This year's Worlds has already been quite interesting, a feat made all the more remarkable by the fact that so far only the often eye-gouglingly dull time trial events have taken place. We're blaming the course for this shift from normality -- they've had the radical notion of including bits that go uphill this year.

Kristen Armstrong won the women's time trial, sparking the single greatest catalyst of cognitive dissonance ever to have graced the cycling media. "Hooray, a young, English speaking World Champion," they say, "this will keep us going with interviews for years." Whilst at the same time, they must've been thinking something along the lines of, "Poosticks, now she's made it to the big time, we can't write headlines that say things like 'Armstrong takes time trial win' just so we'll get a billion people hoping to read something about Lance."

Fabien Cancellara won the men's event, proving that people with big noses and rubbish haircuts can still win important things. His victory celebration on the podium was literally a two fingered salute to Bjarne Riis, whilst he screamed like a derelict about not being picked for the Tour de France. Not really, of course. Whether he'll get to wear his rainbow jersey in an event anyone will watch is one of those questions that'll probably keep him up all night throughout the off-season.

He won't be staying up all night thinking about winning the road race, that's for sure. So who will be?

Paolo Bettini
The Cricket has had a bit of a quiet year compared to normal. But he's still been up there in the single day races, won a stage of the Vuelta less than a month ago, and has the support of a talented Italian team. Bettini might be suave, but is the really suave enough to be able to get away with a gold AND rainbow decorated bike/kit/helmet/everything? If we were him, we'd be considering gifting the win the Danilo Di Luca and sticking with the simple Olympic Gold colour scheme.
Odds to win: 9/2

Alejandro Valverde
If there's one thing Valverde does more graciously than win, it's lose. He had so many kind words for Vinokourov at the end of the Vuelta that we were wondering whether he thought they were both on the same team. In the last three Worlds, Valverde has taken two second places and led out Freire for his win, so he's got plenty of experience. Will he get to wear the stripey jersey, or just look thoroughly contented to be stood on the second step of a podium again?
Odds to win: 6/1

Take advantage of these odds at Betfair. Go on. Winners always welcome at Betfair!

Tomorrow:
The odds for Vinokourov and Boonen to win, and something about the Women's Road Race.