Laura Kenny set for return to action at Track Cycling World Championships

Laura Kenny will return to competitive cycling just over six months after having her first child after being selected by Great Britain for the UCI Track Cycling World Championships.

The 25-year-old and her husband Jason Kenny – British cycling’s golden couple – have both been named in Britain’s squad for the event, which begins in Apeldoorn, Holland on February 28.

Laura, a four-time Olympic champion, and Jason, a six-time Olympic gold medallist, announced the arrival of their son Albert in August last year.

Jason, 29, returned to competitive action in January, while Laura has been back in training for the past four months. However, such a swift return to racing for the latter is something of a surprise.

“I’m looking forward to getting back into the Great Britain skinsuit and racing at the world championships again,” said Laura, who will ride in the team pursuit.

“The last five months since Albie was born have been amazing and my life has changed a lot, but Jason and I are loving every minute of being parents.

“I returned to training about four months ago, and I’ve been really pleased and I guess a bit shocked by how fast my form has started to come back.”

It was in Apeldoorn that Laura Kenny won her first world title – in the team pursuit – at the 2011 World Championships.

“Every time the team line up for a race we want to win and the worlds will be no different, but I’m not putting too much pressure on myself in Apeldoorn,” she added.

“I’m interested to see how the team pursuit get on with racing against the world’s best again. It is all made even sweeter by being on the track where I won my first elite world title too!”

Jason Kenny won the team sprint alongside Phil Hindes, Ryan Owens and Jack Carlin at the national track championships at the end of January, but suggested then it would be a ‘stretch’ for him to make the squad for the worlds.

The Kennys are two of seven Olympic champions who will represent Britain at the event, with Hindes, Ed Clancy, Katie Archibald, Elinor Barker and Callum Skinner also selected.

The squad includes a number of new faces. Ethan Hayter and Lauren Bate will make their world championship debuts, as will Dan Bigham and Charlie Tanfield, who are not part of the British Cycling programme but have impressed greatly while riding for Team KGF during the world cup season.

“The team from KGF and I couldn’t have asked for a better track season, we’ve already achieved our goals that we’ve set so I’d like to see how far I can take this at the world championships and the Commonwealth Games, if I’m selected,” said Tanfield, who won a world cup gold in the individual pursuit and in the team pursuit with KGF.

Archibald will be defending her rainbow jersey in the omnium, while Barker is the defending champion in the points race.