Endurance events are typically more open than the sprint races - particularly the bunch races. Here's our look ahead to the long distance half of the programme.
Day 1 – Wednesday 25th
Women's Individual Pursuit
The first day of the World Championships kicks off not with an opening ceremony, but with the qualifying for the Women's Individual pursuit. Defending champion Rebecca Romero of Great Britain is currently taking a rest from cycling and considering her options – which include trying to add an Olympic medal in a third sport to her Silver in rowing and her track Gold. Last year's Silver medallist – and 2006 and 2007 World Champion Sarah Hammer from the USA is also absent – as is Bronze medallist Katie Mactier of Australia.
The English speaking world is still well represented among the possible medal contenders, with World Cup Series winner Jo Rowsell of Great Britain, Tara Whitten of Canada, Alison Shanks of New Zealand, Josephine Tomic of Australia and Great Britain's Wendy Houvenaghel among the World Cup medallists this winter. Vilija Sereikaite of Lithuania and Eleonora van Dijk of the Netherlands should also figure.
Men's Points Race
Vasili Kiryienko of Belarus took Gold in Manchester 12 months ago but is unlikely to be allowed to get away again. Olympic bronze medallist Chris Newton of Great Britain will hope to be in the mix at the end and Peter Schep of the Netherlands and Spain's Elroy Teruel Rovira are also likely contenders, but in the points race almost anything can happen.
Day 2 – Thursday 26th
Men's Individual Pursuit
Often considered the Blue Riband event of the Championships, the Men's Individual Pursuit will again be without the defending Champion. Briton Bradley Wiggins will concentrate on his road career until the build up to the 2012 Olympics in London. Jenning Huizenga of the Netherlands, Alexei Markov of Russia, Ed Clancy of Great Britain, Vitaliy Schehdov of the Ukraine, Jack Bobridge of Australia, Britain's Olympic Silver Medallist Stephen Burke have all been on good form over the winter and should all be in the reckoning.
As in the Kilometre Time Trial (see our Sprint preview), though, all eyes will be on Taylor Phinney whose sensational time in the final round of the World Cup Series in Copenhagen – 4 minutes 15.223 seconds, 7 seconds faster than in Manchester in March 2008 - would have put him in the final of last year’s competition alongside Wiggins. Copenhagen’s beaten finalist – Ireland’s David O’Loughlin – will also be looking to improve on his 6th place last year.
Women's Team Pursuit
Great Britain’s team of Jo Rowsell, Lizzie Armitstead and Katie Colclough will start favourites after their World Cup success, but there will be strong competition from the Australians, Dutch, Germans and possibly even the Chinese trio.
Men's Scratch
Like the points race, the Scratch is wide open with no clear favourite. One of GB’s weaker events, this is a great opportunity for one of the ‘smaller’ cycling nations to shine. Watch for the USA (Daniel Holloway), Switzerland (Franco Marvulli) and possibly Japanese (Kazuhiro Mori) attacks, but Spain (Carlos Torrent), the Netherlands (Wim Stroetinga) and Belgium (Tim Mertens) are also strong contenders.
Day 3 – Friday 27th
Men's Team Pursuit
Again, it will be the Brits who start as favourites with Ed Clancy, Steven Burke, Peter Kennaugh and Chris Newton having taken the last World Cup round in Copenhagen. Clancy and Burke also took the Manchester World Cup Gold with Geraint Thomas and Rob Hayles; Clancy, Thomas, Paul Manning and Bradley Wiggins took the World and Olympic titles last year – there’s strength in depth. But despite that, there’s a strong and growing challenge from the Danes, New Zealand, the Dutch, Germany, the Ukraine and Russia. Could be a tight one.
Women's Scratch
Like the Men’s Scratch, the women’s race is hard to call although Great Britain’s Lizzie Armistead is on good form having won in Manchester, Melbourne, and Copenhagen in the World Cup Series and will expect to be in the mix at the end. Eleonora van Dijk of the Netherlands will be looking to retain her 2008 title.
Day 4 – Saturday 28th
Women's Omnium
The Women's Omnium is new to the World Championships this year and comprises a 200m Time Trial, a 5km Scratch, an Individual Pursuit, a 10km Points Race and a 500m Time Trial. The lack of history makes it hard to know who to watch, but the relatively short distances mean that it could be a sprinter with a little staying power as easily as it could be an endurance rider with the ability to kick. Pursuiter, possibly?
Men's Madison 50 km
After storming the 2008 Worlds with a carefully planned tactical move two thirds of the way through, GB road ace Mark Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins failed to pull off the same trick in Beijing and Wiggins and Thomas tried and failed again in the Manchester round of the World Cup. Who ever rides in Pruszkow – Cavendish and fellow Manxman Peter Kennaugh look most likely – will be heavily marked and will have to work hard to get a lap. Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands and Olympic champions Argentina will be looking to take a medal home.
Day 5 – Sunday 29th
Men's Omnium
Hayden Godfrey of New Zealand won the 2008 Men's Omnium title and arrived in Poland on good form and with plenty of time to recover from a flight that took in Los Angeles and London en route to Warsaw. The multiple legs of the Omnium are the Sprint 200m Time Trial, 7.5km Scratch, Individual Pursuit 15km, Points Race and Kilometre Time Trial.
Women's Points race 25km
GB’s Armitstead could be in with a shout again and team mate Katie Colclough took Bronze in the World Cup in Manchester and Silver in Copenhagen. Marianne Vos of the Netherlands will be looking to defend her title and silver medallist Trine Schmidt of Denmark is likely to be in the hunt again as will Eleonora van Dijk of the Netherlands.
All photos copyright 2008 Guy Swarbrick