In Group A of the cycle-ball competition, reigning champions Patrick Schnetzer and Markus Bröll from Austria, who have won the title every year since 2013, are the strong favourites and will be hoping the backing of a home crowd behind them in Dornbirn can help them retain their title.

The duo are in great form and have not lost any of their last 10 World Championship matches.

However, Swiss pair Roman Schneider and Dominik Planzer will be looking to upset the odds to regain the title they won in 2012. 

This will be Planzer’s last World Championship before he retires.

There is also an interesting story outside of the favourites with Czech pair Jiri, 43, and Jiri Jr., 21, Hrdlicka set to become the first ever father-and-son team to compete at a UCI Indoor Cycling World Championships. 

Although they are being outsiders for the gold medal, the Czech champions will be looking to cause a shock or two.

There are a number of exciting new teams in Group B, including two debut pairs in the form of Lukas and Markus Schönenberger and Arnak Mkhitaryan and Artak Vosdkanyan from Liechtenstein and Armenia respectively, whilst Matsuda Ko of Japan will make his comeback, after a four-year absence from the tournament, with his current team-mate Akatsu Riku.

The bottom team from Group A will have to face the winner of Group B in a relegation match on Sunday morning with the cycle-ball final coming that afternoon.

There are five titles up for grabs in the artistic cycling event – single women, ACT 4, pair women, open pairs and single men.

Much like in the cycle-ball, there are high hopes for the hosts in the single women event with Adriana Mathis, who was the only competitor of the Final 4 at the 2015 Worlds to deliver a faultless routine, and 16-year-old Julia Walser the two favourites to claim the gold.

Sporting Director of the Organising Committee Hubert Schneider believes that “The competition is completely open in the women’s event, so it’ll be a question of who holds their nerve and performs best on the day.”

However, Germans Viola Brand and Milena Slupina will be looking to spring a surprise.

Following another impressive season, the Swiss are the favourites to retain their title in the ACT 4.

Melanie and Jennifer Schmid, along with Céline Burlet and Flavia Zuber, make up the Swiss team who are world record holders. 

Having said that, they will have to be wary of German quartet Katharina Gülich, Michaela Schweiger, Ramona Ressel and Ramona Strassner, who will be eyeing gold in their final competition together.

The two pair events, women and open, are expected to be contested by the Germans, with sisters Julia and Nadja Thürmer looking to cap off their fantastic season by taking the title in the pair women.

In the open pairs, there should be a fascinating duel between last year’s champions André and Benedikt Bugner and Serafin Schefold and Max Hanselmann. 

The two teams were awarded joint-first place in the German Championships following a particularly competitive season.

The grand finale of the entire tournament will be the single men event where, once again, German riders remain the favourites with Lukas Kohl looking to defend his crown. 

However, compatriot Moritz Herbst will be looking to pounce on any mistake on his World Championship debut.