The Dutch hold the keys but plenty of other contenders
Anna van der Breggen (Boels Dolmans) (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Saturday will see the penultimate event of the 2018 UCI Road World Championships with the elite women's road race, with no shortage of credible contenders for the rainbow jersey.
Although some were disappointed the organisers didn't include the Höll climb that is set to be decisive in the men's race on Sunday, the 156.2km course features 2,413 metres of climbing, with three laps of the Olympic circuit.
The Dutch pulled off a clean sweep of the podium in the mid-week time trial and they once again hold the keys to the race. Annemiek van Vleuten, the dominant rider in the women's peloton this year, and Anna van der Breggen, the most successful one-day rider in recent years, are both big favourites, but Chantal Blaak showed 12 months ago that the rest of the field can't afford to simply focus on just one or two Dutchwomen.
Even if they do not have the strength in depth as the Dutch, there are others who are strong contenders for the title, including Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Poland), Amanda Spratt (Australia), and Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (South Africa).
For a full rundown of Cyclingnews' top 10 contenders for the rainbow jersey, hit play on the video above.
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