Cumbrian cycling star Mark Donovan has been named in the Great Britain squad for the UCI Road and Para-cycling Road World Championships.

Donovan, from Penruddock, is in a 55-strong squad for the contest in Zurich which starts on Saturday.

The 25-year-old is part of an elite men’s team which is headed by Olympic champion Tom Pidcock and also includes Stevie Williams, Adam and Simon Yates, Oscar Onley, James Knox and Jake Stewart.

Donovan’s inclusion follows a strong performance in the recent Tour of Britain where he came fourth overall.

The Cumbrian, a former Keswick School student who was a member of Beacon Wheelers Cycling Club in Penrith as a youngster, also recently extended his deal with Q36.5 Pro Cycling team, having last season claimed his first professional victory at the Sibiu Tour.

Speaking ahead of the world championships in Zurich, the performance director for the Great Britain cycling team, Stephen Park, said: “We are coming off the back of a fantastic Olympic and Paralympic summer and are proud to be able to bring 16 medallists, eight of them gold winners, to compete in Zurich so soon after their success.

“It’s fantastic to see riders in such good form after a busy season, and motivated to defend titles or contest rainbow jerseys for the first time.”

Five elite world titles are on offer - men's and women's individual time trials, men's and women's road races, and the mixed relay team time trial - in the competition in Switzerland, which runs from September 21 to 29.