Ryan Owens gunning for more golds at Track Cycling World Cup

The Olympic podium programme rider was named as part of a 17-strong squad which will head to Pruszkow, Poland, from 3-5 November, where the first round of the three-stage event will be held.

Owens will be bidding to emulate the kind of form which saw him secure two World Cup golds last season, when he was part of the team sprint to triumph in Glasgow and Apeldoorn alongside Joe Truman and Jack Carlin, who will also join him in the Polish city.

The 22-year-old has come a long way since travelling to the Rio Olympics as a reserve sprinter, having secured a silver medal at the 2016 European Track Championships before striking gold in the team sprint at the U23 & Junior Track Championships in Anadia in July.

And having stepped out of the shadow to clinch top spot on his World Cup track debut, Owens has reason to be buoyed by what awaits this time round.

“I’m pleased with how the last season went for me,” he said.

“It was my first year of competing at elite level and I achieved some good results including two gold medals in the team sprint at Glasgow and Apeldoorn alongside Jack Carlin and Joe Truman.

“My training has been going well over the summer months and I’m hoping to start the 2017/18 Track World Cup season on a similarly strong footing.”

Four Olympic medallists are named in the team with Philip Hindes, Callum Skinner, Elinor Barker and Katy Marchant all travelling to Poland.

Senior academy rider Sophie Capewell will make up the female sprint squad alongside Olympic bronze medallist Marchant.

In the women’s endurance squad, Olympic and world champion Elinor Barker will be joined by Emily Kay, Manon Lloyd and Emily Nelson, all of whom won gold medals during last year’s world cup series along with Podium programme rider Neah Evans.

Scratch world bronze medallist Chris Latham will also represent Great Britain in Poland, while senior academy riders Matt Bostock, Ethan Hayter, Joe Holt and Matt Walls complete the squad, some of whom will race for Team 100% ME.

Round two of the Track World Cup will see the British stars race in the familiar surroundings of Manchester, next month.