Italian Alessandro Petacchi, hot favourite for this month's world road race championship, believes the event will be more wide open than most people expect.

The Italian says the circuit's "very difficult finish" is likely to set up a mass sprint for the title.

"The design of the final kilometre is really ugly, really hard," Petacchi told reporters after winning the final stage on the Tour of Spain. Stage 21 of the Tour of Spain ended in downtown Madrid with two laps of the circuit that will host the world championship.

The world road race championship takes place in Madrid on Sunday.

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