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.
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ELITE MEN'S ROAD RACE
Sunday, September 28
260km (15 laps of the 17.3km circuit)
Final six starters confirmed on Sept 18
STEVE CUMMINGS
Barloworld
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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
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ELITE MEN'S TIME TRIAL
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.
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WOMEN'S ROAD RACE
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
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WOMEN'S TIME TRIAL
Wednesday, September 24
26km
Two starters confirmed on Sept 18
EMMA POOLEY SHARON LAWS
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MEN'S UNDER-23 ROAD RACE
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?
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MEN'S UNDER-23 TIME TRIAL
Tuesday, September 23
35km
Confirmed two to start
ALEX DOWSETT RUSSELL HAMPTON
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Sports journalist Lionel Birnie has written professionally for Sunday Times, Procycling and of course Cycling Weekly. He is also an author, publisher, and co-founder of The Cycling Podcast. His first experience covering the Tour de France came in 1999, and he has presented The Cycling Podcast with Richard Moore and Daniel Friebe since 2013. He founded Peloton Publishing in 2010 and has ghostwritten and published the autobiography of Sean Kelly, as well as a number of other sports icons.
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