by Justin Davis

MENDRISIO, Switzerland, Sept 23, 2009 (AFP) – Olympic champion Fabian Cancellara admits he will have to dose his time trial efforts to perfection Thursday if he is to maintain bigger dreams of gold at the world road race championships.

Saxo Bank rider Cancellara, the world time trial champion in 2006 and 2007, did not compete at the worlds last year after a punishing season which he ended prematurely shortly after his triumph at the Beijing Olympics.

And although beginning Thursday’s race against the clock as favourite to equal Michael Rogers’ record of three victories, the Swiss hard man known as ‘Spartacus’ has a dilemma.

If he goes too hard in the 49.8km race against the clock around Mendrisio, he will have only two days in which to fully recover for the 262.2km road race, on which there are nearly 5000 metres of punishing climbing.

On paper, that looks manageable for Cancellara, who has spread his wings in recent years winning stages at the Tour de France, prestigious one-day classics and even week-long stage races.

But two days after the time trial he could come up short against far more fancied teams like Italy and Spain, for whom Damiano Cunego and Alejandro Valverde will lead victory bids respectively on Sunday’s road race.

With Rogers and British specialist David Millar not competing, Cancellara is adamant he can aim for both golds. But he hinted that his mind on Thursday may ultimately be elsewhere.

“I want to win the road race and the time trial, but (winning) one of them would be good, said Cancellara.

“If you train well, then two days of recovery should be enough. There’s also the (issue of) mental strength, which can really be a factor for me.”

He added: “A lot of people think the time trial is already decided.

“Many things can happen the day of the race. I just tell myself that I’m not obliged to win, and that lessens the pressure.”

In his absence last year Germany’s Bert Grabsch claimed the gold medal ahead of Canada’s Svein Tuft and American David Zabriskie, although this year Zabriskie is not competing

As well as Grabsch, Britain’s Bradley Wiggins, who finished in remarkable fourth place at the Tour de France in July, will be looking for a share of the medals, as will Sweden’s Gustav Larsson, who won silver in Beijing.

Cancellara has been the on-form time triallist this season, winning at the Tour of California, the Tour of Switzerland, the Tour de France and Tour of Spain.

He also won the Tour of Switzerland overall and the Swiss road race title in June.