Ewan and Matthews headline Australian team for Doha Worlds

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Cycling Australia have announced its teams for next months sprint friendly world championships in Doha with Orica-BikeExhcnage duo Caleb Ewan and Michael Matthews headlining the men's road team. Wiggle High5's Chloe Hosking will be the protected rider for the women's team while Rohan Dennis (BMC) and Katrin Garfoot (Orica-AIS) lead the medal hopes against the clock.

Matthews was the silver medallist at last year's Worlds in Richmond and will be aiming for a return to the podium on his fifth senior appearance. The U23 world champion from 2010 has finished top-five in his last four one-day races after a break following the Tour de France in which he won stage 10 ahead of current world champion Peter Sagan.

The 25-year-old is a provisional starter for this week's Eneco Tour along with Caleb Ewan who won the final stage of the Tour of Britain. Ewan will be lining up for his first senior Worlds having claimed the silver medal of the junior and U23 catergories and provides a fast finish for the Australian team.

While Ewan and Matthews offer fast finishing options for the nine-rider team, Heinrich Haussler (IAM Cycling) and Mark Renshaw (Dimension Data) have performed well in the middle east and could be also utilised for the finish. However, the duo are likely to be the last men in a strong leadout that also includes Mitchell Docker (Orica-BikeExchange), Adam Hansen (Lotto Soudal), Zak Dempster (Bora-Argon 18) and Luke Durbridge (Orica-BikExchange)

Paris-Roubaix winner Mat Hayman (Orica-BikeExchange) completes the line up and will be the road captain.

Since Cadel Evans became the first male Australian to win the road Worlds in 2009, 2012 and 2013 are the only years in which Australia has failed to medal.

Rohan Dennis will be hoping the bad lack that befell him at last year's Worlds and this year's Olympic Games is behind him and he can finish on the podium for the first time in his elite career. The 26-year-old will only ride the time trial with Durbridge to ride both the time trial and road race.

Having built her season around the Worlds, Chloe Hosking's place in the team is confirmed with the 25-year-old looking to bring home a rainbow jersey. The Wiggle High5 rider will be supported by a strong team of riders with experience from racing in Qatar. Having made her Olympic Games debut in August, Gracie Elvin gets the call up for Doha alongside Orica-AIS teammates Loren Rowney and Sarah Roy. Katrin Garfoot is also selected for the road team and is Australia's sole entrant in the women's time trial. Lauren Kitchen (Hitec Products) completes the team and also offers Australia with a fast finish.

The U23 men's team is likely to be lead by Drapac's fastman Jason Lowdes although a final selection is to be made following next week's Olympia’s Tour. The Scotson brothers, Callum and Miles, have been named as the time trailists with the quarter of riders who impressed at the Tour de l'Avenir, Lucas Hamilton, Jai Hindley, Nicholas Schultz and Michael Storer, have also been included.

The 2016 World Championships start October 9 with the men and women's team time trials, followed by the individual time trials during the week and conclude the weekend of October 15-16 with the elite women's, U23 men and elite men's road races. For the full schedule and length of the events, click here.

Australian team for the 2016 World Championships

Elite Men
Zak Dempster (VIC) Bora-Argon 18
Rohan Dennis (SA) BMC Racing Time Trial
Luke Durbridge (WA) Time Trial & Road Race
Mitchell Docker (VIC) Orica-BikeExchange
Caleb Ewan (NSW) Orica-BikeExchange
Adam Hansen (QLD) Lotto Soudal
Heinrich Haussler (NSW) IAM Cycling
Mathew Hayman (ACT) Orica-BikeExchange
Michael Matthews (ACT) Orica-BikeExchange
Mark Renshaw (NSW) Dimension Data

Elite Women
Tiffany Cromwell (SA) Canyon-SRAM
Gracie Elvin (ACT) Orica-AIS
Katrin Garfoot (QLD) Orica-AIS Time Trial & Road Race
Chloe Hosking (ACT) Wiggle High5
Lauren Kitchen (NSW) Hitec Products
Loren Rowney (QLD) Orica-AIS
Sarah Roy (NSW) Orica-AIS

U23 Men*
Lucas Hamilton (VIC)
Jai Hindley (WA)
Jason Lowndes (VIC)
Alexander Porter (SA)
Nicholas Schultz (QLD)
Callum Scotson (SA) Time Trial
Miles Scotson (SA) Time Trial
Michael Storer (WA)

*Final team to be confirmed following Olympia’s Tour.

U19 men and women

Macgregor Carter (VIC)
Alistair Christie-Johnson (VIC)
Harry Sweeny (QLD)
Madeleine Fasnacht (Tas)
Jaime Gunning (QLD)
Chloe Moran (SA)