Sir Bradley Wiggins named in Great Britain Cycling Team squad for 2017

Sir Bradley Wiggins has been named in the Great Britain Cycling Team Olympic Podium Programme squad, announced this morning following a review last month.

The 36-year-old had initially planned to retire following last month’s Ghent Six, which he won with Mark Cavendish, but in interviews before and after that event he dropped hints that he may keep riding.

British Cycling said that Wiggins, who this summer won the fifth Olympic gold medal of his career and with Cavendish is the reigning world Madison champion “is continuing to consider the direction of his future and we are happy to give him the flexibility to allow him to do that."

Programmes director Andy Harrison commented: “In a year which has seen some fantastic performances from the Great Britain Cycling Team, the bar for programme membership remains high and we have a very strong Podium Programme squad to lead us into the next Olympic cycle.

“In particular, I’m pleased to see the strength and depth we have within the women’s road squad which has been bolstered by the additions Dani King, Nikki Brammeier and former mountain biker Alice Barnes which paints a very different picture to where we were with this squad a couple of years ago.”

Former BMX world champion Shanaze Reade is confirmed on the women’s track sprint squad – she twice partnered Victoria Pendleton to win world championship gold in the team sprint – but there’s no place for Jess Varnish, whose allegations of discrimination against former technical director Shane Sutton led to the Australian’s departure.

The squad includes six riders who have made the move up from the senior academy programme – Alice Barnes, Emily Kay, Danni Khan, Ryan Owens, Mark Stewart and Oliver Wood.

Harrison added: “I’m also very happy with the pathway progression of the six academy riders who have stepped up from Senior Academy level and already we’re seeing great results from the track riders.

“Throughout the pathway system we have some incredibly talented riders and we are confident of continuing our success in the coming years.”

Here's the full squad.

BMX

Kyle Evans
Liam Phillips
Tre Whyte

Mountain bike

Grant Ferguson

Men’s road

Mark Cavendish
Steve Cummings
Jon Dibben
Owain Doull
Alex Dowsett
Andrew Fenn
Chris Froome
Luke Rowe
Ian Stannard
Ben Swift
Simon Yates
Adam Yates
Peter Kennaugh
Geraint Thomas 

Women’s road

Lizzie Deignan
Alice Barnes
Hannah Barnes
Nikki Brammeier
Dani King

Men’s track endurance

Steve Burke
Ed Clancy
Kian Emadi
Chris Latham
Mark Stewart
Andy Tennant
Sir Bradley Wiggins
Oliver Wood

Women’s track endurance

Katie Archibald
Elinor Barker
Emily Kay
Danni Khan
Joanna Rowsell Shand
Laura Kenny

Men’s track sprint

Phil Hindes
Jason Kenny
Ryan Owens
Callum Skinner

Women’s track sprint

Becky James
Katy Marchant
Victoria Williamson
Shanaze Reade