British Cycling selects team for mountain bike Worlds

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British Cycling has announced on Wednesday the team selected to represent Great Britain in the cross country event at the 2012 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships taking place in Leogang and Saalfelden, Austria, from August 29 to September 9.

The team, the biggest selected by British Cycling for an overseas world championships, will include three Olympians: Annie Last, Liam Killeen and Oliver Beckingsale.

Last, 21, is currently ranked sixth in the world on the back of a career-best season and will compete in the under 23 category at the world championships, where she has won two silver medals in the last two years.

Kenta Gallagher, 20, is also having a career-best season with a second national title and two top-10 finishes in World Cups. He is ranked 15th in the world.

Junior Beth Crumpton has had three top 15 finishes in World Cups and also won her second national title last week.

National Mountain Bike Coach Phil Dixon said, "The team has established international quality at the elite and under 23 level and will be represented in all categories which is an indication of the strength of Mountain Biking in Great Britain.

"We have a healthy number of boys and girls in the junior categories which is encouraging for the future."

The teams for downhill and four cross will be announced in due course.

British team for the 2012 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships

Elite men
Liam Killeen
David Fletcher
Oliver Beckingsale

Elite women
Lee Craigy

U23 men
Grant Ferguson
Kenta Gallagher
Sebastian Bachelor
Steve James

U23 women
Annie Last

Junior men
Iain Paton
Michael Thompson
Samuel Stean

Junior women
Alice Barnes
Beth Crumpton
Rebecca Preece