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by Justin Davis

PRUSZKOW, Poland, March 24, 2009 (AFP) – Australia’s Anna Meares has played down her chances of claiming the first gold of the world track cycling championships here Wednesday when she lines up for the women’s 500 metre title.

Meares will be followed in her bid for a medal by Britain’s Wendy Houvenaghel in the women’s individual pursuit while France, and perhaps Germany, are set to battle Olympic champions Britain in the men’s team sprint.

The men’s 40km points race – an event which is usually hard to predict – will also be held on the opening day.

Meares comes into the championships having taken a long break following her Olympic silver medal feat in the sprint event and says she has no expectations going into the 500m time trial.

“I’m lacking a bit of fitness but that’s to be expected with only three months preparation and I haven’t done specific time trial training apart from getting out of the gate and the initial acceleration,” she said.

“I don’t think my last lap is as good as usual because I haven’t had enough time to work on it.”

Houvenaghel, a former dentist who gave up her career in 2006 to follow her Olympic dream, has reason to believe more firmly in her chances of topping the podium in the 3km individual pursuit.

She is competing in the absence of teammate Rebecca Romero, who beat her to Olympic gold last August, although Houvenaghel’s times of late suggest she would have given Romero a run for her money anyway.

“Getting to this level has not been easy. Looking at the times I am producing now, and comparing those to what I was doing two to three years ago, I am certainly on a completely different plane now,” said Houvenaghel.

One of the most anticipated events Wednesday will be the three-man team sprint battle, in which in-form France, silver medal winners behind Britain in Beijing, are being tipped to take back their world crown.

Britain will be without influential third man Sir Chris Hoy of Scotland, who is injured, leaving a likely all-English trio of Jamie Staff, Jason Kenny and Matt Crampton with the job of defending the gold they won in Manchester last year.

At the last World Cup event in Copenhagen, where Hoy was injured in the keirin, the French trio of Mickael Bourgain, Kevin Sireau and Francois Pervis finished second behind Staff, Kenny and Hoy.

But with Gregory Bauge now leading France out the blocks, his inclusion – and the absence of Hoy – could tip the balance in France’s favor.

“The French have been using their trade teams so their line up has been diluted and Bauge is leading off too. I asked him (Bauge) and he confirmed he’s their starting man,” said Staff.

Staff, at 35 years of age the elder statesman of the team, could prove key to Britain’s hopes of defending their title. But he is not taking anything for granted.

“I think it is going to be close – I definitely don’t think we have it in the bag even though we have won a few World Cups.”