Canada and Austria announce Worlds teams
Today, Austria and Canada announced the names of the riders who would be heading to the UCI World Road World Championships in Geelong and Melbourne, Australia, held from September 29 to October 3.
Austria has selected six riders, beginning with Bernhard Eisel and Peter Wrolich. Stefan Denifl was originally going to be a third Elite Men’s rider, but he abandoned the Vuelta a Espana due to illness and will not recover in
time. Earlier in the race, Eisel had also abandoned the Vuelta, and though he was not at the time certain he would make it to the Worlds, he believes he will be in form to compete.
“In the meantime, I feel a lot better,” said Eisel. “But it is difficult to cope with mentally, that the Worlds are now so far away for me.”
“I will put myself fully in Bernhard's service and support as best I can,” said Wrolich. “He is the one who could possibly do well.”
The Under-23 team for Austria is made up of Andreas Hofer, Matthias Krizek, Georg Priedler and Daniel Schorn. Hofer will also compete in the time-trial, while Austria will not be fielding a female team this year.
Canada announced the seven men and six women they will be bringing to the World Championships. The three-man Elite team is made up of national champion Svein Tuft, sprinter Dominique Rollin, and domestic Christian Meier. Ruft,
who was the silver medallist in the 2008 World Time-Trial Championships, will be the sole Elite Men’s time-trialist at the event in Melbourne on October 3.
The four-man Under-23 team is made up of Guillaume Boivin and Arnaud Papillon in the road race and David Boily and Hugo Houle competing in both the road race and the time trial.
Tara Whitten and Erinne Willock will lead the women’s road team, supported by sprinter Joëlle Numainville as well as Denise Ramsden and Karol-Ann Canuel. Two-time track world champion Whitten, who placed eighth in the 2009 World
Time-Trial Championship, will be competing in the time-trial with Anne Samplonius, who recent won the time-trial of the Chrono Champenois.
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