Brailsford looking for mountain biking as well as velodrome success

BRITISH Cycling performance director Dave Brailsford insists Great Britain's success story is not limited to the velodrome and believes the gold rush will continue at this month's World Mountain Bike Championships.

FLYING HIGH: Steve Peat will be looking to defend his world downhill title in Canada later this month (Getty Images)

Great Britain will send a 32-strong squad to Mont-Saint-Anne, Canada across the downhill, cross-country, trials and four cross disciplines with competition getting underway on August 31.

The men's downhill looks set to provide British success with Steve Peat looking to defend his world title, while Gee Atherton is the current World Cup series leader.

A third Brit, Marc Beaumont, will also head to Canada in top form, having taken victory at the most recent World Cup in Val di Sole.

But the strength in depth is not limited to the downhill, with Liam Killeen, the current Commonwealth Games champion, also in action in the cross-country discipline - the only event to feature on the Olympic programme.

Brailsford said: "The strength and depth of talent which GB has across all the mountain bike disciplines continues to increase and the size of the squad we're sending to the World Champs reflects this.

"The Elite Men's Downhill team is testimony of the strength of talent - all eight of the riders selected have had a top ten finish at World Cup level this year.

"And their team includes Steve Peat who is the current world champion, Gee Atherton who is currently leading the World Cup series with one round remaining and Marc Beaumont who won the most recent Downhill World Cup in Italy last weekend.

 "It's also good to see the number of young riders which have made it onto the squad again this year, particularly the crop of young talent we have in the Olympic discipline of cross-country with just under two years to go until London 2012."