Mark Cavendish will defend road race title at Worlds

Last updated on .From the section Cyclingcomments39

Mark Cavendish

Reigning champion Mark Cavendish will compete in the road race at the World Championships after being selected for the event by Great Britain.

The 27-year-old is part of a nine-man team, which also includes Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome.

Froome will also compete in the time trial alongside Alex Dowsett, who was chosen ahead of Wales' Geraint Thomas.

The championships run from 16-23 September in the Netherlands, with the elite races live on the BBC.

Olympic silver medallist Lizzie Armitstead is selected as part of the six-strong team for the women's road race.

Wendy Houvenaghel, who recently won the British title, has been chosen for the women's time trial despite criticising her team-mates and describing her non-selection for the Olympic event as "unjust" last month.

and Wiggins on Friday because of a stomach bug.

Earlier this month, the 32-year-old withdrew from the individual time trial for the Championships in Limburg, with British Cycling performance director Dave Brailsford saying: "To expect Brad to hold form is a big ask.

Cavendish sprints to World title

"Once again we find ourselves in a very fortunate position of having a strong pool of riders across the board. Brad has opted out of riding the time-trial at the worlds. This year's focus for him has been fully on the Tour de France and the Olympics."

Thomas, who was one of the men selected on the GB long-list for the time-trial and road race but not chosen to race in either, will compete for Team Sky in the team time trial, alongside the likes of fellow-Brit Dowsett and Norway's Edvald Boasson Hagen.

The team time trial is a new event at this year's World Championships and sees riders competing in the colours of their professional teams, instead of their countries.

Great Britain squad for the 2012 UCI Road World Championships:

Elite men - road race

Mark Cavendish, Steve Cummings, Alex Dowsett, Chris Froome, Luke Rowe, Ian Stannard, Ben Swift, Jonathan Tiernan-Locke, Bradley Wiggins

Elite men - time trial

Alex Dowsett, Chris Froome

Elite women - road race

Lizzie Armitstead, Katie Colclough, Nicole Cooke, Nikki Harris, Sharon Laws, Emma Pooley

Elite women - time trial

Wendy Houvenaghel, Emma Pooley

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39 comments

  • @ Name Number 6 - the BBC is supposed to be a public service broadcaster - it's not supposed to be interested in ratings or viewing figures - just broadcasting what is "of the public interest" - having said that after being at the ToB stage 1 finish in Norwich last week and seeing the vast crowd that drew (and elsewhere all week) I'd say professional cycling is defo a ratings draw at the mo!

  • I believe you are drawing the wrong conclusions about the No of posts. There is a massive and growing interest in cycling. The difference is that (a) many fans are new and sensible and don't know enough to comment sensibly and (b) it does not attract the huge number of brainless, nationalistic, bigoted and naff comments that some other sports - most notably F1 and the Soccer Circuses - attract.

  • Re: Ashes Sledger

    The criticism wasn't that they didn't help Cav, it was that they didn't try to set up a finish for their own sprinters, which in turn made it impossible for Cavendish to win. His claim that they deliberately lost in order to spite him is up for debate, of course, but that they did not ride to win is not in question.

  • It's all about the team, this time sure there will be a plan B should Cav not be in pole position. Locke on current form with Froome just behind if he's recovered from Vuelte.

  • Not sure Cavendish really has that much of a shot at victory, there's a pretty steep climb just 2km from the finish which will probably rule the sprinters out.

  • "Err, if you read the headline, it says Cavendish 'will defend' his road race title. It looks like the race is a foregone conclusion, then, so I don't know why everyone is discussing any other potential winners!"

    It says he will "defend" his title, not he will "successfully defend".

  • Fun time!?!

    Should the "Missile" get up the last climb anywhere near the front of the race then hey; he does occasionally surprise everybody on the climbs. Mind after yesterday???

    It is all going to be about who tries to make the breaks and which teams wants to close them down. We cannot have a repeat of the Olympic race this time - a lot of teams got egg on their faces there apart frae team GB.

  • David Millar would have been a handy rider to have taken with the inevitable breakaway in mind. If Cav's in the same form as back in San Remo he's got a chance. Id like to see Ben Swift get amongst the breakaway as you never know with that lad.

  • 33 .Jockstay - "......Can the Beeb not show more of the UCI's events through the calendar year? Eurosport(not available to everyone) are only channel committed to live coverage of these events"

    ITV4 show quite a lot live over & above their highlights packages. Not all of the live action for sure, but quite a bit & their coverage rocks!

  • 29. Smiley
    I am a woman addicted to watching cycling BUT WHERE IS IT ON TV?

    Only Football didn't sell out - doesn't that say something?
    +++
    Try ITV4, lots of cycling.

    Yes, real football fans realised it was a Mickey Mouse tournament.

  • Shows the lack of a decent cycling correspondent at the BBC the fact that they consider Cav having a chance of defending his world championship jersey. The course is far too hilly and Cavendish is only going back to pay back his teammates that helped him last year.

  • also most cycling fans go to cycling forums as they know the BBC's coverage and understanding of Cycling borders in the embarrassing...

    Millar is not suited to this terrain. He has ridden a long season. He is focusing on the TTT i believe. Cav's is only there because he is current WC, and its expected of him.

  • The course isnt the best for Mark so if he was to retain his world title it would be a phenomenal achievement . In Denmark it took an exceptional team effort to deliver Mark to win and no doubt the team will have to work incredibly hard if they are to have control over the race , but even then the finish favours others . Good luck GB .

  • As below can't understand why Millar is not going. Perhaps Cav is saving himself in the ToB and that's why he is climbing so steadily! I know he's no Purito but seemed to loose far more than he should have this week. JTL, I fear on the back of a hard week this is too big a step up. But would love to be wrong!

    For me Gilbert was looking strong in the Vuelta & have a feeling it may go his way.

  • Can't see Sagan doing this without a superior team to support him.
    I would love to see someone from GB challenging but its been a hard year for most of them with team Sky so maybe that's just wishful thinking on my part and made harder without Millar who's a great leader.
    My money is on the classics king Tom Boonen as the course is perfect for him.

  • I totally agree with @10... Sagan or B-Haggen will win it, maybe even Gilbert if he can get back to his top form

  • Nice to see JTL getting a chance, this looks like a course to suit him

  • Course is much better suited to Griepel / Sagan, even Boassan-Hagen. With 8 men pulling Cav, GB should at least be less exposed to any breakaways. However, the onus is going to be completely on them to do all the work, all day to cover the breaks again.

  • 31. Perpetual Sigh
    +++
    Thanks for that, I haven't laughed so much in ages.

  • I am a woman addicted to watching cycling BUT WHERE IS IT ON TV? As for the guy who says there are a lack of posts on here - it was hard enough finding this place. If the BBC gave the facility to post comments on front pages maybe there would be more. The Velodrome at the Olympics was consistently being plugged as the hottest ticket. Only Football didn't sell out - doesn't that say something?

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