Australia has announced its team for the 2024 UCI Road World Championships in Zurich in September, with Grace Brown set to try one last time to add a rainbow jersey to her Olympic Games gold medal.
Michael Matthews will also be quickly back in the green and gold jersey, along with fellow Paris Olympic Games competitors Ben O'Connor, Australian champion Ruby Roseman-Gannon and perhaps, for the time trial, Luke Plapp. That, however, is contingent on him being adequately recovered from his crash in the Olympic Games time trial which resulted in him having abdominal surgery.
In the women's time trial, the soon-to-retire Brown will be joined by Brodie Chapman and Oceania champion Isabelle Carnes. Chapman will also ride the road race alongside Brown and Roseman-Gannon while the squad of six will also include Giro d'Italia Blockhaus stage winner Neve Bradbury, Sarah Gigante and experienced campaigner Amanda Spratt – who already has a silver and bronze from the World Championships road race.
“Australian road cycling has had a lot to celebrate this year," said Jesse Korf, convenor of the National Selection Panel in an AusCycling statement announcing the team. "We look forward to seeing Grace Brown contest her first, and likely last, world championships since winning the Olympic gold medal."
"At the other end of the scale, it’s fantastic to have young debutants on board such as Isabelle Carnes and Neve Bradbury, whom we hope will make a big impact at their first elite world championships."
Bradbury and Carnes are both Under 23 riders, so they will also be eligible for the world title in that category.
The eight strong men's road squad will also – alongside Paris Olympians O'Connor and Matthews – include Giro d'Italia winner Jai Hindley, Jack Haig, Chris Harper, Nick Schultz, Callum Scotson and Michael Storer.
“Our team is filled with climbing talent including multiple grand tour podiums, plus the experience of a rider like Michael Matthews, who has proven time and time again his ability to deliver results at this level,” said Korf of the rider who has raced for Australia in 11 World Championships road races and stood on the podium three of those times.
The 2024 Road World Championships in Zurich, from September 21-29, deliver courses with a considerable amount of climbing with the 154.1km women's road race from Uster to Zurich on Saturday September 28 including 2,384m of elevation gain while the 273.9km men's road race on Sunday September 29 packs in 4,470m of climbing.
