News: GB Team for CycloCross Worlds

Pidcock, Kay, Backstedt, Turner, Mason, Blackmore, Smith, Harnden, and Maclean Howell heading for Arkansas for the World Cyclocross Championships at the end of January

News: GB Team for CycloCross Worlds

British Cycling have today announced the 10 riders that will compete for the Great Britain Cycling Team at the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas, from Saturday 29 – Sunday 30 January.

A favourite for the rainbow stripes, Tom Pidcock

In the elite men’s category Tom Pidcock will be riding with the aim of becoming Great Britain’s first elite cyclo-cross world champion, following world cup victories this season in Rucphen and Hulst. Pidcock was second to Mathieu van der Poel in the men’s elite race at the 2020 world championships in Dübendorf, and fourth last year in Ostend.

Pidcock will be joined on the start line in Fayetteville by Ineos team-mate Ben Turner and newly-crowned elite national champion Thomas Mein, following his thrilling victory in Crawley earlier this month and again at Broughton Park on Sunday.

In the junior women’s category Zoe Bäckstedt will be looking to add another rainbow jersey to her collection, following her victory in the road race at the 2021 UCI Road World Championships in Flanders. Bäckstedt was crowned junior women’s European cyclo-cross champion in November, and also took the win in December’s world cup round in Namur. She will be joined in the category by Ella Maclean-Howell, who was victorious in the junior women’s category in Crawley and was also the winner of the National Trophy Series and the final race in that at Broughton Park.

Harriet Harnden

Anna Kay, a big winner at Broughton Park on Sunday, will be looking to cap off a strong season as the team’s sole representative in the elite women’s category, while Harriet Harnden will compete in the women’s under-23 category, and arrives in Arkansas with high hopes after impressively retaining the elite national champion’s jersey this month.

Cameron Mason claimed his first under-23 world cup victory in Dendermonde on Boxing Day and was third at the round in Tabor, adding to a palmares which also includes third place in the same category at the 2020 UEC European Cyclo-cross Championships. He will be joined in the under-23 men’s race by Joseph Blackmore, following his third place finish in the elite race at the national championships, while Nathan Smith will be Great Britain’s sole entrant in the junior men’s category. Smith has battled to a series of impressive results this season, including second place finishes at the Dendermonde and Tabor world cup rounds and a dominate performance in the National Trophy Series.

Full squad:

Elite Men
Tom Pidcock
Ben Turner
Thomas Mein

Elite Women
Anna Kay

U23 Men
Cameron Mason
Joe Blackmore

U23 Women
Harriet Harnden

Junior Men
Nathan Smith

Junior Women
Zoe Backstedt
Ella Maclean Howell