My Aussie Nine for the World Championships

Australia is one of only five nations that has qualified to send nine riders to the World Road Championships in Florence in late September.

Our riders have done so well this year that the selectors can choose an initial squad of 14 before deciding on the final nine.

Between now and Florence, the Vuelta and Eneco Tour are the only two World Tour stage races for riders to stake a claim, but there are also four one day races; The Vattenfall Cyclassics, GP Ouest France-Plouay and the two Canadian races, GP Cycliste de Quebec and GP Cycliste de Montreal.

Assuming all 14 riders survive the races ahead who do you think should make the final cut for Florence? And what should the ultimate selection be decided on, form or reputation?

The Florence course promises to be the toughest for more than 30 years featuring more than 3000m of elevation. On the 11 circuits around Florence, a tasty 58.6 kilometres will be up hill!

At 279.6 kilometres, the final 166 kilometres takes place on a 16.6 kilometre circuit (10 laps) which features a 4.6 kilometre climb. On the last lap, this climb will peak 11 kilometres from the end.

So it’s hard to imagine any sprinters reaching the finale in contention for the Rainbow stripes.

With that in mind, who should be on the start line in Lucca? Would you even pick a specialist sprinter as a just in case option?

Richie Porte (327) is the highest ranked rider and it’s a race he good enough to win. After the season he’s had it would be a fitting end.

There’s no doubt the course would suit an in-form Cadel Evans, but is he in good enough form? Does he even want to ride?

Given it’s not too far from where he lives on the Swiss side of the Swiss-Italian border, and he’s not getting any younger, Cadel should be tempted.

It would be a major surprise if Cadel wasn’t on the starting line but on what we saw in July, he may only play a supporting role.

Simon Gerrans should though, and along with Porte should be one of our two trump cards.

Gerrans has shown his ability to target and triumph in the big races over the past few years and Florence should be no different.

Like Porte he’s been amazing this season and there’s no reason he can’t be on the podium.

Michael Rogers is riding better than ever and has to be there.

His tactical awareness should’ve propelled Alberto Contador on to the Tour de France podium, and in the absence of Stuart O’Grady, Rogers is the perfect choice for Team Captain.

Adam Hansen’s capacity to work, and work and work seemingly knows no bounds. He already has two Grand Tours under his belt and plans to do the Vuelta as well which would be a repeat of his 2012 heroics.

The Vuelta finishes on Sept 15 which is 14 days before the World Championship Road Race. Hansen deserves a rest after the Tour but I would expect him to be there and playing a typically prominent role.

Likewise, Matthew Hayman, another strong man of the bunch and perfect diesel to guide his teammate Richie Porte safely to the pointy end of the race.

And to that list you can also add Brett Lancaster, another workhorse who along with Hansen Hayman and Rogers would give the Aussies some serious grunt.

Cameron Meyer’s form in the Tour de Suisse where he placed 10th overall, saw him selected for the Tour de France. There he was meant to test himself in the high mountains and while he maybe didn’t go as well as he might have hoped, Orica-GreenEDGE clearly see a future for him as a GC option.

This lumpy course may suit Meyer so he should squeeze into the nine.

That leaves one other spot, which I’m going to give to Michael Matthews. He’s about to start the Tour of Utah which features 13000 metres of elevation over six gruelling stages.

A former Under 23 World Road Race Champion (2010), Matthews knows the big stage, can climb and as we know can also sprint.

So that leaves no room for Matt Goss or Mark Renshaw. But does it really matter?

Neither have been in great form this season, and on the day, it’s hard to imagine them being nothing more than domestiques anyway.

There’s still more than a month to go but this is no ordinary World Road Race course.

To me it screams for strong riders and with this nine, I think the chances of adding another set of rainbow stripes to an Aussie jersey are pretty good.

What an ending to the season that would make forOrica-GreenEDGE.