Commonwealth Games: Five-time Olympic champion Laura Kenny included in England cycling squad

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Five-time Olympic gold medallist Laura Kenny has been named in Team England's 35-strong squad for the Commonwealth Games.

Matt Walls, the Omnium champion at Tokyo 2020, and Olympic silver medallist and world omnium champion Ethan Hayter are also included.

Double Paralympic champion Steve Bate and Paralympic silver medallist Sophie Unwin are included.

Evie Richards, a cross-country world champion, makes the mountain bike team.

Track events will take place in London from 28 July to 1 August while mountain biking and road events, which are based around Birmingham, will take place between 3 and 7 August.

Britain's most successful female athlete Kenny, who has five Olympic gold medals and one silver, said she "cannot wait" to get back on her bike for the Commonwealth Games, having won gold in the points race at Glasgow 2014.

She won Olympic madison gold alongside Katie Archibald in Tokyo but will be competing against the Scot this summer.

The same is true for Ryan Owens who will be up against Jack Carlin after winning Olympic team sprint silver with him last year.

Joe Truman, a Commonwealth silver medallist in 2018 who missed out on a chance to compete in Tokyo, said he is looking forward to competing against his GB team-mates.

"Pulling on the England jersey is always pretty cool. Riding for Great Britain is obviously fun but I feel a bit more patriotic when I get the England jersey because we get split up as a squad and it's extra competitive," said Truman.

"If I was able to put myself up there again, maybe put my name out there and show I'm back, that would be a nice way to start off these next two years."

Team England's chef de mission, Mark England, said: "Cycling is always a crowd favourite and is a sport that we have rich heritage in as a nation.

"It is an honour to welcome such a talented group of athletes to Team England for the home Games this summer."

Team England's cycling squad in full

Track cycling: Blaine Ridge-Davis, Charlie Tanfield, Laura Kenny, Ethan Vernon, Grace Lister, Hayden Norris, Joe Truman, Josie Knight, Lauren Bate, Maddie Leech, Milly Tanner, Oliver Wood, Ryan Owens, Sophie Capewell, Sophie Lewis, Hamish Turnbull, Dan Bigham, Ethan Hayter, Matt Walls

Para-track cycling: Sophie Unwin, Georgia Holt (pilot for Unwin), Steve Bate, Chris Latham (pilot for Latham)

Road Cycling: Abi Smith, Alice Barnes, Anna Henderson, Ben Turner, Connor Swift, Ethan Hayter, Fred Wright, Jake Stewart, Josie Nelson, Joss Lowden, Ethan Vernon

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