Husband-and-wife Jason and Laura Kenny will look to keep up with some of their Tokyo 2020 rivals when the track cycling gets under way at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow on the opening day.
The pair returned to racing this year after taking time out to look after their new baby son. Six-time Olympic champion Jason Kenny said Albie is a “nice distraction” but added that their lives have changed.
“It’s always said that athletes are selfish, and you are in a sense as you put your body first when it comes to competing and resting, but when you have the little one you don’t have a choice,” he said.
“It does change but it’s amazing how many things you thought were important before, but you can deal with a lot easier.”
The local interest will focus on Scotland’s first track cycling world champion Katie Archibald, who won the Commonwealth 3,000m individual pursuit gold title. Her brother John, who won silver in the 4,000m individual pursuit in Australia, is also in the British team.
Former Olympic and European team pursuit gold medallist Dani Rowe will hope to add a European road race crown.
In the men’s event, Mark Cavendish – winner of 30 Tour de France stages – will be up against Slovak Peter Sagan, who has won the Tour’s points classification on five occasions.
Mountain biking and BMX are among the other cycling events.
Over at the SSE Hydro – which hosted the the 2015 World Championships – double Olympic champion Max Whitlock will look to win his first European gymnastics title since 2014.
British Commonwealth champions Alice Kinsella and Georgia-Mae Fenton, and James Hall, Dom Cunningham and Courtney Tulloch will hope to shine again.
However, the team will be without two-time European bars winner Becky Downie who has withdrawn through injury.
