Demi Vollering will represent the Netherlands alongside Dutch National Champion Riejanne Markus on Thursday in the women's individual time trial at the UCI Road World Championships in Scotland.
It is the first time trial Worlds for Vollering and will be only the eighth UCI individual time trial of her career aside from national championships. But the recent Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift winner says she is rested and ready to take on SD Worx teammate and race favourite Marlen Reusser (Switzerland).
The world number one in the UCI rankings knows it will be tough to beat her Swiss teammate after coming second to her in the Tour de France time trial in Pau and at the Tour de Suisse.
"This will be difficult I think. I was two times already close. So I hope the third time is good enough," Vollering said. "The only thing I can do is my best and then I hope it's enough."
This year's combined World Championships are more than a month earlier than in most years, coming less than two weeks after the end of a demanding Tour de France Femmes.
"It's different. And on the other side also, maybe good, because if you were good in the Tour, then I think you also would be good on the road, at least that's what I hope."
Since her domination in the Tour, where she stormed away on the Col du Tourmalet to win by almost two minutes on her nearest rival, Vollering has focused on recovery but heads into the time trial and Sunday's elite women's road race hoping it has been enough.
"I feel good. I rested good so I feel also fresh. I think I'm recovered but it's always a bit difficult to say because in the end, you always feel the best in the race itself, when you feel if you really need to go deep, how you are in the end. So it's difficult to say this beforehand, but I think I feel recovered."
The Dutch team had a preview of the time trial course in Stirling which has less of the twisting and turning of the road race course in Glasgow but is equally as varied.
"Tomorrow is a nice time trial, it has a bit of everything - some straights in it so you can really tuck in that aero position and really push, but also then in the end, it's a bit more technical with some corners and downhill and bad roads. The last part is a really painful climb with the cobbles. I think it has a bit of everything," said Vollering.
The course is also somewhat longer than most time trials that women face, but the Dutch national championships were more than 5km longer. Vollering finished second to Markus there, 55 seconds adrift of the Jumbo-Visma rider.
"I didn't do so many time trials yet. Only this season actually. The championships [course] was long but it was actually a good time trial for me. There I would say I liked it but I don't know for tomorrow how it will go. I will see afterwards if it's good for me or not."
