Etixx - Quick-Step has announced the riders that will participate for their respective countries in the challenging and technical 261.4km parcours of the UCI World Road Championship in Richmond (USA) on Sunday, the 27th of September.

Thirteen Etixx - Quick-Step riders will be racing on this road circuit, which features 16.2km laps and cobbled climbs, particularly 200m Libby Hill and 100m 23rd Street.

Michal Kwiatkowski returns to the race as the defending UCI Road World Champion. He will hope to try again for Poland, this time on a road circuit that may fit a rider who also won Amstel Gold Race this year. He is accompanied by teammate Michal Golas, a tireless worker that always does his best to support his team.

Belgium is the national federation with the most Etixx - Quick-Step riders selected: Stijn Vandenbergh, Iljo Keisse, Nikolas Maes, and of course Tom Boonen, who also won the UCI World Road Championship ten years ago. Boonen arrives at this race in good condition, on a course that potentially suits him.

Also at the race are Czech Republic riders Zdenek Stybar and Petr Vakoc. Stybar, who won Strade Bianche as well as Le Tour de France Stage 6 this season, is a rider many believe could earn the rainbow jersey on a technical, cobbled, and punchy course. Vakoc most recently won a Aviva Tour of Britain stage, and was also the race leader until an unfortunate crash.

Dutch Road Champion Niki Terpstra will look to be a protagonist at this race, perhaps going on the attack as is usually his racing style. He most recently won the Tour de Wallonie overall after winning the first stage.

Colombian rider Rigoberto Uran will be present, in hopes of attaining a top result after a fantastic solo win at Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec. He won by accelerating inside the final kilometer of the difficult one-day race.

Also in good condition at the race are riders Matteo Trentin (Italy) and Julian Alaphilippe (France). Trentin is showing excellent form late in the season, with a Aviva Tour of Britain Stage 6 win, as well as two stages of Tour du Poitou Charentes. Alaphilippe has proven to be a contender in one-day races, with several podiums in the Ardennes Classics. He also won an outstanding Amgen Tour of California 7th Stage, at the top of Mt. Baldy, in May.

Last, but never least, is German rider Tony Martin. Though Martin had a disappointing UCI World ITT Championship, he has shown strong performances this season, highlighted by wearing the yellow jersey at Le Tour de France after a breathtaking Stage 4 solo win.