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Team GB cyclists at Tokyo 2020: How the track squad could look

Joanna Rowsell Shand, Elinor Barker, Laura Trott, Katie Archibald, Rio 2016, Olympic Games
Image: From left, Joanna Rowsell Shand, Elinor Barker, Laura Trott and Katie Archibald celebrate winning team pursuit gold at Rio 2016

Great Britain dominated the track cycling for the third Olympic Games in succession at Rio 2016.

Having now won 20 gold medals since 2008, attention will turn to whether they can continue their monopoly at Tokyo 2020.

Here, we speculate on what the team could look like…

GB's great comeback
GB's great comeback

How the GB cycling team went from crisis to domination

MEN'S SPRINT

Team in Rio: Jason Kenny, Philip Hindes, Callum Skinner.
Rio medals: Team sprint gold, sprint gold (Kenny), sprint silver (Skinner), keirin gold (Kenny).
Possible team in Tokyo: Same.
How old will they be? Kenny 32, Hindes 27, Skinner 27.

Callum Skinner, Jason Kenny, Philip Hindes, Rio 2016, Olympic Games
Image: From left, Callum Skinner, Jason Kenny and Philip Hindes could all be back at Tokyo 2020

All three were in imperious form in Rio and all three are young enough to return in Tokyo. Kenny has a record-breaking seventh gold medal to aim for, Hindes' unparalleled power in the team sprint means his place is unlikely to come under threat, and Skinner should only get better after establishing himself as a world-class sprinter in Rio.

WOMEN'S SPRINT

Team in Rio: Becky James, Katy Marchant.
Rio medals: Keirin silver (James), sprint silver (James), sprint bronze (Marchant).
Possible team in Tokyo: Same.
How old will they be? James 28, Marchant 27.

Becky James, Katy Marchant, Rio 2016, Olympic Games
Image: Becky James (left) and Katy Marchant exceeded expectation in Rio

James and Marchant went to Rio more in hope than expectation but delivered an excellent return of three medals and should be even stronger in Tokyo, when they are likely to be at their peaks. They will also hope to compete in the team sprint, which they failed to qualify for this time around.

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MEN'S PURSUIT

Team in Rio: Sir Bradley Wiggins, Ed Clancy, Steven Burke, Owain Doull.
Rio medal: Team pursuit gold.
Possible team in Tokyo: Ed Clancy, Steven Burke, Oliver Wood, Matt Gibson.
How old will they be? Clancy 35, Burke 32, Wood 24, Gibson 23.

Sir Bradley Wiggins, Rio 2016, Olympic Games
Image: The men's pursuit team will look very different in Tokyo

The men's pursuit team is the area that is likely to see the most change over the coming Olympic cycle. Wiggins is set to retire and Doull has joined Team Sky, so neither will be present in Tokyo, while Clancy has had serious back problems in the past 12 months and must now decide whether or not he wants to continue for another four years. Burke is the only team member from Rio who is almost certain to be racing in 2020.

Waiting to step up are a host of promising youngsters, including Oliver Wood, Matt Gibson and Mark Stewart, while sprinter-turned-pursuiter Kian Emadi may also be in contention.

WOMEN'S PURSUIT

Team in Rio: Laura Trott, Joanna Rowsell Shand, Elinor Barker, Katie Archibald, Ciara Horne.
Rio medal: Team pursuit gold.
Possible team in Tokyo: Same.
How old will they be? Trott 28, Rowsell Shand 31, Barker 25, Archibald 26, Horne 30.

Laura Trott, Joanna Rowsell Shand, Katie Archibald, Elinor Barker, Rio 2016, Olympic Games
Image: From left, Trott, Rowsell Shand, Archibald and Barker are all young enough to return in Tokyo

Having won gold in world-record time while all being aged 27 or under, these five could easily still be in place and riding even faster in Tokyo. However, Britain's under-23 team of Emily Kay, Emily Nelson, Dannielle Khan and Manon Lloyd demolished the field to win the European under-23 title in July and all could push the established quintet hard for places.

MEN'S OMNIUM

Rider in Rio: Mark Cavendish.
Rio medal: Silver.
Possible rider in Tokyo: Mark Cavendish or Ed Clancy.
How old will he be? 35.

Mark Cavendish, Rio 2016, Olympic Games
Image: Mark Cavendish could be tempted by one last tilt at Olympic gold

Cavendish may have claimed to be happy with silver, but his bitter disappointment at not winning gold was clear to see and it would be no surprise if he made one last bid for an Olympic title in Tokyo. He said after the Games that he would have to all but retire from the road in order to race the omnium in 2020, so three more years of road racing and then a Wiggins-esque switch back to the track could be on the cards.

However, he will face competition for Britain's sole place from Clancy, who has revealed he is keen to race both the team pursuit and omnium in Tokyo.

WOMEN'S OMNIUM

Rider in Rio: Laura Trott.
Rio medal: Gold.
Possible rider in Tokyo: Same.
How old will she be? 28.

Britain's Laura Trott celebrates after winning the Women's Omnium
Image: Trott is almost certain to ride the omnium in Tokyo

Trott has proved invincible in the omnium at her two Olympics so far and it seems only injury or illness can stop her going for a third gold in a row in Tokyo.

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