WORLD champion Elinor Barker, Gwent stars Jon Mould and Sam Harrison and fellow Welsh rider Ciara Horne are all in action today as the British Cycling National Track Championships get under way in Manchester.

And in the Para-cycling Championships Lauren Booth of Newport Youth Velo CC competes in the mixed C1-C5 time trial, while Rachel James of Abergavenny RC pilots Sophie Thornhill in the BVI mixed time trial.

Thornhill and James compete again tomorrow in the BVI mixed pursuit, while Commonwealth Games teammates Barker, Horne and Amy Roberts compete against each other in the women’s 500m time trial.

Also tomorrow, Monmouthshire’s Lewis Oliva goes for glory in the men’s kilometre time trial.

On Friday Newport’s Mould is in action in the men’s individual pursuit, while Barker, Horne and Roberts all go in the women’s event.

Also on Friday, Thomas Baker of Abergavenny RC is in the men’s keirin field alongside Oliva, while James and Thornhill go again in the Para-cycling BVI mixed 200m flying start time trial.

On Saturday Baker and Oliva are in action again in the men’s sprint, while Mould and NFTO teammate Joseph Wiltshire go in the men’s points race.

Also on Saturday, James competes in the women’s team sprint, while Barker, Horne, Roberts and fellow Welsh rider Katie Curtis compete in the women’s scratch race.

The championships conclude on Sunday when Oliva goes in the men’s team sprint, James in the women’s keirin, Mould and Wiltshire in the men’s scratch race and Barker, Curtis, Horne and Roberts in the women’s points race.

The Welsh stars will be up against a strong field featuring many of Great Britain’s Olympic and world champions.

In the women’s endurance events Olympic champions Laura Trott, Joanna Rowsell and Dani King will and fellow world champion Katie Archibald will give Barker strong competition.

In the sprint events British Olympian and double Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Jess Varnish will defend the four titles she took in emphatic style in 2013.

In the men’s events, Olympic champion Jason Kenny will be the man to beat in the sprint competitions as he looks to repeat his triple title success of 2013.

Looking forward to the championships, 2013 national champion Trott said: “I love competing at the nationals because the atmosphere at the velodrome in Manchester is always incredible.

“The home crowd really gets behind you which really helps to lift your performance.

“I can’t wait to get on the boards to defend my titles this year.

“It’s a great feeling to stand on the top of the podium as national champion so I really hope to be up there again this year.”