Alaphilippe aims for rainbow hat-trick in Wollongong

SYDNEY : Australian cycling fans will get their first chance to witness elite racing after two years of COVID-19 isolation when the world road race championships come to the coastal city of Wollongong from this weekend.

While passion for cycling might not be as intense in Australia as it is in its European heartland, pelotons are a familiar sight on the weekend roads and significant numbers of fans stay up all night to watch the Grand Tours on TV.

For the next week, it will be the European enthusiasts with the bleary eyes as locals get to see the likes of Annemiek van Vleuten and Wout van Aert flying past on Australian asphalt some 80 km south of Sydney.

The action gets underway with both elite time trials on Sunday and the men's elite road race concludes the championships a week later on a picturesque 266.9 km course winding through coastal hinterland.

Julian Alaphilippe will undoubtedly welcome a few extra days to get his bearings before he bids to become only the second man to don the rainbow jersey three years in a row, matching Peter Sagan's feat from 2015 to 2017.

The Frenchman was a serious doubt for his double title defence after dislocating his right shoulder in a nasty fall in the 11th stage of the Vuelta but has decided to travel.

His Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl team mate Remco Evenepoel, fresh from his Vuelta triumph, will be competing against him in Wollongong as part of a strong Belgian challenge spearheaded by Olympic silver medallist Van Aert.

Slovenian Tadej Pogacar, who won the Montreal GP last week, will also be out to snatch the jersey away from Alaphilippe, as will Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel, who confirmed his form by taking out the GP de Wallonie on Wednesday.

The Dutch will also be ones to watch in the