Dame Sarah Storey to make comeback at 2018 Track Worlds

Great Britain's most decorated female Paralympian ever Dame Sarah Storey will make her comeback competing for the national Para cycling team at the 2018 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 22-25 March.

The last time Storey took part in an international competition was precisely in Rio at the 2016 Paralympic Games, where she achieved triple gold success. She then decided to take a break from the sport due to pregnancy of her second child.

The 40-year-old Para cycling legend will be aiming to add to an incredible haul of 23 world titles, competing in the women´s 500m metre time trial, individual pursuit and scratch race.

“I’m delighted to be back in the hunt for rainbow jerseys although I never expected to be back so quickly after Charlie’s arrival four months ago,” she said.

“We are going into the qualification period for Tokyo 2020 so I’m excited to start the build up for what will be my eighth Paralympic Games. I’m looking forward to seeing what the trip will bring.”

Storey is joined in the squad by a number of her fellow Rio 2016 gold medallists, including Jody Cundy, Jon Allan-Butterworth, Louis Rolfe, Steve Bate, Adam Duggleby, Sophie Thornhill, Helen Scott, Lora Fachie, Corinne Hall and Megan Giglia.

There will also be Great Britain Cycling Team debuts for Blaine Hunt and Katie Toft, who impressed at the National Track Championships in January.

The competition is the first step on the road to Tokyo 2020, with the event representing the first opportunity for the team to score vital Paralympic qualification points.

Great Britain Cycling Team programmes manager Jon Pett, said: “The Track World Championships in Rio are the first major step on the team’s journey to Tokyo 2020 and all the riders and staff are looking forward to the competition.

“With qualification points up for grabs for the first time in this cycle, it’s vital that we hit the ground running and I’m very confident that we have a squad of riders that are capable of challenging for rainbow jerseys.

“It’s great to welcome Sarah back into the team for the first time since Rio, while it’s also excellent to add some new faces to the squad to freshen things up and provide some internal competition.

“Overall the team is in a great place and we’ll be working hard to ensure we have a very successful competition.”

British team

Female: Lora Fachie & pilot Corrine Hall; Sophie Thornhill & pilot Helen Scott; Katie Toft; Megan Giglia; Crystal Lane-Wright; Dame Sarah Storey

Male: Steve Bate & Adam Duggleby; James Ball & Peter Mitchell; Neil Fachie & Matt Rotheram; Louis Rolfe; Ben Watson; Jody Cundy; Jaco Van Gass; Jon-Allan Butterworth; Blaine Hunt; Jon Gildea; William Bjergfelt

Full story is available on British Cycling's website.