With Lizzie Armitstead saving the Worlds for Team Great Britain, there is less pressure going into the men’s race. despite Mark Cavendish and Geraint Thomas, the team’s leaders, not taking part, there is still hope that Ben Swift can take the race if it comes to a sprint. But should the race go like the U23 male event, Adam Yates is ready to attack despite only being drafted in to race earlier this week.

“When you lose someone like Cavendish, who has won this and been such an influence, that was tough. Then Thomas would have had a chance on this circuit but he’s gone and it’s just been one setback after another for the team,’ national coach Shane Sutton admitted to Cyclingnews.

“The inclusion of Adam Yates means that we have a player who has had great results and has a real chance on this circuit. Hopefully we can all get behind him. Guys like Ian Stannard and Luke Rowe, I don’t know the entire strategy but they can also do things on a given day,” Sutton said.
 

“A race like this is pretty much governed by the big nations so we’ll have to align ourselves with that, and maybe put our eggs in Adam’s basket and then possibly giving Ian a free role. I’ve not talked to Rod Ellingworth about it all yet but there’s real depth. It’s a shame that some of the big names couldn’t make it.”

With the 23 year old second in GP Montreal and the most recent winner of Clasica San Sebastian, as well as the 2014 GP Industria, he has shown he can win one-day races.