Throughout the season, it has been a three-way battle for victory in the elite men’s races. Zdenk Stybar, Sven Nys and Niels Albert have all had World Cup, GvA and Superprestige victories this year. The trio has consistently been at the front of races all year, and the World Championships should be no different. Stybar has the home-field advantage, Nys has the experience, and Albert has had the jersey for the past year. Clearly these three men are the cream of the crop. However, there’s always an upset in the making. Remember Jonathan Page’s silver in 2007? Can he, or someone else, do it again? Here’s who we’re watching for on Sunday:

• Zdenk Stybar (Czech Republic) – Stybar is the UCI points leader and World Cup champion. He picked up three World Cup victories this year (Koksijde, Igorre, Roubaix) among a myriad of other wins. Not to mention he’s the current Czech National Champion. Stybar has a lot going for him, and a lot of pressure on his shoulders. He did just enough to win the World Cup overall last weekend. This Sunday he’ll have to do a bit more to pick up the win.
• Niels Albert (Belgium) – Albert simply rode away from everyone at last year’s World Championships. The young Belgian won four World Cup races this year (Treviso, Plzen, Nommay, Hoogerheide) including the most recent round. He’s had a rocky season, but seems to be putting everything together at the right moment. It’s very hard to imagine a repeat, but Albert appears poised to do just that. He’ll have his hands full with Stybar as well as his fellow countrymen, three of whom have won world titles this past decade.
• Sven Nys (Belgium) – Nys has had a mediocre season by Nys standards. The dominance that we’ve seen over the past few years disappeared, but Nys still picked up a World Cup win (Kalmhout), his 50th Superprestige win and another Belgian Championship. Nys has one world title under his belt (2005) and would desperately like another. The course conditions appear to favor Nys and the pressure to win is nothing new for the Belgian. If he rides like he knows how, there’s nobody who can match the cross superstar.
• Klass Vantournout (Belgium) – In 2005, the Belgians swept the podium for the third consecutive year. If they would like to do it again, Vantornout could be the third Belgian on the podium. Vantornout has had a stellar last half of the season and has quietly finished inside the top five in virtually every race he’s entered. He’s broken through the Stybar-Albert-Nys juggernaut before and could do it again if he plays his cards right.
• Gerben de Knegt (Netherlands) – De Knegt has had a great deal of success over the past few weeks and remains the Netherlands best hopes for a medal. He narrowly lost the National Championships to Lars Boom (who will not race) and seems primed for a big breakthrough. This could be de Knegt’s best, and last, chance to podium at worlds.
• Jonathan Page (USA) – In 2007 Page had the ride of his life and narrowly lost to Erwin Vervecken. Page appears to be on form just in time for the World Championships and would love to surprise everyone again. He has struggled at the past two World Championships, but seems to be in a very good place right now. He likes the idea of a slick and technical course, and if he does everything right, he could shock the world again.
• Erwin Vervecken (Belgium) – Vervecken has seemingly come out of nowhere to finish inside the top ten in the recent World Cup races. Vervecken is a three-time World Champion, winning his first in Tabor in 2001. It’s Vervecken’s final season and what better way to go out then with one, last, world title.

 Other riders to watch: Kevin Pauwels (Belgium), Francis Mourey (France), and Enrico Franzoi (Italy).