Australian head coach Bradley McGee told Cycling News that he has "no major concerns" about Rohan Dennis ahead of his time trial title defense at the UCI Road World Championships.

Dennis is hoping for back-to-back wins against the clock, despite not having competed in a road race since his controversial decision to abandon mid-race on the eve of the Tour de France individual time trial.

The Australian had tentatively included the Vuelta a España in his race schedule as part of his preparation for the World Championships, but his trade team, Bahrain-Merida, removed him from the tentative selection due to his mid-Tour abandonment.

For the past 10 weeks, Dennis has been training specifically for the time trial.

"I had no major concerns," McGee told Cycling News.

"Of course, there were concerns about his welfare and everyone involved. At the Tour de France and the Vuelta, we see if the Aussies are healthy and getting through each day. The ability of the riders these days to train for competitions is extraordinary. If they were training for a World Championships road race without a race, it might be a little different, but as far as the time trial and Rohan's approach, I have never been concerned."

Although Dennis' long-term future is uncertain (the media was instructed at the press conference to only accept questions about the World Championships), McGee stressed that Dennis' unique training preparation and recent low mileage in road races could be an advantage in terms of this championship McGee stressed that Dennis' unique training preparation and lack of recent road race mileage could be an advantage in terms of this championship. Cycling Australia will also provide Dennis with non-trade team equipment for the World Championships, and Dennis will be using a BMC time trial bike.

"We try to support the relationship between the athlete and the team, but it's not essential," McGee said of Dennis' pre-World Championship race schedule.

"It's just another layer we can add. We let the riders support themselves and give them all the resources at hand. The fact that he's been training for almost 10 weeks is kind of an advantage."

"If he had competed in the Vuelta, I would have been more stressed and really worried about those risks. But that's the game. That's my role here, and the first thing I ask is if everybody is healthy and fit. The bubble we are trying to create for the national team, which is something we are very proud of, is how we support individuals and bring them into the team environment. Athletes are individuals. We need to take the time to understand that and integrate them into the team environment."