Shanaze Reade ready for return to track racing
Tuesday 21 April 2015 16:58, UK
Three-time BMX world champion Shanaze Reade is moving back to the track to train with the Great Britain team.
British Cycling confirmed on Monday that Reade, who won two world titles with Victoria Pendleton in the team sprint event, will join the squad after returning to the United Kingdom following a stint in BMX racing in the United States.
Reade will augment a squad which features Olympian Jess Varnish, Becky James - the two-time world champion who is bidding to recover from a knee injury - and Victoria Williamson.
British Cycling technical director Shane Sutton said: "This is good news for the Great Britain cycling team as Shanaze is a terrific athlete with a big personality and an appetite for competition.
"Shanaze is coming back to train with the squad with a view to seeing what kind of contribution she can make to the performance of the team."
Reade's two titles came in 2007 and 2008 in Palma and Manchester alongside the now retired Pendleton and she was second with the two-time Olympic champion at the 2009 World Championships.
She will likely use her power to challenge for a 'man one' starting spot, with the possibility of Varnish switching to 'man two' among the options British Cycling is likely to explore.
Reade has twice reached the Olympic final in BMX, but crashed in her bid for glory in Beijing and was never in contention at London 2012.
