Great Britain's impressive rider line-up for cycling's Road World Championships means the team have rarely stood a better chance of glory. For the men, there is also the helpful factor of Slovenian superstar Tadej Pogacar being absent, after he suffered crash injuries during the Vuelta a Espana in August.

But at the same time a new generation of British cycling talent is rising, and GB riders could take the coveted winner's rainbow jersey in the men's and women's road races in Montreal this weekend. While Pogacar crashed out of the Vuelta, the race showcased the continued emergence of 21-year-old British rider Matthew Brennan, who won five stages of the three-week endurance test for Visma Lease a Bike - a record for a Grand Tour debutant.

There are currently 49 British riders competing across the men's and women's world tours - more than ever before - and some of those will compete in this World Championship weekend. The road race itself is much like a stage of the Tour de France, but in which riders compete in national squads, looking to out-think and out-muscle each other.

"You need a lot of faith in your team to be present at the front," Backstedt told BBC Sport. "You need to talk, hear, see and feel each other to know they are there, especially as there's no team radio."