Annemieke van Vleuten will try to win her third consecutive time trial at the 2019 UCI Road World Championships in Harrogate on Tuesday. The expected rain may make the technical sections of the course slightly more treacherous, but Van Vleuten said he is confident in his handling skills in such conditions.

"If it rains tomorrow, it might be a bit more technical," Van Vleuten told Cycling News the night before the race. "I think all the Dutch riders are technically good, and that's why I practice a lot on my time trial bike, because it helps me improve my technique. I know that my technique is pretty good."

The elite women will ride 30km from the start in Ripon to the finish in Harrogate. The first 14 km are flat, but then the course becomes undulating and uphill, with three successive climbs.

"It will be a long and arduous 30 km," Van Vleuten said. 'It has everything. In the first 14km, the time gap between the riders will close a bit. I think the difference will come in the second half, after the intermediate checkpoint. There are some climbs and it's a bit technical."

With rain expected this week, Van Vleuten said wet conditions could affect the 150km road race if large groups of riders compete on the final circuit. She predicts, "It won't be a technical race, as no large groups will arrive at the circuit."

Van Vleuten said she is happy with the season in general, despite the results of the World Championships in Yorkshire. She won the Strade Bianche and Liège-Bastogne-Liège and finished second in the Tour de Flanders, Amstel Gold Race, and Flèche Wallonne. In the summer, she won the Dutch time trial title and the Giro Rosa for the second year in a row, and won the prologue at the Boels Ladies Tour.

Asked if the success of the last two seasons was like a dream, van Breuten said, "Yes, winning the spring classics has always been a super big dream for me. It took me eight years to win another Classic, and this year I won two. It was already a big dream that came true."

"It's also very nice to have an event as a goal. I have the Ardennes, the Giro Rosa, and the World Championships as my goals. It's nice to see it pay off, and having something to aim for gives me confidence that I can arrive in great shape."

The 36-year-old Van Vleuten said she is satisfied with her accomplishments so far, although she still has other competitions she would like to win, including the road race world championships.

She will be part of a strong Dutch team competing in Saturday's road race. That team includes defending champion Anna van der Breggen, Marianne Vos, Chantal Black, Lucinda Brand, Amy Peters, Florche McKaige, and Demi Volering.

"If I retired today, I would be very happy and satisfied with my career. I would always have big dreams and goals."

"Winning a world title on the road and wearing the jersey all year round is a big dream for me. But if it doesn't work out, I can't say I'm super disappointed." "I'm going to be very happy because I've had so many great memories and moments in cycling, and I'm going to be very proud to be a part of it.

Van Vleuten has a contract to compete under the Mitchelton-Scott banner through 2020 and said his goal is to continue racing as long as he continues to improve each year.

"Last year I extended my contract until 2020. 'I know myself that I will continue after 2020. This year I'm doing a little better than last year and my level hasn't gone down. As long as my level is still a little bit higher, I'm still hungry to improve myself. That's what drives me. I'm just trying to improve my technique and see how fast I can go."

Cycling News will have full coverage of the 2019 UCI Road World Championships, which will be held September 22-29.