkinson (Servetto Footon)
Eileen Roe (Lares-Waowdeals)

Time trial
Hannah Barnes (Canyon-SRAM)
Hayley Simmonds (Team WNT)

Under-23 men
Gabriel Cullaigh (GB Academy)
Scott Davies (Team Wiggins)
Jon Dibben (Team Wiggins)
Chris Latham (Team Wiggins)
Tao Geoghegan Hart (Axeon-Hagens Berman)
James Shaw (Lotto-Soudal U23)
six places qualified for road race, two for time trial

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UCI Road World Championships 2016

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Racing

Mark Cavendish and Lizzie Deignan head Great Britain worlds shortlists

Strong sprint teams named for Qatar championships as both Cavendish and Deignan big for second world title

Great Britain team for 2016 UCI Road World Championships

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Great Britain team for 2016 UCI Road World Championships

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