Storey leads GB squad in her return to Worlds

Dame Sarah Storey is ready and raring to go for her first appearance at the UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships since 2016 as she headlines the GB squad for this year’s competition in Apeldoorn.

Storey – Britain’s most successful Paralympian – has won 13 golds across eight World Championships since 2006 but has been absent from the boards for the past two years.

And the 41-year-old, who is gearing up for her bid to compete and medal at an eighth consecutive Paralympic Games next year in Tokyo, is looking to dive straight back into things when she hits the Dutch track next month. 

“I’m delighted to be selected for the Track Worlds this year and I’m looking forward to being in the hunt for rainbow jerseys,” she said.

“After missing last year’s World Championships because of the yellow fever outbreak in Brazil, this is my first Track Worlds since the Rio Paralympic Games and my son Charlie’s arrival, so I’m looking forward to being back in action in Apeldoorn.”

And while Storey will be looking to reclaim the famous rainbow jersey after an unfamiliar absence, Steve Bate and Adam Duggleby will be looking to retain theirs after individual pursuit success last time out.

“Adam and I have been working as hard as ever in training, as this will be the first time we have defended the rainbow stripes,” he said.

“Last year, the World Championships in Rio was a successful event for the squad and already this year we’ve seen some standout performances.

“I know the whole team is psyched to hit the boards in Apeldoorn and I’m confident we will all be able to deliver some great performances.”

Storey, Bate and Duggleby will be joined in Apeldoorn by a squad bedecked in silverware, with fellow Paralympic champions Kadeena Cox, Neil Fachie and Jon-Allan Butterworth also in the mix.

And British Cycling’s head of para-cycling Jon Pett is hoping that his team can replicate the performances that saw them return from last year’s championships in Rio with 18 medals – 11 of them gold.

“I’ll be looking for the squad to build on the performances we’ve seen over the past two months, where we’ve raced at the UCI Track Cycling World Cup, the Manchester Para-cycling International and the HSBC UK | National Track Championships,” he said.

“There were several stand-out performances during these events, most notably Neil Fachie and Matt Rotherham twice breaking the world record in the tandem kilo so far this year.

“As a squad, our focus is now firmly on qualifying for Tokyo 2020, and riders are now looking to push their case towards Paralympic selection.

“It’s an exciting time, and we have a lot of medal opportunities, so I expect to see the riders really narrow their focus on these World Championships to perform to the best of their abilities.”

The Great Britain Cycling Team for the 2019 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships, Apeldoorn:

James Ball (27, Newport) piloted by Pete Mitchell (29, London) - MB

Steve Bate (41, New Zealand) piloted by Adam Duggleby (34, Yorkshire) - MB

William Bjergfelt (40, Somerset) – MC5

Jon-Allan Butterworth (32, Birmingham) – MC5

Kadeena Cox (27, Leeds) – WC4

Jody Cundy (40, Cambridgeshire) – MC4

Lora Fachie (30, Liverpool) piloted by Corrine Hall (27, London) - WB

Neil Fachie (34, Aberdeen) piloted by Matt Rotherham (24, Manchester) - MB

Jonathan Gildea (40, Manchester) – MC5

Megan Giglia (33, Manchester) – WC3

Finlay Graham (19, South Lanarkshire) – MC3

Blaine Hunt (30, Hertfordshire) – MC5

Crystal Lane-Wright (33, London) – WC5

George Peasgood (23, Essex) – MC4

Louis Rolfe (21, Cambridge) – MC2

Matthew Robertson (19, London) – MC2

Dame Sarah Storey (41, Manchester) – WC5

Sophie Thornhill (23, Manchester) piloted by Helen Scott (28, Birmingham) - WB

Katie Toft (26, Manchester) – WC1

Ben Watson (29, Manchester) – MC3