CYCLING: Australia's track cycling team road to Rio will continue a little closer to home this month when they contest the first ever World Cup to be staged in New Zealand.

A 20-rider strong Australian track cycling team has been named for the second round of the 2015/16 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Series to be hosted in Cambridge from December 4-6.

Reigning team pursuit world champions and world record holders Ashlee Ankudinoff, Amy Cure, Annette Edmondson and Melissa Hoskins will compete for the first time in their rainbow jerseys. They will be joined by Isabella King, who continues to make a return from illness and reigning national team pursuit champion Georgia Baker who claimed gold in the individual pursuit and omnium and October's Oceania Championships.

Five time world champion and Olympic silver medallist Michael Hepburn returns to the World Cup circuit for the first time since 2012 as he locks the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in his sights.

Olympic silver medallist Jack Bobridge will also line up at his first world cup since 2012 after he also returned to the track earlier this year.

Joining them Olympic silver medallist Glenn O'Shea and London Olympian Alex Edmondson. Rounding out the men's endurance squad is Luke Davison and Mitchell Mulhern, ensuring all six riders boast a team pursuit world championship.

Matthew Glaetzer, who claimed silver in the keirin at the Cali World Cup following two Oceania titles in October, will be looking for more success on the world stage.

National Championship sprint silver medallist Peter Lewis, former junior world champions Jacob Schmid and Patrick Constable, and team sprint specialist Nathan Hart round out the team.

Anna Meares and Stephanie Morton who claimed silver in the team sprint in Cali will again line up in the sprint events. They are joined by three time world champion Kaarle McCulloch, who is continuing her track season following three gold medals at the Oceania Championships.

Cycling Australia