For one rider, the 2015 World Championships Road Race in Richmond, Virginia will be extra special. Born in Richmond, Ben King of Cannondale-Garmin has made getting a spot on Team USA for the road race his main goal for the 2015 season.

“It’s still a long way away, I don’t even know if I have a spot on the team – there are a lot of strong American guys fighting for the spots,” he said to Cyclingnews. King’s willingness to perform a supporting role and his local knowledge might well tip the balance in his favour.

Having seen the course, he sees it favouring a rider who goes well in Classics like E3 and the Tour of Falnders, but with a fast finish, with names like Alexander Kristoff, Peter Sagan, Arnaud Demare and Taylor Phinney, King’s countryman, all springing to mind.

“I think the course favours a classics guy, like a [Tour of] Flanders rider, and the climbs after so many kilometres are going to be draining,” he said. “I’d just like to see an aggressive race, with the attacking starting from further out. It would suit the kind of team we’re going to be bringing.”