Men’s individual time trial (Wednesday September 24 – 47.1km)

Last year’s men’s individual time trial delivered the eagerly-anticipated battle between Sir Bradley Wiggins (Great Britain), Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland) and Tony Martin (Germany).

And Martin and Wiggins will be in action again this time out, though Cancellara is set to skip the event in favour of preparing for the men’s road race.

Martin, the defending champion, has seven individual time trial wins to his name this season – including one each at the Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana – and will roll out in Ponferrada in search of a fourth straight world title, which would equal the record number of victories set by Cancellara.

Martin’s victories at the Tour and Vuelta mark him as one of few riders to have proved himself over a significant time trial this year, with short races against the clock having been preferred by many WorldTour race organisers.

Dutch champion Tom Dumoulin is another in good time trial form this season, having been second behind Martin at the Tour de France and twice at the Tour de Suisse, too.

His one victory, at the Eneco Tour, saw him beat Cancellara on a 9.6km course, however, and he will hope to prove himself over the much longer 47.1km Ponferrada circuit.

British champion Wiggins, meanwhile, won against the clock at the Tour of Britain, emerging victorious on a much shorter circuit in London before saying he was pleased with his form ahead of the world.

He and Commonwealth Games champion Alex Dowsett will fly the flag for Great Britain, while Dowsett’s Movistar team-mate Adriano Malori (Italy) will be another to watch after four victories this season.

Malori’s success at Tirreno-Adriatico, in particular, showed he is in great form against the clock this season – with Cancellara, Wiggins and Martin all beaten – and, having ended the Vuelta a Espana with time trial success, Malori will be a good shout for a medal if he can replicate that on the longer course.

Rohan Dennis (Australia), meanwhile, has been a perennial contender in time trials this season and proved his credentials as he helped BMC Racing to the team time trial victory.