Laura Kenny left out of British team for European Championships

The 30-year-old had spoken to British Cycling about potentially skipping this week’s competition in Munich

Commonwealth champion Laura Kenny will not contest this week’s European Championships in Munich (John Walton/PA) (PA Wire)

Dame Laura Kenny has been left out of British Cycling’s team for this week’s European Championships in Munich.

Kenny had already raised the possibility of sitting out the competition during the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where she won gold in the scratch race, and could now also struggle to qualify for October’s World Championships.

The five-time Olympic champion has endured a traumatic period since the Tokyo Games last summer, suffering a miscarriage and an ectopic pregnancy.

Former British road champion Pfeiffer Georgi takes Kenny’s place in the women’s endurance team led by Tokyo team pursuit silver medallists Josie Knight and Neah Evans, with Katie Archibald still absent due to an injury-plagued season.

The European Championships get under way with the track cycling from August 11-16, where double Commonwealth medallist Sophie Capewell is joined in the women’s sprint squad by Emma Finucane – who won sprint bronze in Birmingham – and Lauren Bell.

In the men’s sprint, Olympic silver medallist Jack Carlin is joined by fellow Scots Alistair Fielding and Hamish Turnbull, while Olympic gold medallist and Tour de France stage winner Tom Pidcock will lead the mountain bike squad.

The BMX freestyle park events take place from August 11-13 and Tokyo Olympic champion Charlotte Worthington will be looking to claim another European gold after taking the title in 2019.

Great Britain Cycling team performance director Stephen Park said: “Coming off the back of an incredibly successful Commonwealth Games, our athletes are ready and raring to go once again as they build towards their respective world championships later in the year.

“Across the track, mountain bike and BMX freestyle park disciplines we have a fantastic depth of talent and I’m pleased to see a number of riders stepping up to the senior squads to make their debuts.”