Cycling: NZ team named for world champs

A 12-strong team has been named for the UCI track cycling world championships in Poland later this month.

Jesse Sergent and Alison Shanks will compete in the individual pursuit and both will spearhead the team pursuit line-ups.

Sergent will be joined by Wes Gough, Sam Bewley, Peter Latham and Marc Ryan in the men's pursuit team, while Jaime Neilsen, Kaytee Boyd, Lauren Ellis complete the women's side.

Hayden Godfrey will also head to Poland to defend the Omnium title he won at last year's championships.

The team is completed by sprinters Eddie Dawkins and Simon van Velthooven.

Team coach Tim Carswell said he was impressed with the performances at the national championships last week, with Shanks, Sergent, Dawkins and the men's pursuit team all breaking New Zealand records, but he was wary of making too many predictions ahead of the world champs.

"All the events will be really keenly contested, we're not taking anything for granted at all," Carswell said.

"Certainly we'd hope with what we've done with our riders and the shape they're in they're going to be right in the thick of it.

"But until we actually get there and see everyone that's racing we can't make any bold predictions."

Carswell said there were high hopes for the individual pursuits, with both Shanks and Sergent having already won World Cup gold in Beijing in January.

The team will train in Invercargill for the next week before heading to Poland to for the championships starting on March 25.

NZ team for UCI World Championships
Alison Shanks (Otago), Jaime Neilsen (Waikato Bay of Plenty), Kaytee Boyd (Auckland), Lauren Ellis (Mid South Canterbury), Jesse Sergent (West Coast North Island), Marc Ryan (Mid South Canterbury), Pete Latham (Waikato Bay of Plenty), Westley Gough (East Coast North Island), Sam Bewley (Waikato Bay of Plenty), Hayden Godfrey (Canterbury), Eddie Dawkins (Southland), Simon van Velthooven (West Coast North Island).

- NZPA