Every individual 2007 World Champion will race the opening round of the 2007-2008 UCI Track World Cup Classics being staged at Sydney's Dunc Gray Velodrome from November 30 to December 2. The UCI finalised the entry list this week and have confirmed 15 of the reigning 2007 track cycling World Champions will be in Sydney as the first step in their bids to qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
"It simply doesn't get any better than this," said UCI Vice President and Sydney resident, Ray Godkin OAM. "The Sydney World Cup will be the most competitive ever and I believe the field assembled in Sydney boasts some of the riders who will win Gold next year in Beijing."
395 cyclists representing 48 nations, the biggest field ever assembled for an international track competition, will contest 17 events during the three days of racing.
"The importance of the World Cup series for Olympic qualification has seen an unprecedented number of nations and riders enter for both the Sydney round and the Beijing round to be contested a week later," said Godkin. "That's fantastic for local sports fans who are going to be treated to an absolute feast of sporting excellence."
The reigning 2007 World Champions competing in Sydney are:
Katherine Bates (Aus - T-Mobile) womens points race
Gregory Baugé (Fra) mens team sprint
Theo Bos (Ned) mens sprint
Mickaël Bourgain (Fra - Cofidis) mens team sprint
Edward Clancy (GBr) men's team pursuit
Yumari Gonzalez Valdivieso (Cub) - womens scratch race
Sarah Hammer (USA - Ouch Pro Cycling) women's 3km individual pursuit
Chris Hoy (GBr) mens keirin and kilometre time trial
Alois Kankovsky (Cze) men's omnium
Juan Lllaneras Rosello (Esp) - mens points race
Anna Meares (Aus - Team Toshiba) - women's 500m time trial
Victoria Pendleton (GBr - Science in Sport) - womens sprint, team sprint and keirin
Arnaud Tournant (Fra - Cofidis) mens team sprint
Bradley Wiggins (GBr) men's team pursuit, 4km individual pursuit
Kam Po Wong (HKG) men's scratch race
The reigning Olympic Champions competing in Sydney are:
Ryan Bayley (Aus - Team Toshiba) - keirin and sprint
Anne Meares (Aus - Team Toshiba) - 500m time trial (no longer an Olympic event)
Chris Hoy (GBr) kilometre time trial (no longer and Olympic event)
Bradley Wiggins (GBr) 4km individual pursuit
Stefan Nimke (Ger) mens team sprint
Graeme Brown (Aus) mens teams pursuit and madison
Brett Lancaster (Aus) mens teams pursuit
Luke Roberts (Aus) mens teams pursuit
Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus) mens points race
Olga Slyusareva (Rus) womens points race
Tickets for the opening round of the UCI World Cup Classics series are now on sale online at www.trackworldcup.com.au.