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Great Britain will be one of the favourites to win the men’s Madison at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships which starts in Manchester next week. The early team nominations throw up some big names for the crazy high speed tag-team event where bike handling skills are essential.

The GB team have nominated former Tour de France adversaries Bradley Wiggins (Maida Vale) and Mark Cavendish (Isle of Man) for the men’s Madison which takes place on Saturday. The duo’s goal will be to win the tough event against other top international teams who also have their eyes on the special rainbow striped jerseys reserved for World champions. There is an extra target in Manchester this time too with all the nations aiming for qualification at the Olympic Games in the specialised race later this year.

Wiggins is still only 27-years-old but has already won three World titles in pursuiting and is the current Olympic champion in the individual pursuit. Cavendish is the High Road professional roadman sprinter whole exploded onto the professional scene last year, taking 11 victories on the road in his rookie season.

The best teams are expected to ride in this fiercely contested race but final entries will be confirmed next Tuesday. Bruno Risi and Franco Marvulli are returning to defend the title they won in Palma last year. The Swiss pair took their third World title in the race in Mallorca last year and also won the silver medal in the event in the Athens Olympics in 2004.

The winner of the Madison could also come from a number of countries including Spain and Denmark.

Spain’s Joan Llaneras looks likely to be partnered with Carlos Torrent. Llaneras is the current points race World champion and has had a long and successful career on the boards.  He has a winning history in Manchester too after he took the points crown there in 1996 and 2000. The Danish duo of Alex Rasmussen and Michael Morkov head to Manchester full of confidence after they won the Madison in the final round of the World Cup on home soil in Copenhagen last month.

Gerry McManus

Press Officer – UCI Track Cycling World Championships

Manchester 26^th – 30^th March 2008

Tel +44 (0) 7739 479858

Notes to editors:

UK Sport

The 2008 UCI Track Cycling World Championships are part funded by UK Sport’s National Lottery-funded World Class Events Programme, which aims to secure events of strategic importance that deliver a range of lasting benefits. These include economic, social and cultural benefits as well as improving sporting performance by home athletes, encouraging participation and leaving a legacy of facilities and development initiatives. Over 120 sporting events have been staged in the UK through the programme since 1997, with around 100 more targeted before 2012. More at www.uksport.gov.uk

Manchester City Council

Manchester is hosting the UCI Track Cycling World Championships for the third time since 1996, during which time the City has also been a regular host of the successful World Cup Classic series. The event is being staged at the National Cycling Centre, home of British Cycling and is recognised as one of the fastest tracks in the world.

The World Championships form part of a unique series of global sports events in Manchester in 2008.  In the single biggest year of world sport since the XVII Commonwealth Games in 2002, Manchester will host:

·      UCI Track Cycling World Championships, 26 – 30 March 2008, National Cycling Centre, Sportcity

·      9th FINA World Swimming Championships 2008 (25m), 9 – 13 April 2008, MEN Arena

·      UEFA Cup Final 2008, 14 May 2008, City of Manchester Stadium, Sportcity

·      BUPA Great Manchester Run, 18 May 2008, Manchester City Centre

·      Hi-Tec World Squash Championships Manchester 2008, 11 –19 October 2008, National Squash Centre, Sportcity

·      Paralympic World Cup, 5 – 11 May 2008, Sportcity and other venues

One year, one city, a whole world of sport – Manchester 2008

For information visit www.manchesterworldsport08.com

Manchester World Sport 08 Media Enquiries:

Martin Hellewell, Manchester City Council Press Office.

Tel 0161 234 3729               Email: m.hellewell@manchester.gov.uk