Cycling: Big NZ squad for world track champs

New Zealand will take one of their biggest squads ever to this month's UCI world track cycling championships in Copenhagen, in Denmark.

The selectors today named a 17-strong team to leave tomorrow for the championships, from March 24-28.

Head coach Tim Carswell said he was looking for the team to build on the recent World Cup successes, although they were expecting stronger competition than at last year's championships.

"This is a strong squad and our focus has been to get them in the best possible form at this stage. I would like to think we can make gains as we work towards the Commonwealth Games later in the year and on to the 2012 London Olympics," Carswell said.

"We are expecting more strength across the board at this year's world championships with Commonwealth countries building for New Delhi and other key nations establishing their programmes towards London."

The team is led by individual pursuit world champion Alison Shanks, who will also head the women's team pursuit that won silver last year.

Both men's and women's pursuit squads from 2009 will return to Copenhagen with the women's group also including national road champion Rushlee Buchanan (Te Awamutu) to join Shanks, Jaime Nielsen and Lauren Ellis.

The men's pursuit squad is unchanged from last year in Jesse Sergent, Sam Bewley, Wes Gough, Peter Latham and Marc Ryan, with Sergent riding the individual pursuit after finishing fifth last year.

Levin rider Gemma Dudley, who turned 20 last week, is rewarded for her outstanding form at the recent national championships with selection for the omnium, which will become an Olympic event in London.

Invercargill 20-year-old, Tom Scully, who has been in outstanding form in recent World Cups, has won selection for the points race and madison with Ryan.

The final endurance spot has gone to Auckland's Myron Simpson who will race the omnium after excellent form in the camp, which means there is no room for 2008 world champion Hayden Godfrey.

The team includes a full squad of five sprinters for the first time, after peak performances from the young group of 2009 world junior champions Sam Webster and Ethan Mitchell, Eddie Dawkins, Adam Stewart and Simon Van Velthooven.

"We decided that the sprint programme has improved to a stage where we wanted to ensure we have covered all eventualities in Copenhagen, and hence we are taking the fifth rider," Carswell said.

"There were some unlucky riders which is an indication of the depth we are developing across the board in the programme which is exciting."

The team:

Men: Sam Bewley (Rotorua), Eddie Dawkins (Invercargill), Wes Gough (Waipukurau), Peter Latham (Te Awamutu), Ethan Mitchell (Auckland), Marc Ryan (Timaru), Tom Scully (Invercargill), Jesse Sergent (Feilding), Myron Simpson (Auckland), Adam Stewart (Christchurch), Simon Van Velthooven (Palmerston North), Sam Webster (Auckland).

Women: Rushlee Buchanan (Te Awamutu), Gemma Dudley (Levin), Lauren Ellis (Hinds), Jaime Neilsen (Hamilton), Alison Shanks (Dunedin).

Staff: Tim Carswell (head coach), Dayle Cheatley (women's coach), Justin Grace (sprint coach), Craig Adair (manager), Craig Palmer and Kat Phillips (sports science), Mark Hollands and Rebecca Adams (physiotherapists), Dale Hollows and Chris O'Connor (mechanics).