Tomorrow's World Elite Road Race Championship is bound to see the title change hands, as, for the first time, the defending champion, the Frenchman Laurent Bro chard, was banned from taking part after his Festina team were thrown off this year's Tour de France.

Brochard is just one of a number of high-profile absentees in the Netherlands. The Tour de France winner, Marco Pantani, is on holiday, as is his runner-up, the German Jan Ullrich. The world number one, Laurent Jalabert, is another who is suffering from the late-season blues, while Spain's Abraham Olano, winner of Thursday's Time Trial Championship, pulled out yesterday with a knee injury.

That so many cyclists prefer to take an early holiday rather than race through to the World Championships has led some to question their recent move to an October date. Even the American Lance Armstrong, who will start as one of the favourites tomorrow, commented: "No one wants it now - none of the riders, media or sponsors."

The autumnal weather is likely to play a key role in the 160-mile Road Race Championship, which includes 15 climbs of the short but steep ascent up the Cauberg, just two kilometres before the finish line.

Such brief intense climbs are the speciality of Michele Bartoli of Italy, bronze medallist in 1996, but they are also Armstrong's strong suit, and the course will also suit the local rider Michael Boogerd, the Dutch national champion.

With the Olympic bronze medallist Max Sciandri nursing a damaged nerve, Britain's entry is down to just one. The first-year professional Roger Hammond, world junior cyclo-cross champion in 1992, is based a short drive away in Belgium and will feel almost at home.

Ivan Basso led an Italian clean sweep of the medals in the under-23 world road race championships yesterday. Basso finished 16 seconds clear of the field, while compatriot Rinaldo Nocentini snatched the silver and Danilo di Luca took the bronze.

Basso broke clear on the final climb of the Bemelberg with 10 kilometres of the 172-km course remaining.

Two years ago Italy scored a 12-3 in the first under-23 championships at Lugano, when Giuliano Figueras led home Roberto Sgambelluri and Luca Sironi.