Trek-Segafredo's Vincenzo Nibali took a reconnaissance ride of the 2020 UCI Road World Championships road race course in Imola, Italy, on Tuesday. Nibali concluded that the two short climbs on the 28.8km circuit are "very tough" and said he thinks Cassani is suitable for both climbers and specialists in the hilly classics.

While many top riders are participating in the Tour de France, Nibali has his sights set on this year's Giro d'Italia (October 3-25), where he joined Cassani on a reconnaissance ride The two inspected the circuit, which is the Italian's first time in the world championship road race this year The fact that the two visited the circuit suggests that Nibali will be leading the Italian contingent of riders in this year's World Championship road race.

"The course is difficult and selective, with two very tough and short climbs," Nibali said in a press release from the World Championship organizers.

"The second one [Cima Galisterna] at the end is really hard, followed by a long descent back to the racetrack," the 35-year-old Nibali continued.

"To be at the front you have to be very careful and in good condition, in addition to teamwork. [In mid-August, it was announced that the Swiss towns of Aigle and Martigny would not be able to host this year's World Championships as scheduled due to restrictions on rallies by the Swiss government amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis. Imola was subsequently announced by the UCI as an alternative venue in early September.

"I saw that almost 90% of the race course had been paved. It will be a show not to be missed by the fans who have been invited to Imola to cheer on Italy."

Cassani, a member of the Italian national selection committee, took a somewhat cautious approach, "warning" that despite his hometown, he would be up against such powerhouses as France, Denmark, Belgium, and three-time road race world champion Peter Sagan of Slovakia. He showed.

"I know this area well. I know this area very well. In my opinion, this course is not only for climbers, but also for specialists in the classics, those who can win the great classics, like Liege-Bastogne-Liege, for example."

"I'm thinking Julien Alaphilippe (France), Wout van Aert (Belgium), Jacob Fuglsang (Denmark), but also watch out for Peter Sagan. If he can make it through the Tour de France well, he could make a statement too, as the climbs are not that long. There is a wide range of possibilities for the winner," he said.

Nibali and his rivals, however, can breathe a sigh of relief that one strong contender has decided not to participate in this year's world championships. Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel told La Gazzetta dello Sport earlier this week that he would not be participating and would instead concentrate on preparing for the Tour de Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, both scheduled for late October.

The men's elite road race for the World Championships will take place on Sunday, September 27, with the women's elite race the day before. Both will start and finish at the Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit in Imola, with multiple laps of the 28.8 km circuit using the climbs of Mazzolano (2.8 km, average gradient 5.9%) and Cima Galisterna (2.7 km, 6.4%, with some sections reaching 14%) The men will do 9 laps and the women will do 5 laps. The men's race will consist of 9 laps and the women's race will consist of 5 laps.