Track stars expected at Manchester World Cup

The British leg of the track World Cup competition will take place in Manchester from Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th February. It will be the finale to the four event series that will have travelled around the world from Sydney in November to Moscow in December and Los Angeles in January. The sport's elite riders from the top 30 ranked countries will gather for the final showdown that decides the overall series winners in each cycling discipline and the award for the top nation.

The Manchester event will have extra importance, being the last major competition before the UCI track world championships in Palma de Mallorca in March. Each nation is expected to field their best medal prospects in preparation for their world title bids. The teams will be announced by their national federations around a month before the event.

Britain has high hopes for medals in both the men's and women's events. Former world champions Chris Newton and Rob Hayles are likely to head up the strong British men's pursuit team renewing old rivalries with their Australian counterparts. Chris Hoy will be a likely contender for the kilo crown, proudly wearing the world champion's rainbow jersey that he won this year in Bordeaux for the specialised discipline.