British Cycling announce Fort Bill selection

Team GB rider (Steve Behr©.)

The GB Cycling Team selection for the 2007 UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships in Fort William has been met with a combination of dismay and anger from at least one of the country's elite women XC riders.

Despite being eligible, as host nation, to enter up to seven women in the Olympic Cross Country discipline, British Cycling has chosen not to field any elite female riders in the event. The decision sparked a furious reaction from Jenny Copnall, the current and four times UK Elite National XC Champ.

"I firmly view my non selection as an attack not only on me but on our domestic mountain bike scene and on my rivals," she said. "How can we possibly expect the women and girls within our wonderful sport to aspire to be a champion if the champion herself is disregarded?" See her full statement here.

British Cycling, however, maintain that the basis of their selection criteria for World Championship events is "simply to win medals and gain top ten placings in International competition."
Meanwhile BikeRadar's sister publication's Team MBUK/Santa Cruz DH unit has provided three riders for the GB national team: Neil Donoghue, Marc Beaumont and Will Longden. For the full selection see below:

Cross-Country
Elite men - Oli Beckingsale, Ian Wilkinson
Under-23 Men* - Ian Bibby, Ross Creber
Under-23 Women - Amy Hunt
Junior Men* - Hamish Creber, David Fletcher, Alex Paton
Junior Women - Annie Last, Annabel Simpson, Amy Thompson
Relay - team to be announced pending confirmation from riders
* There may be further selections in these categories pending results of this weekend's Swiss Cup round.

Downhill
Elite Men - Dan Atherton, Gee Atherton, Marc Beaumont, Neil Donaghue, Brendan Fairclough, Steve Peat, Dan Stanbridge
Elite Women* - Rachel Atherton, Helen Gaskell, Fionn Griffiths, Tracy Moseley
Junior Men* - Josh Bryceland, Ruaridh Cunningham, Sam Dale, Chris Hutchens, Scott Mears, Joe Smith
Junior Women - Katy Curd
* There may be further selections in these categories pending results of the National Points Series event in Moelfre

4-Cross
Elite Men* - Dan Atherton, Gee Atherton, Scott Beaumont, Dale Holmes, Will Longden
Elite Women* - Joey Gough, Fionn Griffiths
* There may be further selections in both 4-Cross Categories, pending results of the National Championships

Trials
Chris Boyes, Andrei Burton, Daniel Butler, Alastair Clarkson, Chris Doney, James Hyland, Wayne Mahomet, Lois Morgan, Joe Oakley, Robert Poyser, Ben Savage, Duncan Shaw, Ben Slinger, Scott Wilson.

Links: Official Event Website of the UCI Mountain Bike & trials World Championships at Fort William - http://www.fortwilliamworldchamps.co.uk/

British Cycling - www.britishcycling.org.uk

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