While the top-level road racing season is winding towards its conclusion this month, the track world is still winding up to one of its major events of the year, the UCI Track World Championships in Denmark.
National federations have begun to announce their squads for the event, which runs from October 16-20 in Ballerup. This week, Great Britain and Belgium have revealed their selections for the Track Worlds, with Josh Tarling, Lotte Kopecky, Dan Bigham and Katie Archibald among the headline names.
For Archibald, who can count 27 world, European and Olympic titles on her palmarès, the selection marks a comeback from a freak injury which saw her miss out on the Paris Olympic Games.
She was put out of action after breaking two bones in her leg, dislocating her ankle and tearing ligaments after tripping on a step in her garden. She'll be back in action in Ballerup as part of the seven-woman endurance squad alongside Megan Barker, Neah Evans, Josie Knight, Sophie Lewis, Anna Morris and Jess Roberts.
"It was almost perverse how something so inconsequential could have such big consequences. It was just a little step down at the back of my home. We’ve got some uneven tiles. I tripped on my right foot and rolled my left," she said of her injury in an interview with Yahoo Sports.
"I think I was maybe predisposed to doing it because I've sprained my ankle loads of times. The last time was when I went over the bonnet of a car in a road accident last year. The ligaments get stretched and they've never been quite the same again."
Archibald said that her form is "a bit unknown" heading into the Track Worlds, noting that she has only recently completed her fourth team pursuit training session. She added that she's looking forward to competing with her teammates again, rather than taking aim at another rainbow jersey so soon after her devastating injury.
"I'm not really aiming for rainbow jerseys. Obviously, my teammates' ambitions are rainbows, so of course I'll be giving it my all. But I'm just looking forward to being part of a squad and competing again," she said.
"Elinor Barker is actually getting married on the Sunday, so she's not racing. We're all off to her wedding at the end of the week. So, goal number one is to get to the end of the week, goal number two is to get out on the dance floor at El's wedding. The ankle is better for cycling than dancing at the moment. But hopefully, I'll slay."
The seven women on Great Britain's endurance squad will be joined by Sophie Campbell, Emma Finucane, Katy Marchant and Lowri Thomas in the sprint squad, while the men's sprinters are Harry Ledingham-Horn, Hayden Norris, Joe Truman and Marcus Hiley.
Josh Tarling and Dan Bigham will both form part of the men's endurance squad. They'll be joined by Ethan Hayter, Charlie Tanfield, Josh Charlton, Noah Hobbs, Mark Stewart and Ollie Wood.
Great Britain topped the medal table at home in Glasgow last year, scoring five golds, three silvers and one bronze and the 23-rider selection will be hoping to replicate that success once again in Denmark.
Belgium, meanwhile, took home five medals – two golds and three bronzes – with Lotte Kopecky delivering rainbow jerseys in the elimination and points races.
The newly crowned double road champion will lead the 11-rider Belgian selection for the Worlds. She's joined by Katrien De Clercq, Helene Hesters, Febe Jooris, Marith Vanhove, Lani Wittevrongel, Fabio Van den Bossche, Thibaut Bernard, Lindsay De Vylder, Jules Hesters and Noah Vandenbranden.
