| CROSS-COUNTRY Great Britain will send a squad of thirty-four competitors for the forthcoming World Mountain Bike Championships taking place in Sierra Nevada, Spain, from 3 to 11 June. Caroline Alexander and Barry Clarke head the list of entries for the elite Cross-Country championships. Alexander from Barrow in Furness, is a former European champion and the only British woman rider to have won a round of the World Cup series. She is coming back to form having gained two top ten finishes in the current World Cup series, after early season injuries. She placed eighth in round three at Houffalize in Belgium, and fifth in round five held in Saramentino, Italy. The selectors have put their faith in the experienced Clarke who has been sidelined from competition since round three of the World Cup in Houffalize, Belgium, where he broke his wrist in a crash. The thirty-three year old former British champion from Epsom, has been BritianÇs most consistent performer at home and abroad in recent years and had started the season in good form. He is currently preparing at altitude in Spain. Joining Alexander in the Elite womens team are Yorkshire’s Louise Robinson and Tracey Brunger,from Peebles. Robinson won silver in the inaugural WomenÇ s World Cyclo Cross Championship earlier this year and has ridden well in the opening five rounds of the World Cup series. Paul Lazenby the British Champion from Buckinghamshire, joins Stockport’s Nick Craig and Oli Beckinsale from Bristol complete the menÇs elite line-up. In the Junior race Liam Killeen, from Malvern, will start as one of the favourites after a win and two runners up spots in the Junior World Cup series. KilleenÇs win in Belgium was the first ever by a Junior British male. Talented all-rounder, Nicole Cooke from South Wales, is another very strong contender for Junior honours. Cooke has enjoyed a sensational career to date, winning umpteen national titles in a range of cycling disciplines and shocked the established stars by winning the National Senior womens Road Race at the first attempt last year. At the tender age of seventeen she aims to represent her country in every discipline of the sport. DOWNHILL & DUAL The Downhill team is headed by Sheffield’s Steve Peat. Peat is one of the true stars of the sport, finishing second in last years World Cup series, winning several events and for a time holding the number one world ranking. Peat is joined by Edinburgh’s Crawford Carrick-Anderson, a late comer to the sport who has been making up for lost time with some superb performances at home and abroad. A medallist at Junior level last year, David Wardell is another to watch in both Dual and Downhill. The Elite Women are headed by national champion Helen Mortimer, an experienced World Cup campaigner and a rider noted for her ability to raise her game for the longer international races. The Junior Women, Helen Gaskell and Ffionn Griffiths , have both been making an impact at Senior level in domestic racing this year, and Gaskell picked up a medal in last yearÇs championships. Both should be in contention in Spain. The team leaves on June 1st and will return on the 13th. British team to represent Great Britain at the World Championships in Sierra Nevada, Spain. Team Manager: Simon Burney Team Physio: Alison Whiteley Team Masseur: Adrian Timmis Team Mechanics: Peter Taylor, Alistair Hamilton, Sandy Gilchrist Other officials: Gary Foord, Peter Keen, John Capelin Cross-Country Riders Elite Men Home Town Date of birth Barrie Clarke Surrey 11/12/66 Nick Craig Derbyshire 03/04/69 Oli Beckingsale North Somerset 07/06/76 Paul Lasenby Buckinghamshire 11/04/73 Christopher Eatough Elite Women Caroline Alexander Cumbria 03/03/68 Louise Robinson West Midlands 12/01/65 Tracy Brunger Peebles 08/06/70 Under-23 Men Ian Wilkinson Burnley 14/04/79 Phil Dixon Nottinghamshire 16/02/80 Daniel Lloyd Dorset 11/08/80 Elliott Baxter Onchan I.O.M. 05/03/78 Junior Men Liam Killeen Malvern 12/04/82 Paul Lally Prescott 23/07/82 Lewys Hobbs Swansea 28/06/82 Junior Women Nicole Cooke Cowbridge, S. Wales 13/04/83 Katherine Hibberd Maidstone 09/04/82 DOWNHILL Staff Team Manager: Rob Kinsey Team Physio: Karen Hambly Team Mechanic: Mike Newton DOWNHILL & Dual Riders (all downhill only unless indicated) Elite Men Steve Peat (Downhill & Dual) Sheffield 17/06/74 Crawford Carrick-Anderson Edinburgh 26/05/70 Rob Warner Oxon 16/09/70 David Wardell (Downhill & Dual) Whitby 10/03/81 Ed Moseley Malvern 21/04/77 Tim Ponting Andover 10/10/72 Nigel Page (Downhill & Dual) Merseyside 01/02/72 Scott Beaumont (Dual Only) Droitwich 02/06/78 Elite Women Helen Mortimer (Downhill & Dual) Barbourne 01/08/76 Adele Croxon Eccles 05/10/75 Jo Leigh (Dual Only) Andover 17/03/81 Junior Men Paul Garrett Nr. Whitby 20/08/82 Sam Furness Barnoldswick, Lancs 02/09/82 Stuart Thompson Nr. Whitby 20/08/82 Danny Harper Warwickshire 20/07/82 Junior Women Helen Gaskell Burnley 16/04/83 Ffionn Griffiths (Downhill & Dual) Shropshire 27/08/82 |
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