Poland and Switzerland have finalized their selections for the world championships. On the back of a very strong season, the Polish roster shapes up to be a formidable one with Rafal Majka and Michal Kwiatkowski as leaders while Switzerland will fully commit to Fabian Cancellara.

Poland has been a dominant force in the biggest races this year with Rafal Majka and Przemyslaw Niemiec both finishing in the top 10 at the Giro and Michal Kwiatkowski finishing in the Tour de France as well as riding well in the classics and several shorter stage races. Those performances have earned the country the full contingent of 9 riders at the world championships road race and the cycling federation has now announced a formidable roster.

The team will be led my Kwiatkowski whose versatility makes him a danger man on the hilly course in Florence. He climb well, has a fast sprint, is a fabulous descender and excellent time triallist and has proved that he knows how to handle the longer races. Unfortunately, he crashed out of both Canadian WorldTour races in the weekend but having only suffered minor injuries, he will race today's GP de Wallonie and Sunday's team time trial.

He will be joined by Majka who showed good form in the Vuelta a Espana where he would probably have finished in the top 10 if he hadn't suffered in the Andorran cold. Niemiec has also made the cut but the Lampre rider hasn't raced much since a disappointing Tour de France.

Climbers Tomasz Marczynski and Sylwester Szmyd will both play crucial support roles following their participation in the Vuelta while versatile Bartosz Huzarski is a dark horse on the roster. Michal Golas is currently riding well in the Tour of Britain and will play an important role when it comes to cover attacks towards the end of the race. The squad is completed by Maciej Paterski and Maciej Bodnar who are likely to play domestique roles. Kwitkowski and Bodnar will ride the time trial.

Switzerland has finalized the selection of the roster that will support Fabian Cancellara in his life-long quest for the world championships title. Climbers Mathias Frank, Sebastien Reichenback and Oliver Zaugg will be crucial on the hilly course in Florence while experienced classics riders Martin Elmiger and Michael Albasini will be Cancellara's lieutenants. The team is completed by strongmen Gregory Rast, Michael Schär and Danilo Wyss that will know how to keep Cancellara protected throughout a long 270km race.

Having long doubted his participation, Cancellara has decided to go for a fifth title in the time trial, having recently won the Vuelta race against the clock ahead of reigning world champion Tony Martin. Being joined by compatriot Reto Hollenstein, he will be up against Martin and an in-form Bradley Wiggins in what shapes up to be one of the most exciting time trials for years.

The road race takes place September 29th while the time trial will be held 4 days earlier.

Poland for the world championships road race:

Michal Kwiatkowski, Rafal Majka, Przemyslaw Niemiec, Maciej Bodnar, Maciej Paterski, Sylwester Szmyd, Bartosz Huzarski, Michal Golas and Tomasz Marczynski

Poland for the world championships time trial:

Michal Kwiatkowski and Maciej Bodnar

Switzerland for the world championships road race:

Fabian Cancellara, Oliver Zaugg, Sebastien Reichenbach, Danilo Wyss, Gregory Rast, Michael Schär, Martin Elmiger, Mathias Frank and Michael Albasini

Switzerland for the world championships time trial:

Fabian Cancellara and Reto Hollenstein