Rowe Gets Wales Call

Three-time World Champion and Olympic gold medal cyclist Dani Rowe has been named in Wales’ Commonwealth Games team having switched allegiance from England.

One of Britain’s ‘Golden Girls’ at the 2012 London OIympics, she competed for England as Dani King in Glasgow four years ago before making her home in Cardiff and marrying fellow cyclist Matthew Rowe in October.

It means Team Wales will head to the Gold Coast with two Olympic gold medallists in their Team Pursuit squad with Rowe joining forces with 2016 Team GB star, Elinor Barker.

Another Rio Olympian, Ciara Horne, and current British international rider Manon Lloyd will join Rowe and Barker in an awesome foursome that could bid for a major medal.

The Southampton-born Rowe, who has been living in Cardiff for several years, was fourth in the Scratch Race, seventh in the Points Race, eighth in the Individual Pursuit and 11th in the Road Race for England in Glasgow. Barker won silver in the Points Race and bronze in the Scratch.

“My connections with Wales and Welsh Cycling go back to 2009 when I started to be coached by Courtney Rowe – the father of my husband Matt,” wrote the 27-year-old last month.

“I have therefore had a strong affinity and love for the country where I now live and call home, for the whole of my professional cycling career. Wales is a country that has produced so many incredible cyclists and I hope I can continue to do the country proud.”

Three times in just over 24 hours at the London Olympics Rowe helped Laura Trott and Joanna Rowsell break the world record in the team pursuit as they romped to the gold medal. She also helped claim three team pursuit world titles (2011, 2012, 2013) and two European crowns (2011, 2013.

More recently, Rowe has focussed on the road in the wake of a serious training crash in 2014 that left her with five broken ribs, a collapsed lung and meant she missed the 2016 Olympics. This year she will link-up with Dutch star Marianne Vos in the Woawdeals Pro Cycling team

Joining her in the Welsh cycling squad will be her brother in law, Luke Rowe, but he is the only one of the trio of Team Sky’s Welsh riders who will be heading down under. Geraint Thomas, who won the road race in 2014, and Olympic gold medallist Owain Doul don’t currently figure in the team.

Luke Rowe, who helped Thomas strike gold in Glasgow and is a veteran of three Tour de France races, has just recovered from breaking his leg in 20 places after jumping into shallow water while whitewater rafting on his brother’s stag do in Prague.

He will be joined in the road race team by Steve Williams, Dan Pearson, Peter Kibble, Dylan Kerfoot-Robson and Scott Davies.

Sprinter Jon Mould will be heading to his third Games, while Rachel James takes over the mantle from her double Olympic silver medal winning elder sister, Becky, in flying the family flag at a major championship. She will join Ellie Coster in the track sprint events.

TEAM WALES CYCLING
James Ball (Para-Cycling)
Elinor Barker (Track Endurance / Road)
Rhys Britton (Track Endurance)
Eleanor Coster (Track Sprint)
Scott Davies (Road)
Sam Harrison (Track Endurance)
Joe Holt (Track Endurance)
Ciara Horne (Track Endurance)
Rachel James (Track Sprint)
Dylan Kerfoot-Robson (Road / Mountain Biking)
Pete Kibble (Road)
Manon Lloyd (Track Endurance / Road)
Zachery May (Track Endurance)
Jon Mould (Track Endurance)
Lewis Oliva (Track Sprint)
Daniel Pearson (Road)
Dani Rowe (Track Endurance / Road)
Luke Rowe (Road)
Ethan Vernon (Track Endurance)
Stephen Williams (Road)

* Two additional cyclists will be added to the team at a later date