London Olympics 2012: Millar Gets Road Race Nod

David Millar has been selected in Great Britain's provisional 18-strong cycling team for the London 2012 Olympics.

Millar, who was banned for two-years in 2004 for doping, saw a British Olympic Association bylaw overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which stated previously banned athletes are unable to compete at the Olympic Games, allowing him to be selected.

The 35-year-old takes his place in an eight-man preliminary road race squad including Mark Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins, which will be whittled down to five come 29 June.

The women's road race squad, a six-strong team which includes both Lizzie Armitstead and Olympic champion from Beijing Nicole Cooke, will be cut to four on 18 June.

On the track, four-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Chris Hoy leads the sprint contingent in London, with Jason Kenny and Philip Hindes making up the remainder of the male squad.

Hoy, who in London will compete at his fourth games, is proud to be representing Team GB on home turf.

"It's a huge honour to be selected to represent your country at an Olympic Games," he said. "It's even more special to know I'm definitely part of the team for London 2012. This will be my fourth Olympics but my first home Games, and it's going to be an amazing experience and a once in a lifetime opportunity for all of us.

"The standard in the British cycling team is so high and the selection process is always going to be tough, but there's a great atmosphere in the team and we just need to keep putting in the hours in training and make sure we're in the best shape possible for race day.

British Cycling are however yet to decide whether Hoy or Kenny, who edged the Scot in the World Championships in Melbourne earlier in the year, will take the one individual sprint spot for London, an event which the 36 year-old Hoy is currently Olympic champion.

Victoria Pendleton and Jessica Varnish will look to match their gold medal winning performance at February's World Championships, with both making up the female sprint team.

In the endurance events, all attention will be on the male and female sprint quartets hoping to replicate their Melbourne heroics come London, while Laura Trott will hope to build on her omnium world title. Ed Clancy will compete in the men's omnium event.

Shanaze Reade and Liam Phillips will hope to build on their Olympic debuts with medals in the BMX competition, while Liam Killeen and Annie Last make up the Mountain Biking team.

Reade is hoping support from her British support can help to glory come this summer.

"I'm really excited to have been selected for the London 2012 Olympic Games," she said. "If the test event and the recent World Championships in Birmingham are anything to go by, the home support will be a massive boost to me. I feel that I am in good form at the moment and I'm really motivated for this. I just can't wait to race."

Team GB Cycling squad:

Track (Sprint):

Philip Hindes, Chris Hoy, Jason Kenny, Victoria Pendleton, Jessica Varnish

Track (Endurance):

Steven Burke, Edward Clancy, Wendy Houvenaghel, Peter Kennaugh, Danielle King, Joanna Rowsell , Andrew Tennant, Geraint Thomas, Laura Trott

BMX:

Liam Phillips, Shanaze Reade

Cross Country Mountain Biking:

Liam Killeen, Annie Last

Men's Road (five to be selected)

Mark Cavendish, Steve Cummings, Chris Froome, Jeremy Hunt, David Millar, Ian Stannard, Ben Swift, Bradley Wiggins

Women's Road (four to be selected)

Lizzie Armitstead, Nicole Cooke, Katie Colclough, Sharon Laws, Lucy Martin, Emma Pooley