ABERGAVENNY’S Becky James misses out on this week’s UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Paris but Wales will be represented by Elinor Barker, Ciara Horne and Owain Doull.

James, who won double gold at the 2013 worlds in Minsk, recently suffered a setback in her recovery from a long-term knee injury and will not take part in this year’s championships, which start tomorrow and run until Sunday.

But Barker is relishing what she expects to be some tough competition in the team pursuit alongside teammate Horne, who is based in Newport.

With key rivals closing the gap on a near-invincible British squad, Barker believes that realising the ambition of a fifth straight world title will be a challenge for the quintet.

Barker has been a constant presence in the team pursuit for over two years, having never missed a world championships or world cup ride since her Great Britain debut in late 2012.

Since then the British Cycling Olympic Podium Programme athlete, who began her cycling career ten years ago, has seen the world slowly catch up.

“The Aussies have just set their national record a week or so ago, which is pretty quick, so we're definitely expecting the gap to close between us and the other nations now,” said Barker.

The 20-year-old from Cardiff is one of five endurance women selected for the championships at the National Velodrome Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, joined by Horne, Kate Archibald, Joanna Rowsell and Laura Trott.

Barker has never missed, or lost, a race with Great Britain at world level.

“It’s been quite a privilege actually to be in every single ride,” she admitted.

“I was kind of scared to acknowledge it because I thought maybe I’d jinx it a little bit.

“Ever since being a junior I’ve never actually sat out of a team pursuit so I’m terrified for the day it does actually happen!”

Barker and her teammates’ pursuit of the ultimate ride has led to some less-than-perfect performances, an apparent lack of finesse that Barker attributes to riding close to the limit.

“We tend to push ourselves to the limit, which is why sometimes it gets a little bit ragged and it doesn't really look quite perfect,” said Barker, who shot to prominence in 2012 when she won the junior world time trial title while balancing her A-level commitments.

“Even though we are a team, we're a team of individuals,” she said. “So everyone's got their own level which is why occasionally it does fall apart a little bit.”