Swiss Fabian Cancellara will delay his decision to race for a record fourth World Championships title until Tuesday, just over a week until the time trail in Geelong, Australia.
"Only Tuesday will I decide whether I will to go to Australia," he wrote on his website.
"I still need some time to think about it. I'll do a long distance training ride Tuesday and then decide what to do."
Wednesday at the Vuelta a España Wednesday, Cancellara finished third by 37 seconds behind winner Peter Velits (HTC-Columbia) on a 46-kilometre course. The World Championship course is nearly the same distance, 45.8 kilometres. It includes the same 15.9 kilometres used in the road circuit, with two hills, plus an additional seven kilometres of rolling roads. The professional men will repeat the circuit two times.
Cancellara is the defending World Champion thanks to his dominant victory last year on home soil in Mendrisio, Switzerland. He also won the world title in 2006 and 2007. Swiss cycling listed to race the time trial September 30 and part of its nine-man team for the road race October 3.
He abandoned Spain's Vuelta a España stage race early Friday against the wish of his team, Saxo Bank, and announced that he will quit the team a year early yesterday.
"I worked well at the Vuelta a España, giving everything I had for the team," said Cancellara.
"The race was good for me, but I felt the need to leave two days ahead of schedule. I needed to go home after three weeks of commitment."
Cancellara will likely sign for home team, BMC Racing, though Katusha and Fly V Australia are also interested. Based just on his results this year – Tour of Oman, E3 Prijs, Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, a prologue and time trail win at the Tour de France – he will be an asset to any team.
He joined Saxo Bank/CSC in 2006 after three years with Fassa Bortolo and two years with Mapei. He has won seven stages at the Tour de France, held the leader's jersey for 21 days, won the Milano-Sanremo in 2008, the time trial at the Olympic and three times at the World Championships.