Alex Harvey will headline the Canadian team this season ©Getty Images

World champion Alex Harvey will headline the Canadian team for the new cross-country skiing season.

The 28-year-old has been named in an A-team of five skiers following his gold medal winning performance in Lahti in Finland this year.

Harvey won the world 50 kilometres freestyle title and also enjoyed a good season on the International Ski Federation (FIS) World Cup circuit.

He finished third in the overall standings, behind Norway's champion Martin Johnsrud Sundby and Sergey Ustiugov of Russia.

Harvey won two titles during the course of the campaign, over 15km in Ulricehamn in Sweden and then in the sprint on home snow in Quebec City.

Alex Harvey won World Championship gold in Lahti this year ©Getty Images
Alex Harvey won World Championship gold in Lahti this year ©Getty Images

As well as more success in the World Cup during 2017-18, Harvey and the remainder of the Canadian squad will be eyeing a good showing at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games in February.

Also picked in the Canadian squad are Len Valjas, Devon Kershaw, Jesse Cockney and Knute Johnsgaard.

Four skiers have been selected in Canada's B-squad.

They are Graeme Killick, Emily Nishikawa, Dahria Beatty and Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt.