Paris (AFP)

A few days after the end of the Tour de France, road cycling finds an autodrome for its annual Worlds, moved from Switzerland to Italy and reduced to four races due to the health situation, from Thursday to Sunday, on the Imola circuit .

Make way for punchers!

The professional race on Sunday is already attracting attention.

With, as expected protagonists, the best of the peloton, from the French Julian Alaphilippe to the Swiss Marc Hirschi, but also the climbers, such as the Danish Jakob Fuglsang or the winner of the Tour, the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar, if he manages to concentrate on the 'event.

The demanding profile, some 5,000 vertical meters in total spread over both sides of the course, discouraged the defending champion, the Dane Mads Pedersen, crowned to everyone's surprise last year in Yorkshire (Great Britain), as well as than the Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel.

Slovakian Peter Sagan, three times titled between 2015 and 2017, also gave up earlier this week.

On the other hand, most of the climbers -the Colombian Nairo Quintana, who explained himself Tuesday evening about the suspicions of doping weighing on his close entourage, gave up-, are announced at the start.

Just like the Belgian Wout van Aert, one of the most prominent men of the recent Tour de France, who will be with Greg Van Avermaet the leader of the Belgian selection.

- Dygert to start -

From Thursday, the ladies time trial opens the meeting on a 37.1 kilometer course, identical in length to that of the men the next day.

The American Chloé Dygert defends her title, but she has not raced on the road since ... the Worlds-2019.

World pursuit champion on the Berlin track at the start of the year, Dygert has devoted herself exclusively to training, with three-time Olympic time trial champion Kristin Armstrong, in this season shaken by the Covid pandemic -19.

"I didn't run a lot last year either, so I'm really used to this preparation," she told the US site Velonews, adding that she had completed a two-week course at the Colorado velodrome. Springs at altitude: "I am doing exactly the same preparation as I did before Yorkshire".

For her, the opposition is on the side of the Dutch Anna van der Breggen, four times silver medalist (but more than a minute and a half last year), and Ellen van Dijk, who took in that order the first two places in the European Championship at the end of August in France (in Plouay).

- A "chrono" recorded -

Gold medalist in this event at the last Worlds held in Italy (in Florence, in 2013), van Dijk replaces Annemiek van Vleuten, who fell last Thursday during the Giro d'Italia and broke her left wrist .

But the number one in women's cycling does not despair of defending her title on Saturday in the road race.

She was operated on on her return to the Netherlands and had a test on Tuesday, with a splint, which she says rather conclusively: "I have no pain."

Final decision expected Friday.

In the men's time trial, the absence of the Belgian phenomenon Remco Evenepoel (2nd in 2019), injured since mid-August, opens the way to a new title for the Australian Rohan Dennis (winner in 2018 and 2019) or the Dutchman Tom Dumoulin (2017).

Or, why not, a first for the Welshman Geraint Thomas, winner of the Tour de France 2018, or other solid candidates for the podium (especially Ganna, van Aert, Campenaerts, Küng).

On the French side, hopes for a medal hold in Rémi Cavagna in the time trial, especially after his end of the Tour in a cannonball, and in Julian Alaphilippe in the road race.

Present in Italy since the start of the week, + Alaf + is one of the favorites for the rainbow jersey, as every time since 2017.

Program of the World Road Cycling Championships, from Thursday to Sunday, in Imola (in French hours):

Thursday: elite ladies time trial (31.7 km - 2:40 p.m. / 4:45 p.m.)

Friday: elite men's time trial (31.7 km - 2:25 p.m. / 4:35 p.m.)

Saturday: elite ladies road race (143 km - 12.45 / 4.30 p.m.)

Sunday: elite men's road race (258.2 km - 10h00 / 16h30)

The holders of the titles:

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Against the watch:

Elite women: Chloé Dygert (USA)

Elite men: Rohan Dennis (AUS)

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Online races:

Elite women: Annemiek van Vleuten (NED)

Elite men: Mads Pedersen (DEN)

© 2020 AFP