No sooner had the dust settled on the Downhill piste at the National Championships, than the 4X and downhill squad for the World Championships been announced. The high-speed course in Kaprun, Austria, has long been a regular haunt on the World Cup circuit, but 2002 is the first time it will have had the honour of hosting the World Championships.

Traditionally the course has seen mixed results for British riders, with Rob Warner (Giant UK) winning his one-and-only World Cup there back in 1996, and Tracy Moseley (Team Kona) taking second place there last year. Steve Peat (Orange England), though, has had his fair share of misfortune at the Austrian resort, having seen his title hopes dashed on more than one occasion.

With the Tissot/UCI World Cup leader’s jersey hanging in his closet, and the disappointment of a narrow defeat in Vail last year still fresh in his mind, Peat won’t be satisfied with anything but a win when the event kicks off on the 28th of August. Joining him on the GB squad is Warner and Crawford Carrick-Anderson (Halfords Bike Hut). Carrick-Anderson has been finding his form of late, with a strong 14th at the last World Cup in Telluride Colorado. Filling the final places in the team are Dan Atherton (Animal/Muddy Fox), Will Longdon (Scott USA/MBUK), Dale Holmes, Stuart Hughes (Dave Mellor Cycles), Martin Ogden (twentyfourseven) and, assuming he recovers from his ankle injury, Scott Beaumont (Team Kona).

Fronting the women’s team will be newly crowned National Champion, and Fort William World Cup winner, Tracy Moseley (Team Kona). Fionn Griffiths (Ancillotti/Rockyournokia.com) is currently out with an injured hand, but should be back in the saddle in time for the Worlds, to join Tracy in spearheading the British challenge. Helen Gaskell (Halfords/Bike Hut), Helen Mortimer (Giant UK) and Maxine Irvine also make the selection.

The full team is as follows:

DH Men
Steve Peat
Rob Warner
Crawford Carrick-Anderson
Dan Atherton
Will Longdon
Stuart Hughes

DH Women
Tracy Moseley
Ffion Griffiths
Helen Gaskell
Helen Mortimer
Maxine Irvine

4X Men
Steve Peat
Dan Atherton
Scott Beaumont
Will Longdon
Dale Holmes
Stuart Hughes
Martin Ogden

4X Women
Ffion Griffiths
Helen Mortimer
Maxine Irvine

DH Junior Men
Gee Atherton
Marc Beaumont
Richard Cheetham