Who will be world champion? The favourites check with Claudia Lichtenberg
Andreas Kublik
· 23.09.2022
** Grace Brown
30 years, Australia
She is a powerful rider and can maintain a high pace once she has opened up a gap. The Australian proved this by winning the Silver medal in the individual time trial (she was only twelve seconds behind world champion Ellen van Dijk; editor's note).
Australia also has a really strong team at the World Cycling Championships - with Amanda Spratt (2018 World Championship silver medallist, 2019 World Championship bronze medallist) and Alexandra Manly, who won the Tour of Thuringia this year. This means they can counter van Vleuten as a team if she attacks early on.
*** Lotte Kopecky
26 years, Belgium
The Belgian classics specialist is a medal candidate for me at the World Cycling Championships. She is strong on the climbs and fast at the finish - both of which are needed on the World Championship course. However, Lotte Kopecky is almost on her own: unlike the big favourites, she doesn't have a strong team to support her.
*** Marianne Vos
35 years, Netherlands
She is my third favourite from the Dutch team. Like Demi Vollering, she has the punch for a sprint final. Marianne doesn't actually need a team - she wins on her own. At the end she sprints until she vomits.
*** Liane Lippert
24 years old, Germany
I have my German glasses on: For me, Liane Lippert has outsider chances at this World Cycling Championships - she has what it takes to succeed on a selective course like the one in Wollongong. I find her incredible racing instinct remarkable. Even if she doesn't have such a strong team at her side in Australia as the Italians, Dutch and Australians.
**** Silvia Persico
(25 years, Italy)
She is the absolute high-flyer this season: top ten in several one-day classics, seventh in the Giro, fifth at the Tour. With the Women's Vuelta she won a stage in an uphill sprint in a tough finale - ahead of Demi Vollering, Elisa Longo Borghini, Lotte Kopecky, Liane Lippert and Annemiek van Vleuten.
Elisa Longo Borghini will be the linchpin for the Italians at the World Cycling Championships. She lacks the final speed for her own success. But her performance will be the key to whether Balsamo or Persico can be successful.
**** Demi Vollering
(25 years, Netherlands)
The second Dutchwoman among my favourites. She has the punch for a sprint final. If the Dutch women want to be successful, they have to manage to pull together like the Italians.
***** Annemiek van Vleuten
39 years, Netherlands
She is the absolute serial winner in all the tough races. Maybe we'll see another head-in-the-sand ride from her like at the 2019 World Cycling Championships. She could attack on the long mountain (Mount Keira; editor's note) in Wollongong - but I think the 120 kilometres from there to the finish are too far. Especially as after her crash in the mixed team time trial there is still a big question mark over her condition.
Holland is certainly the dominant team to beat - they have three favourites. But the Olympics showed that they have a communication weakness. Back then, van Vleuten cheered as the supposed winner because - unlike her team-mates - she didn't realise that Anna Kiesenhofer had already crossed the finish line and won gold.
***** Elisa Balsamo
24 years, Italy
For me, an era was broken last year. Before that, the Dutch had been world champions four times in a row. Elisa Balsamo won the 2021 World Championships in Leuven because her Italian national team took charge of the race and beat the favourites from the Netherlands.
Elisa is fast, but not a thoroughbred sprinter like Lorena Wiebes, for example. She can survive the one kilometre long hill on the circuit in Wollongong - last year's World Championship course was also difficult in the final, so it is comparable. Strictly speaking, the road race in Wollongong will probably be a race between Holland and Italy - both national teams have more than one favourite.
Andreas Kublik
Editor
