UCI World Championship Road Races This Weekend

It's been a poor start for Italy at the UCI Road World Championships in Australia.

The best placed rider has been Sonny Colbrelli who finished 6th in the U23 Men's road race.

In the Women's Elite TT Italy's Tatiana Guderzo and Noemi Cantele finished 10th and 12th respectively.

Italy did not enter any men in the Men's Elite TT, won by Fabian Cancellera at 47,048km/h for his fourth World Championship. Hats off to the two riders from St. Kitts and Nevis, Reginald Douglas and James Weekes who did race the Men's Elite TT.

The Women's Elite Road Race is tomorrow, Saturday. The CT for the women's squad, Dino Salvoldi, has announced that Monia Baccaille will be a reserve. The women to compete are: Elena Berlato (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo), Giorgia Bronzini (Gauss RDZ Ormu), Rossella Callovi (Vecchiafontana), Noemi Cantele (HTC-Columbia), Valentina Carretta (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo), Tatiana Guderzo (Team Valdarno), Eleonora Patuzzo (Safi Pasta Zara Manhattan), and Luisa Tamanini (Chirio Forno d'Asolo). Tatiana Guderzo, winner last year in Mendrisio, will wear the number 1 bib.

Guderzo and Noemi Cantele will be the leaders of the team. The Italian squad sees their most fierce competition coming from Holland's Marianne Vos, Emma Pooley (who just won the Women's Elite TT), and Germany's Judith Arndt and Trixi Worrack.

For the Men's Elite squad there are approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes of hard training today, including motor pacing, along oceanside roads. For tomorrow an easy ride is planned. The Men's Elite race is Sunday.

Bettini said, "Thanks to the Under 23 race we have more information about the course." Bettini hasn't finalized the team's tactics saying that, "We have discussed the various options of how we divide the race. At the meeting before the race, after having shared all the proposals, we will choose together."

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