Only one reigning champion will be missing from the powerful line-up that Australia sends to the world track cycling championships in The Netherlands.

Ashlee Ankudinoff has an ongoing back injury and was ruled out of helping defend the women's team pursuit world title later this month in Apeldoorn.

The Australians will defend six world titles as they continue to narrow the gap to the powerful Great Britain squad.

Given the Olympics are next year, these world titles will give Australia a much clearer idea of where they stand.

Anna Meares has beaten British sprint ace Victoria Pendleton twice in the last few months, while last month Jack Bobridge broke the 13-year-old individual pursuit world record.

Australia only won one silver medal on the track at the Beijing Olympics as Great Britain dominated, but they are likely to be much more closely matched next year in London.

"We're coming off the back of a strong World Cup campaign where we fielded both development and elite squads," said Cycling Australia high performance manager Kevin Tabotta.

"We used the series to chase Olympic qualification points and to ensure we qualified all the places we needed for the world championships.

"Now the team we're sending to Apeldoorn is the cream of the crop."

It features nine reigning world champions, including stars such as Meares, Bobridge, Cameron Meyer and Leigh Howard.

Meyer was named last year's Australian cyclist of the year after winning three world titles and three Commonwealth Games gold medals.

He has since won January's Tour Down Under.

Meyer, Bobridge and Howard are three of the main riders for the men's team pursuit.

Ankudinoff, Josephine Tomic and Sarah Kent have been the nucleus of the Australian team for the women's team pursuit.

But Ankudinoff's back injury has caused her trouble for months.

"She's been playing catch-up - she's a very talented athlete and and we believe she will be in the mix for London," Tabotta said.

Like the men's event, the women's team pursuit squad has plenty of depth.

Olympian Kate Bates, who has come back from injury in the last few months, Melissa Hoskins and junior world champion Amy Cure are in the squad for the world titles.

The women's group will be finalised by March 9.

Roger Vaughan
AAP