Scotland for Trust House Cycle Classic

Scotland has confirmed a strong team for next year's international Trust House Men's Cycle Classic in Wellington, New Zealand. The Scottish national cycling team will be making its tour debut in January, and race director Jorge Sandoval says after seeing their line-up, he expects them to be extremely competitive.

"The Scottish team will provide a bit of a mystery element as they haven't raced in the event before," he said. "Just like us, they're getting ready for the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in March. They have plenty of experience behind them and they're sure to be dangerous opposition."

The Scottish team includes 24 year old Evan Oliphant, their current national champion, who races for the Recycling.co.uk professional team. He is a previous winner of the British Under-23 road race series. The team will be led by 33 year-old Duncan Urquhart, a tank commander in the British army who won two legs of the British road racing series last year.

Other team members are:

Alex Coutts: professional cyclist (DFL/Cyclingnews.com), 22 years old, second place in the British U23 road race champs and 17th overall Tour of Britain

James McCallum, nurse. 25 years old. Member of the track endurance squad, current Scottish scratch race champion, Scottish pursuit champion and Scottish circuit race champion.

Gareth Montgomerie, bicycle mechanic, 23 years old. Elite mountain bike squad member. Scottish MTB series winner, 6th British Elite MTB champs

Robert Wardell, student, 20 years old. Elite mountain bike squad member. Winner U23 Tour of Northern Ireland, 5th British U23 MTB champs.

The Trust House Cycle Classic runs from 25 to 29 January, 2006.