Cycling: Wiggins back in strong British side

Olympic champions Bradley Wiggins and Rebecca Romero will return to the velodrome for Great Britain at the Track World Cup event in Manchester next month.

Wiggins and Romero, who both won individual pursuit golds in Beijing in 2008, have been named in a 27-strong squad for the fourth and final World Cup event of the season, which takes place at the Manchester Velodrome from 18-20 February. Romero will be competing for Britain on the track for the first time since winning Olympic gold in China, while Wiggins will be making his first appearance for Britain in the velodrome since November 2008.

Also included in a full-strength line-up is Sarah Storey, the multiple Paralympic champion who is vying for a place in the women's team pursuit squad alongside Romero, and BMX star Shanaze Reade, who will compete in the team sprint.

Wiggins and Romero are joined by fellow Beijing champions Sir Chris Hoy, Victoria Pendleton, Geraint Thomas, Ed Clancy and Jason Kenny, as well as Sydney Olympic champion Jason Queally.

British Cycling performance manager, Shane Sutton, said: "We have selected the strongest squad possible for the final round of the World Cup season and we are looking to score as many qualification points as possible before we go to the World Championships the next month."

With the individual pursuit not on the Olympic programme for 2012, following an overhaul by the International Cycling Union, Wiggins and Romero will compete in the team pursuit.