Luke Plapp will be racing his first UCI Road World Championships in the elite category. He will be racing in his home country with all the expectations of his country in the elite men's time trial.

The 21-year-old Australian road champion, who also won the national time trial title in 2021, is Australia's only representative in the category, which features 2018 and 2019 winner Rohan Dennis. However, with Dennis sidelined, last year's U23 silver medalist will be chasing the rainbow.

"Honestly, I'm still trying to sleep and recover," Plapp told Cycling News in Wollongong when asked about the Vuelta turnaround. 'The last week I was on my hands and knees just trying to survive. It was brutal. It was like nothing I had ever experienced before."

"I couldn't sleep enough. I couldn't eat enough. The last few days I wondered how on earth I was going to run this time trial."

"I was so nervous,"

he said.

He survived the Vuelta and almost jumped straight on a plane to prepare for the world championship race against the clock.

"This week I've tried to give my body the best chance to recover," he said. "I've put in a lot of hard work over the past month, but this past week I've been ...... I want to put in a good effort, put in good times, and put some good numbers on the screen to give me confidence going into the race.

"But for me, I didn't do anything, I just tried to recover. So we'll just see what happens when I wake up Sunday morning."

Not only is the course unpredictable for Plapp, but with about 30 corners per lap and a smoother final stretch along the coast, it could have mixed results. It is also shorter than the typical distance for a World Championship men's elite time trial.

Filippo Ganna won the 52.98 km in 2020 and the 54.37 km in 2021; the technical aspect of the course is Plapp's weakest feature, but he notes that he is not alone.

The technical nature of the course may perhaps open up opportunities for others to challenge Ganna's running.

Plapp chose Remco Evenpole (Belgium), who beat every opponent at close range in the Vuelta, and Ineos Grenadiers teammate Ethan Hayter (UK) for the time trial.

"The power spike on and off has really changed, and I'm leaning toward Ethan Hayter," Plapp told reporters, including Cycling News. 'I think he's a perfect fit coming from the track, and the public is going to be surprised at the results. I think a lot of riders know that he is the rider to beat."