GREAT BRITAIN WORLD'S TEAM TAKES SHAPE

Great Britain's teams for the World Championships are taking shape. The six riders for the road races have been confirmed.

Mark Cavendish pulled out of the men's elite road race and will be replaced by Geraint Thomas.

Sunday, September 28

260km (15 laps of the 17.3km circuit)

Final six starters confirmed on Sept 18

STEVE CUMMINGS

Barloworld

Age: 27

Best results this year

Two wins ? a stage of the Giro Regio Calabria and the Coppa Bernocchi ? plus an excellent fourth on a mountain stage of the Giro d?Italia and second place overall in the Tour of Denmark

Previous World Championship elite road race experience

DNF in Madrid 2005

CHRIS FROOME

Barloworld

Age: 23

Best results this year

Finished the Tour de France at the first attempt. Was 16th in the final time trial. Recently third in the Giro dell?Appennino

Previous World Championship elite road race experience

None

DAVID MILLAR

Garmin-Chipotle

Age: 31

Best results this year

No wins. Second overall in the Tour of California. Finished the Giro d?Italia and Tour de France and was fifth in the final TT of the Tour

Previous World Championship elite road race experience

54th in Stuttgart in 2007

35th in Salzburg 2006

86th in Hamilton 2003

DNF in Zolder 2002

DNF in Lisbon 2001

IAN STANNARD

Landbouwkrediet

Age: 21

Best results this year

First year as a pro with Landbouwkrediet. Finished Tour of Flanders, Ghent-Wevelgem and Paris-Roubaix at the first attempt.

Previous World Championship elite road race experience

None

GERAINT THOMAS

Barloworld

Age: 22

Best results this year

Finished the Giro d?Italia, 12th in the final time trial. Part of the world record-breaking Olympic title-winning team pursuit squad in Beijing.

Previous World Championship elite road race experience

None

RUSSELL DOWNING

Pinarello

Age: 30

Best results this year

Totally dominant in the UK, winning six rounds of the Premier Calendar series, plus the GP of Wales. Overseas, won the Cinturon Ciclista Majorca in April. Recently won a stage and was second overall in the Tour of Ireland

Previous World Championship elite road race experience

DNF in Salzburg 2006

Thursday, September 25

46km

Two confirmed starters

STEVE CUMMINGS

Barloworld

Has never ridden a World Championship time trial. Was a fine 11th in the Olympic time trial though, and would have been fourth had his chain not come off on the climb.

DAVID MILLAR

Garmin-Chipotle

Before his ban for using EPO, Millar was second in Lisbon in 2001, sixth in Zolder the following year and ?won? in Hamilton, Canada in 2003, but was later stripped of his title. Since his comback he?s been 15th in Salzburg (2006) and 18th last year in Stuttgart.

Saturday, September 27

138km (eight laps)

GB have seven places in the road race, thanks to Nicole Cooke's Olympic victory. As it stands, five are confirmed. A sixth place may be allocated.

NICOLE COOKE

Halfords Bikehut

Age: 25

Her whole season was structured around the Olympic Games and boy did it pay off. The world title is now the only piece missing from a perfect jigsaw. Can she make it an amazing double this year? She missed last year?s World Championships after a knee operation

Previous World Championship road race experience

3rd in Salzburg 2006

2nd in Madrid 2005

24th in Verona 2004

3rd in Hamilton 2003

35th in Zolder 2002

EMMA POOLEY

Specialized

Age: 25

A super climber who showed in Beijing she is a world-class time trial rider. Last year she was the revelation at the Worlds, taking a great 10th place after an extremely aggressive ride. With Cooke she will make an extremely useful double act.

Previous World Championship road race experience

10th in Stuttgart 2007

DNF in Madrid 2005

SHARON LAWS

Halfords Bikehut

Age: 34

Will make her World Championship debut after finishing the Olympic Games road race. Another strong climber who could cause a surprise

JESSICA ALLEN

Halfords Bikehut

Age: 19

Fourth in the British national road race championship this year.

LIZZIE ARMITSTEAD

Age: 19

National circuit race champion with a fine track pedigree

Previous World Championship road race experience

DNF in Stuttgart

ON STANDBY

CATHERINE HARE

Halfords Bikehut

Age: 24

Fifth in the British national road race championship

Previous World Championship road race experience

30th in Stuttgart 2007

DNF in Madrid 2005

RACHEL HEAL

Team Tibco

Age: 35

Extremely experienced and a very useful rider to have in the team to hold everything together. Could fill the captain on the road role. She?s finished six World Championship road races in seven attempts

Previous World Championship road race experience

57th in Stuttgart 2007

DNF in Salzburg 2006

32nd in Madrid 2005

37th in Verona 2004

46th in Hamilton 2003

62nd in Zolder 2002

53rd in Lisbon 2001

Wednesday, September 24

26km

Two starters confirmed on Sept 18

EMMA POOLEY
SHARON LAWS

Friday, September 26

173km (10 laps)

Confirmed five to start

BEN SWIFT
PETER KENNAUGH
ALEX DOWSETT
JONNY BELLIS
JONNY McEVOY

Great Britain will go into the road race as one of the strongest teams. Swift and Kennaugh have both won big races in Italy this year and this is practically a home fixture for the Tuscany-based squad. Bellis won a bronze medal last year. Coach Rod Ellingworth said the plan would be to get those three into position with two laps to go and get involved in the race. Could they improve on Bellis?s third place from last year?

Tuesday, September 23

35km

Confirmed two to start

ALEX DOWSETT
RUSSELL HAMPTON