American sprinter Coryn Rivera understands that the team representing the USA during the women's flat and technical road race at the World Championships in Doha on October 15 is not the strongest on paper but they are prepared to unite against some of the other nations that have star-studded sprinters in hopes of securing the world title.
"We have to be prepared for anything," Rivera told Cyclingnews in a phone interview ahead of her departure for the Middle East. "It helps that we're not the super favourites for this course, so if something does get away, hopefully we are in it and not responsible for chasing. There is a possibility for anything and with so many roundabouts on course, it could be hard to pull a breakaway back.
"I think we have a good team and we are going to have to come together to beat the favourites. It could mean setting up early and timing our sprint right or being in a small group, that will be important."
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At the World Championships in Richmond last year, Rivera had a strong showing during the race and finished 39th, while her compatriot Megan Guarnier finished with the bronze medal and earned a spot on the team at the Olympic Games in Rio in August. The other five riders on the seven-woman team in Doha are Amber Neben, who won the world title in the individual time trial on Tuesday, Allie Dragoo, Alexis Ryan, Carmen Small and Lauren Stephens.
Rivera and Guarnier are accomplished sprinters in their own right, but Rivera knows there will be much faster contenders on the start line in Doha. Riders like Kirsten Wild (Netherlands), Chloe Hosking (Australia) and defending champion Lizzie Deignen (Great Britain), among other winning sprinters.
"If you look at the race, people like Wild and Hosking are pure and powerful sprinters, and they are the ones to bet on. But with the team we have going, it's a good squad. Megan is a good sprinter as well. She has beaten me at Nationals for the last two years, even though that's a different kind of racing."
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