It feels like barely any time since we were re-gluing tubs at the start of the season, yet here we are at the start of February and it is World Championships time again. Once more, it is with huge disappointment that we’ve discovered that all the GritCX crew has been passed over by the selectors. We can only assume that it is due to some kind of conspiracy within British Cycling and has nothing to do with a total lack of fitness and skill.
Anyway, on to the actual news. The selected British riders will be looking to continue a proud recent history at the championships, which this year take place in Bogense, Denmark, over the weekend of February 2-3.
The front runners
Newly-crowned national champions Tom Pidcock (under-23 men) and Nikki Brammeier (elite women) will spearhead the team, with Brammeier joined in the elite women’s category by Helen Wyman and Beth Crumpton.
With reigning women’s under-23 world champion Evie Richards absent due to a knee injury, Harriet Harnden, Anna Flynn, Maddie Wadsworth and Anna Kay – who finished second in the elite race at this month’s national championships – will contest the women’s under-23 race.
On the men’s side, Ian Field will compete in the elite race, while reigning champion Ben Tulett will contest the junior race alongside Lewis Askey, Oliver Draffan, Simon Wyllie and Rory McGuire.
Pidcock, who is the under-23 men’s 2018/19 UCI Cyclocross World Cup series winner, will line up in the under-23 men’s race, looking to add to the junior world title he claimed in 2017. Also in the British squad for the under-23 race are Cameron Mason, Ben Turner, Dan Tulett, and Thomas Mein.
What British Cycling say
Matt Ellis, British Cycling’s Cyclo-cross Co-ordinator, said: “I’ve been really pleased with the consistent performances of our British cyclo-cross riders at world cup level again this year, and it’s been a real boost to the squad to see Tom Pidcock, Nikki Brammeier, Ben Tulett, Lewis Askey and Ben Turner on the podium throughout the season.
“We have some real medal hopes in the team we’ve selected for this year’s world championships and I think we have some strong chances across the board, but similarly we have some riders who will benefit from the experience of racing at such a high level. Rory McGuire, Simon Wylie and Cameron Mason are all in the first year of their respective age categories, while Anna Flynn, Harriet Harnden and Maddie Wadsworth are junior riders racing in the under-23 category, so this presents a good development opportunity for them.
“The course in Bogense was a venue in last year’s world cup series, in which Pidcock won the under-23 men’s race and Helen Wyman came second in the elite women’s race. There have been a couple of slight alterations to the course, but we are mainly familiar with the layout and we know the weather conditions will be a big factor in how the racing plays out so we can prepare accordingly.
“All the riders and staff are looking forward to competing at the world championships and I’m confident we can use the momentum we’ve built throughout the world cup series to end our season on a high.”
The team
The Great Britain Cycling Team for the 2019 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships, Bogense:
Elite women:
- Nikki Brammeier
- Beth Crumpton
- Helen Wyman
Elite men:
- Ian Field
Under-23 women:
- Anna Flynn
- Harriet Harnden
- Anna Kay
- Maddie Wadsworth
Under-23 men:
- Cameron Mason
- Thomas Mein
- Tom Pidcock
- Dan Tulett
- Ben Turner
Junior men:
- Lewis Askey
- Oliver Draffan
- Rory McGuire
- Ben Tulett
- Simon Wylie