The suspense continues for the 2020 UCI Road World Championships as Annemiek van Fruten considers whether she will be on the start line for Saturday's elite women's road race in Imola, Italy.

The defending champion thought she was out of the event after breaking her wrist in a crash at the Giro Rosa last week, but after surgery and a specially fitted brace, she believes she is recovered enough to compete in this weekend's elite women's 143km road race.

Van Breutenen was expected to make a decision on Friday, but has already driven to Imola and is expected to attend a national team press conference on Thursday evening, where he will announce his decision to compete in the women's road race.

"Yes, I will ride," she told Nos before leaving for Imola. 'I think so. It's Friday before we really announce it, but I was very hopeful yesterday."

Van Vleuten crashed on stage 7 of the Giro Rosa, forcing her to abandon the race despite being the overall leader. Doctors confirmed that she had broken her left wrist and she immediately returned to the Netherlands for surgery. Doctors fitted her with a special brace and she first completed a test ride on rollers, followed by a pain-free training session outdoors.

Van Vleuten admitted that she was unable to mount a strong attack on the test ride, but believes that with two more days of recovery she will be ready to start the elite women's road race.

"Yesterday [Wednesday] I couldn't attack hard. But looking at how quickly I recovered, I think I will be better on Saturday," Van Vleuten said.

Van Vleuten announced on Twitter last week, shortly after her crash, that she would not be competing in the world championships, where she was a strong contender for the triple time trial crown and a second consecutive road race title. She said, however, that such thoughts may have been premature and that the fracture was not as complicated as she had initially thought.

"The Giro was over, the World Cup was over, and I thought the whole season was over. I can't even believe I'm here," Van Vleuten said.

Thursday's time trial went to Ellen van Dijk, who, in hindsight, thinks she could have done the 31.7 km flat.

"I should have looked for a course for the time trial and I should have gone to Italy earlier. I could have rested my wrist as much as possible. But it didn't seem right to substitute [Ellen van Dijk] with this hand."