"The World Championship circuits in Tuscany are suitable for many types of Cyclists," declared Chris Froome (Sky) after cycling the route in Fiesole on a reconnaissance tour earlier this week.

Froome looks set to be among the protagonists of the World Championships in Florence. The winner of the Tour de France visited Tuscany in the last few days and cycled along the Fiesole circuit. After testing the route, Froome said that the difficulty of the circuit made it almost impossible to predict the nature of the race and the outcome.

"The world championship course this year is a beautiful circuit which opens the race to many possible outcomes. It could be one for the top climbers, the puncheurs or breakaway specialists; it's hard to imagine what scenario to expect on the day. It is a race which I would love to arrive at with my best condition and try my luck."

During his recce tour, Froome also took on the steep climb on Via Salviati, which is only 5km from the finish line in Florence and which, together with the climb into Fiesole, characterizes the final of the road race.”