Fabian Cancellara has a goal of winning the road championship, as well as the time trial. AFP/Getty Images.

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Fresh from his victory in the world time trial championships on Thursday, Switzerland’s Fabian Cancellara is one of a handful of favorites for the world road race championships on Sunday.

Though he is known as a time trialist beyond compare, don’t count him out in the road race, for three reasons:

1. He is competing on home turf in Mendrisio, Switzerland, and made a point of winning the time trials and overall title at this year’s Tour de Suisse.
2. He pulled the double last year in Beijing, winning bronze in the road race and gold in the time trial.
3. He took the yellow jersey in a time trial at the 2007 Tour de France and won a road stage, outsprinting the pack.

To borrow a favorite phrase from Johan Bruyneel, George Hincapie and Levi Leipheimer, Cancellara  is “super-motivated” and in good shape.

Unlike the time trial, though, other riders have arrived in Medrisio with a better chance of beating Cancellara and making the podium.

Damiano Cunego: Italy’s Little Prince (that nickname MUST have a more virile connotation in Italian) used the Giro d’Italia to get in shape, winning two stages. He was second last year.

Samuel Sanchez: One of several top Spanish riders, along with Alejandro Valverde. He finished second overall at the Vuelta, which he hoped to win. The reigning Olympic champion, “Sammy” set worlds as his second goal for the season.

Cadel Evans: The Aussie had bad luck on a key climb in the Vuelta. Otherwise, he looked strong in Spain and appeared to rebound from a dismal Tour de France.

Andy Schleck: He pulled out of the Vuelta pretty early. Either he wanted to train on his own, or he’s hurting.

Darkhorses include Tony Martin, Maxime Montfort, Roman Kreuziger and Konstantin Siutsiu. Unfortunately, none of these guys competed in Missouri. Would be great to see them front and center, as they were in the time trial.