"It is such a lottery coming in" - Luke Plapp ahead of Elite World Championships debut

The World Championships are an unique race, with riders all over the World, of very different levels, meeting in one race that features almost incomparable broadcast and spotlight. Luke Plapp has turned professional this year, and will have his first experience whilst racing in his home country.

"I'm still trying to sleep, I'm still trying to recover, honestly. The last week of that, I was just on my hands and knees trying to survive. It was brutal. I severely underestimated it and it's just nothing like I've ever done," Plapp told Velonews in Australia, talking about the Vuelta a Espana which he has just concluded. 

Plapp was part of the INEOS Grenadiers lineup in Spain, in what was his Grand Tour debut. Although he has shown tremendous potential earlier this year, the Spanish race was a very complicated one, as he struggled with fatigue throughout most of it. Despite that, he finished the race, and very quickly after he set off on a plane to Australia, where he will already tonight compete in the World Time-Trial championships.

"I couldn't sleep enough. I couldn't eat enough. It was ridiculous, and I guess the last few days I was thinking, how on earth am I ever going to be able to ride this time trial?" he continued. "I've really just tried to give my body the best chance it can to recover this week and that's why it is such a lottery coming in. I've done the hard work the last month, but in the week leading up... it's more for the head you like to have good efforts and good times and see good numbers on your screen to give you self-confidence into the race."

Although not having yet shown results in the discipline, his capacity to ride long efforts and rouleur structure suggest he has a very high potential to thrive in the future against the clock. For now however, he will be gaining some experience.

"But for me it's just been doing nothing and trying to recover. So Sunday morning when I wake up we will just see what happens," he concluded. He will race alongside Luke Durbridge in the individual event, before also taking part in the mixed relay and the road race.