LONDON, March 16, 2009 (AFP) – Four-time Tour de France stage winner Mark Cavendish has been included in a largely experimental 19-man British track cycling squad that will head to the World Championships in Pruszkow, Poland next week.

Cavendish, who normally plies his trade with the Columbia-High Road team, is a surprise inclusion in a squad that will be shorn of many of its big names.

At last year’s Olympic Games Britain won seven of the ten golds on offer at the Laoshan velodrome in Beijing, with Scotland’s Chris Hoy claiming three and Bradley Wiggins winning two from both pursuit events.

However both Hoy, Wiggins and Olympic pursuit champion Rebecca Romero will be absent for next week’s event.

Hoy, who since his feat has been anointed a Sir, would have defended titles in the sprint and keirin but is recovering from a recent hip injury sustained in a keirin race pile-up.

Cavendish partnered pursuit gold medalist Wiggins in the Madison in Beijing, although the pair fell out of the medals running well before the end of the race.

In Poland Cavendish will have a chance to defend the world Madison title he won with Wiggins in Manchester last year, and since Wiggins is concentrating on the road, ‘Cav’ could partner fellow Manxman Peter Kennaugh.

Kennaugh partnered Hayles during the World Cup series but Hayles has recently retired from international track events after being told he would not be selected for Pruszkow.

It means the only British defending world champion in an individual event heading to Poland is Victoria Pendleton, who grabbed women’s sprint gold in Beijing.

British Cycling performance director Dave Brailsford believes Pruszkow offers the opportunity for Britain’s young stars to show their capabilities.

“This has been a winter of experimentation and innovation for the team and our selection of riders reflects that,” he said.

“We have a great mix of youth and experience and see Poland as our first step on the road to London 2012.”

Anna Blyth and Jess Varnish are also included among the women’s sprinters.
Matt Crampton and Ross Edgar will be vying for Hoy’s place in the team sprint with Olympic champions Jamie Staff and Jason Kenny having already locked up positions one and two, while David Daniell, who won World Cup gold in Manchester last November, is set to go in the kilometre.