Australia will take a strong squad into this week's UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Melbourne – the last major event for our riders ahead of the 2012 London Olympic Games.

An 18 rider Cyclones team will contest the Championships taking place from 4 to 8 April.

Spearheaded by Olympic gold medallist Anna Meares, the Australian squad features eight defending world champions.

22-year-old Jack Bobridge will be looking to defend his individual pursuit world title and confirm selection in the hotly contest men’s pursuit line-up, which is also aiming to win back-to-back world championships.

The men’s pursuit team recently defeated their arch rivals Great Britain in a meeting held at the same venue where the London Games track cycling will be contested and Bobridge says the Melbourne event is an important part of the Olympic build-up.

'We’ll go to Melbourne and we won’t bring out all the good stuff, you know got to save a little bit up the sleeve for London,' he said.

'We are chipping along nicely at the moment and I think if we keep going the way we are, this group’s got massive chances of winning in London.'

Watch the full Bobridge interview which was recorded during a recent training session: