Laura Trott admits she faces a fight on her hands this year as she bids to defend her National Track Championships titles.
The great and the good of British cycling will descend on the National Cycling Centre in Manchester between September 24 and 28 for this year’s National Championships.
In the women’s endurance events Olympic champions Trott, Joanna Rowsell and Dani King will be joined by world champions Elinor Barker and Katie Archibald as five riders who are famous for their world domination in the team pursuit compete for individual glory.
And despite the tough competition she face, Trott is champing at the bit to get going.
“I love competing at the nationals because the atmosphere at the velodrome in Manchester is always incredible. The home crowd really gets behind you which really helps to lift your performance,” she said.
“I can’t wait to get on the boards to defend my titles this year – the competition will be tough, though, and I’ll be up against riders who are usually my teammates so it will be interesting to see who comes out on top.
“With so many young riders making their breakthrough at this competition in the past I’ll also have to keep an eye on the next generation as well!
“It’s a great feeling to stand on the top of the podium as national champion so I really hope to be up there again this year.”
In the women’s sprint events Olympian and double Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Jess Varnish will defend the four titles she took in emphatic style in 2013, facing competition from double junior world champion Dannielle Khan and Track Cycling World Championships and world cup medallist Victoria Williamson.
In the men’s events, Olympic champion Jason Kenny will be the man to beat in the sprint competitions as he looks to repeat his triple title success of 2013.
He’ll be going up against his Commonwealth Games teammates Kian Emadi and Philip Hindes in the individual events but the three will combine in the team sprint as they attempt to defend the title they won last year.
In the endurance events Olympic champion Steven Burke and former world champion Andy Tennant will take on an emerging group of talented riders in the 100% ME team which comprises riders from the British Cycling Olympic Academy Programme. The team includes Jon Dibben, a UCI Track Cycling World Cup medallist and former junior European champion.
© Sportsbeat 2014