Cycling Southland riders again featured prominently in BikeNZ's Development squads released today.
The announcement is headlined by confirmation of Junior Worlds Track representative Sophie Williamson's entry for the 2012 Junior Road World Championships in Holland in September.
Williamson earned selection by winning both Road Race and Time Trial gold medals at the recent Club Road Nationals in Hawkes Bay and will follow the same path she rode in 2011.
Last year she debuted at the Junior Worlds by earning bronze on the track in the Points Race before backing up to finish 18th on the same time as the world champion at the Junior Road Championships in Denmark in September.
Similarly, this year she will look to go two better in front of her home crowd in Invercargill in August before heading to Holland for anther tilt at a world junior road championships on September 21.
Other southern representatives named in the nationals squads include Michael Culling and Wakatipu's Georgia Vessey in the Under 17 teams who will travel to ride the Canberra Tour in September and attend a training camp in New Plymouth.
Laura Heywood and Jennifer Muhl were also named in the NZ-based development under 17 and 19 squads respectively to also attend the Taranaki training camp.
The Under 19 men squad is to be announced over coming days once their campaign arrangements have been finalized.