Germany's Hanka Kupfernagel will continue towards Worlds (Image credit: Tour of Japan)
World time trial champion Hanka Kupfernagel has decided to ride the race again this year, after first threatening not to appear at all after she was not named to the team for the road race.
"We have to accept the federation's unsportsmanship. Hanka is preparing herself for the time trial," her coach and partner Mike Kluge said, according to the dpa. Previously he had said, "She was very upset that she was not nominated for the World's road race on September 27. Maybe she won't ride at all in Varese – we will have to think about it."
Burckhard Bremer, Sports Director of the German Cycling Federation, said that "in light of the most recent results," German national women's coach Jochen Dornbusch "had put together a team that will have success in Varese."
Kupfernagel rode both the road race and time trial in the Beijing Olympics, and criticised national women's trainer Jochen Dornbusch later, saying she was "personally disappointed" in him. Dornbusch announced the German women's Worlds team earlier this week, with Kupfernagel nominated only to defend her time trial title. (SW)
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