Newly-crowned national keirin champion Shane Perkins is the glaring name missing from the Australian team for the world track cycling championships.
The 20-rider team, featuring defending world champions such as Anna Meares and Annette Edmondson, will use the March 2-6 worlds at London's Olympic velodrome as the dress rehearsal for the Rio Games.
Perkins was dropped from the national track program last year, but the 29-year-old was one of the stories of last week's Australian titles in Adelaide when he won the keirin title.
Due to his omission from the national program, the former keirin world champion is ineligible for the worlds because he has not competed at any World Cups in the last few months.
Perkins said after last Saturday's win that the title showed he should be allowed back into the Australian elite squad ahead of Rio.
There are several other big names missing from the team, but in less controversial circumstances.
Team pursuiters Jack Bobridge and Alex Edmondson were given permission to miss the worlds because of professional road commitments.
They are strong chances to be in the track endurance team for the Olympics.
Bobridge and Edmondson must attend an April team pursuit selection camp.
Melissa Hoskins, a member of the squad that won last year's team pursuit world title, predictably also missed selection.
Hoskins is still trying to regain top form after a bout of pneumonia late last year.
Rising star Georgia Baker will take her spot for the worlds.
Meares will defend her world keirin title in London, as well as race in the sprint and team sprint.
She signalled a return to form by winning those three events at the nationals.
Annette Edmondson is the reigning world champion in the omnium and team pursuit.
Ashlee Ankudinoff and Amy Cure are the other members of the winning team pursuit quartet who will race in London.
The other defending champion is Rebecca Wiasak in the individual pursuit.
Apart from Baker, new sprint star Patrick Constable and men's team pursuiters Sam Welsford, Callum Scotson and Alex Porters will also make their debuts at the senior track world championships.
Caitlin Ward missed out on a berth in the women's sprint group, with Stephanie Morton and Kaarle McCulloch to join Meares.
Former world champion Cameron Meyer will join the team purely to ride the madison and is not looking at a long-term return to the track for Rio.
Team
Sprint: Kaarle McCulloch, Anna Meares, Stephanie Morton, Patrick Constable, Matthew Glaetzer, Nathan Hart, Jacob Schmid
Women's endurance: Ashlee Ankudinoff, Georgia Baker, Amy Cure, Annette Edmondson, Rebecca Wiasak
Men's endurance: Luke Davison, Michael Hepburn, Cameron Meyer, Glenn O'Shea, Alex Porter, Callum Scotson, Miles Scotson, Sam Welsford.
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