Revolution Track Series 4 – February 1 2013/14

John Mx/PR

Track series heats up at Manchester

The battle for the Revolution Series Elite Championship will intensify at Round 4 on Saturday, 1st February in Manchester.

Peter Kennaugh by Luke Webber/Revolution Series

Olympic champions Laura Trott, Jason Kenny, Ed Clancy and Pete Kennaugh will all ride the penultimate round of the 2013-14 Series.

A packed programme of endurance and sprint racing will leave the world’s most successful elite track cycling league poised for the 2013-14 finale at Lee Valley VeloPark in London (14th-15th March).

Team Sky’s Kennaugh returns to Revolution Series after his sensational Points Race performance at Round 3, joining team-mate Ben Swift to form a fearsome partnership.

Kennaugh said: “There are two rounds left and we want to be up there fighting for the Elite Championship. I’m looking forward to racing with Swifty, hopefully we can get ourselves in contention before the final round in London.

“The Manchester crowd are always brilliant and give me and all the Team Sky riders great support,” added Kennaugh. “It should be another great day!”

German team Rudy Project RT currently lead the standings – they were overall runners-up last season and are determined to finish the job this time.

Rapha Condor JLT, Telegraph All Stars and Team Sky (second, third and fourth respectively) will all be looking to deny them. Ed Clancy returns for Rapha Condor JLT following his amazing record-breaking 1km Madison TT with Ollie Wood last month while Jon Dibben and Sam Harrison race for Telegraph All Stars.

Meanwhile, the women’s endurance line-up is as strong as ever with Trott, Lizzie Armitstead, Dani King, Elinor Barker and Jo Rowsell all riding.

A strong Dutch sprint contingent will fly in to Manchester after an impressive showing at last week’s Track World Cup in Mexico. Nils Van’t Hoenderdaal spearheads their challenge, fresh from winning the Men’s Team Sprint in Guadalajara.

Jeffrey Hoogland, on-form Elis Ligtlee, Shanne Braspennincx and Yesna Rijkhoff will also renew their rivalry with the British team.

Three-time Olympic champion Kenny, Callum Skinner and Matt Crampton will all take to the boards in the men’s sprints. World sprint and keirin champion Becky James is also set to ride, while 18-year-old Danni Khan will hope to build on her impressive bronze-medal team sprint ride in Mexico.

In the HOY Future Stars long-term leaders Sophie Capewell and Joe Truman will aim to stay on top before March’s London finale, with a HOY bike the prize for overall victory.

The afternoon session begins at 1pm in Manchester (doors open 12pm) on Saturday 1st February. Evening session begins 7pm (doors open 6pm).

TV highlights will be shown on Thursday 6th February, BT Sport 2, 7.30pm.

Revolution Track Series Website