The Dutch team competing in the elite women's road race at the UCI Road World Championships will be without Demi Vollering after she tested positive for COVID-19 in the elite/U23 women's combined road race on Saturday.

"I am incredibly sad to miss the World Championships today. My training in Australia went very well and I felt healthy and strong and ready to go. But on Thursday morning I woke up very sick and decided not to leave my room and did a rapid test which came back positive."

"I was lucky to avoid covid, but life is a tricky thing and covid finally got me! I wish my [Dutch team] teammates the best of luck! I hope that luck will be on your side again soon!

World number one Annemiek van Vleuten's run in Saturday's 164.3km elite women's road race was not easy after she crashed in Wednesday's mixed relay team time trial start and broke her elbow. Van Vleuten came into the race with a large bandage on her elbow, but there were questions about how it would affect her ability to get up from the saddle on the climbs.

Volering was the obvious choice to maximize his enjoyment of the climb if Van Vleuten's injury would prevent him from climbing until he tested positive for COVID-19. But that does not mean that the ever-talented Dutch team will not have options if Van Vleuten is unable to move due to injury.

The race runs from Helensburgh, south of Sydney, along the coast to Wollongong, and then rounds the Mount Keira Circuit, a 17.1 km circuit with many corners, the center of which is Mount Pleasant, with an average gradient of 7.7% for the 1.1 km and a maximum of 14%.

The Dutch elite women have already won one world title in Wollongong, with Ellen van Dijk winning the individual time trial on Sunday. The team also has a strong contender for the U23 women's title with Shirin van Anlooy, who finished second in the U23 category in the time trial.