Omega Pharma-QuickStep DS Tom Steels says that if the World Championships team time trial is moved away from the rest of the events, it will be damaging to the race.

Steels, who led OPQS to wins in both 2012 and 2013 said: "It is going to be a totally different concept of you do it at a different time," he told Cyclingnews. "Within the teams it already important, especially for the manufacturers, but with the public it still has a long way to go. I think, if you split it, it is doomed. It is still too fresh to do to be separated from the main event."

The Dutch Media reported earlier this week that due to the costs of flying riders and equipment over to Virginia in the USA this year and Doha, Qatar for 2016, it would be too expensive, costing as much as 35000 Euros. 

"For sure, it's expensive but that's the sport itself," said Steels. "We also have to go to Australia and to other countries to race. That's the sport. Every team has to go abroad to race and to split it up now would be bad. The financial cost, they have to compensate it, but I don’t know how."

As it is treated as a WorldTour event, all 18 WorldTour teams must attend or risk facing a fine. But Pro Continental teams can opt out of going, meaning we could see a reduced field in the event over the next two editions of the race that was only brought back into the sport in 2012. BMC are the current reigning champions.

"It is always going to be a big fight between the big manufacturers. So the prestige of the title will not be less. I think it will lose a lot of power if you separate it from the main event then I think the value will be less, not with less teams."

Steels also says that with there being three American registered WorldTour teams and five teams in the sport’s top division riding American bikes, there is a big influence coming from the US to have the race remain there.

"For them, it's a really big event," he explained. "I think they also have a lot of interest in the Worlds being in their home country. They spend a lot of money. One of the biggest investors in cycling is the bike manufacturers. They have saved cycling over the last few years a few times. So for me personally, I think it would not be wise to split it up."

The UCI have now confirmed that the race will indeed take place in Richmond.