Analysing France's men's and women's 2022 Road World Championships teams

France is preparing for the 2022 UCI Road World Championships. Julian Alaphilippe has won two consecutive elite men's road races in Imola and Flanders. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot was a surprise champion in 2014. France haven't finished in the top ten in elite women's race since Roxane Fournier finished sixth in 2016.

Analysing France's 2022 Road World Championships teams. Bruno Armirail, Julian Alaphilippe, Romain Bardet, Remy Cavagna, Valentin Madouas, Quentin Pacher, Florian Sénéchal, Christophe Laporte and Pavel Sivakov are the cyclists to be considered.

Analysing France's 2022 Road World Championships teams.

Julian Alaphilippe is the defending champion. He didn't race for three months after a crash at Liège-Bastogne-Lièke. Valentin Madouas, Romain Bardet and Christophe Laporte are other riders in the team. Pavel Sivakov has been selected despite having raced for two different nations.

Juliette Labous has won the Vuelta a Burgos this season. Evita Muzic finished four places behind her in the first Tour de France Femmes. Audrey Cordon-Ragot is out of the team for the 2022 Road World Championships. Aude Biannic will be lining up for her tenth time in this race. Eglantine Rayer and Romain Grégoire are turning pro with Team DSM and Groupama-FDJ in 2023.

Julian Alaphilippe is a big plus for the French team. Christophe Laporte and Valentin Madouas are in good form. Julian won the 2019 and 2020 World Championships. France may not have the strongest rider on the start line this time, but their strength in depth could give them more cards to play than most of their rivals.

France will miss Cordon-Ragot, but Aude Biannic is still a handy road captain. Gladys Verhulst was ninth at the European Continental Championships road race and fifth at Classic Lorient Agglomération in Plouay.

France's 2022 Road World Championships team is uncertain. Alaphilippe is the only world champion on the team. Voeckler believes several other team members have the level to be world champions. Madouas, Laporte and Bardet can feature in the top ten. David Gaudu, Warren Barguil and Benoît Cosnefroy are absentees.

Juliette Labous and Evita Muzic have had stellar seasons but they are regularly on the fringes of the WorldTour one-day races. They are more likely to finish outside the top 10 than to win. France will be up against the fearsome might of Netherlands and Italy. Half of their line-ups could challenge for the podium.

Alaphilippe is more pessimistic than optimistic about his chances of pulling on the rainbow jersey. Cyrille Guimard believes Alaphippe has charisma and a capacity to work.

Pierre Ammiche and Pierre Amily are analysing France's 2022 Road World Championships teams. Pierre amily believes Alaphilippe will be the designated leader.