New era for British cycling as Ollie Wood and Charlie Tanfield lead way

Yorkshireman Ed Clancy was a mainstay of all but two GB world championship squads since 2005, winning medals at 13 of them, including six gold, all in the team pursuit.

But his abrupt retirement midway through the Olympic team pursuit competition in Tokyo ended an era, and so it is a youthful-looking, 19-strong team that heads to Roubaix in Frnace next week for the championships.

Also absent are Laura and Jason Kenny as they take a post-Olympic break, with the world championships moved from their previous slot in late February/early March as part of a bigger reshuffle of the track calendar.

Katie Archibald is the headline act. The 27-year-old from Scotland collected three European golds in Grenchen last week to follow her madison success in Tokyo and will be joined in France by fellow Olympic silver medallists Neah Evans and Josie Knight in the women’s endurance squad.

Archibald and Evans took madison gold in last week’s Euros, with Archibald also winning the scratch race and omnium – taking her to 17 European titles as she eclipsed Laura Kenny’s previous record of 15.

“I took a short break after Tokyo, but now I’m back to more considered training and really motivated for everything that’s to come,” the Scot said.

Yorkshire interest in the absence of Clancy remains in the team pursuit with Ollie Wood, of Wakefield, and Charlie Tanfield, of Great Ayton – both part of the pursuit squad out in Tokyo – joined by Olympic madison silver medallist Ethan Hayter, Ethan Vernon, the returning Kian Emadi and debutant Rhys Britton. Wood, Tanfield and Britton took European bronze last week.

James Bunting, of Sheffield, made his senior debut at the European Championships last week as part of the sprint team, but does not ride this week. His is a name to watch in the coming years.

British Cycling performance director Stephen Park said: “With the majority of our Olympians taking a well-earned break, this opens the door for other riders to compete at an elite level and provides them with an exciting opportunity to lay down a marker towards Paris 2024.”