Para-cyclists vie for London

A record 33 nations will contest this week's championships which is the final chance for nations to claim qualifying points to secure starting places at the Paralympic Games.

Australia's talented team of 13 riders includes four defending world champions. One of those is Canberra's Sue Powell who won the C4 pursuit title last year in Italy and will kick off her worlds campaign tomorrow with the 500 metre time trial.

"I'd like to improve quite a bit (on last year) so plan to try and break the 40 second barrier, that's what I'd really like to do," Powell said.

 "Whether that's good enough we'll see, the Chinese rider is really good."

Powell was the silver medallist in 2011 behind Chinese world record holder Jianping Ruan.

"I'm pretty confident because I've been going well in the shorter events and doing lots of strength work so we'll see how that translates on the track tomorrow," Powell said.

"My favourite event is the 500 because I enjoy the shorter events but I suppose the pursuit and road time trials are events I am better at."

Powell is the reigning world champion in the 3000m pursuit on the track and at the road world championships won the road race and road time trial.

But she has added incentive in her pursuit defence on day three after Canadian Marie-Claude Molnar clipped two seconds off Powell's world record to clock 4.05.403 at altitude in Mexico last November.

"It's 'game on' for the pursuit but it's still about PB's because I can't control what someone else does and every track is different," Powell said.

"I just want to do better than i have in the past."

The 44-year-old last year completed her doctoral degree in environmental science at the University of Canberra which she says has taken some mental pressure of her as she heads towards selection for London.

"I'm a lot more relaxed in terms of training so it's nice to have finished it," Powell said.

"The world championships are great but the hype heading towards London is fantastic. A lot of girls are vying for a few spots so hopefully I'll make the team and take it from there."

Day one action kicks off with the tandem pursuit qualifying rounds with Australia represented by Bryce Lindores and pilot Scott McPhee in the men's event and Brandie O'Connor and pilot Kerrie Knowler in the women's. Five Australians will contest the 500m time trials with Powell joined by Alexandra Green in the C4 category, Claire McLean will race the C5 event, Simone Kennedy lines up in the C3 category and Jayme Paris-Richardson will race the C1 event.

The Para-cyclones for the 2012 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships are listed below (please note male tandem pilots will be confirmed at a later date):

* Alexandra Green (Balgowlah Heights, NSW 02.07.1987) C4
* Felicity Johnson (Melrose Park, SA, 30.05.1971) BW (defending time trial world champion)
* Simone Kennedy (Ryde, NSW 05.01.1994) C3
* Kerry Knowler (Phillip ACT, 26.08.1967 ) Pilot for O'Connor
* Claire McLean (Carlisle WA, 04.07.1973) C5
* Stephanie Morton (Moana Heights, SA, 28.11.1990) Pilot for Johnson (defending time trial world champion)
* Brandie O'Connor (Phillip ACT, 24.12.1973) BW
* Jayme Paris-Richardson (Quakers Hill NSW, 27.04.1989) C1
* Susan Powell (Melba ACT, 30.05.1967) C4 (defending pursuit world champion)

* Michael Gallagher (Sydenham VIC, 14.12.1978) C5 (defending pursuit world champion and world record holder)
* Bryce Lindores (Nobby Beach QLD, 12.09.1986) BM
* Scott McPhee (Wayville SA 02.01.1992) Pilot for Lindores
* David Nicholas (Prosperpine, QLD, 01.12.1991) C3