Froome named on Britain’s world road long list

LONDON: Four-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome was on Monday included on Britain’s long list of riders for the Road World Championships in Norway later this month.

Froome, currently leading the Vuelta a Espana, has said he hopes to compete in the individual time-trial in Bergen, but he is expected to duck the road race as the course does not suit him.

Britain’s male long list of 13 riders includes former world champion Mark Cavendish, who is pursuing his comeback from the shoulder injury that ended his Tour de France in this week’s Tour of Britain.

“We have named what I believe to be a very strong and talented long list of riders from which we will select the final teams for this year’s road race and time-trial world championships,” head coach Iain Dyer said on the British Cycling website.

The list also includes British road and time-trial champion Steve Cummings, Adam Blythe, Mark Christian, Jon Dibben, Owain Doull, Tao Geoghegan Hart, Pete Kennaugh, Ben Swift and Geraint Thomas.

Britain will enter nine riders in the road race and two in the time-trial.The women’s squad is headlined by 2015 world champion Lizzie Deignan, who must prove her fitness after having her appendix removed last week.The World Championships run from September 17-24.  —