OTLEY cyclist Lizzie Armitstead has been named alongside Sir Chris Hoy for an international competition at the Track World Cup in Manchester this weekend.

The pair are named in British Cycling’s 19-strong squad Hoy’s but fellow Olympic champion Rebecca Romero is absent.

Hoy, winner of three Olympic golds in Beijing last August, has been in action once since suffering a hip injury in February, but will warm up for the first of four World Cup events with this week’s national championships at the Manchester Velodrome.

Speculation continues over Romero’s future on the track after she took Olympic gold in Beijing, four years after collecting rowing silver in Athens.

Cycling's world governing body are believed to be considering axing the individual pursuit from the Olympic programme, a move which would leave Romero without a title to defend at London 2012.

Olympic champions Victoria Pendleton, Jason Kenny, Jamie Staff, Ed Clancy and Geraint Thomas are named in the team, while Beijing medal winners Ross Edgar, Steven Burke, Wendy Houvenaghel and Chris Newton are also competing.

World champions Armitstead and Joanna Rowsell will be in action, alongside double junior world champion Becky James.

Hoy, Edgar, Pendleton, Staff and Peter Mitchell will ride in Sky HD+ colours, while the remaining 14 riders will wear Team GB colours. The event begins on Friday.