Ewan beat the governing body to the punch on Friday when, after claiming the undulating opening stage of the Deutschland Tour, announced on social media that he wouldn't be riding at September's Road World Championships.

It was his first win since April and came after shoulder surgery ruled him out of the Commonwealth Games.

"To be honest I don't have much to say on the matter other than I'm heartbroken I won't be there to represent my country and that I believe I deserved to be there. Sob story over," the Sydney favourite wrote before the team was officially announced hours later.

Former time trial world champion and recent Commonwealth Games gold medallist Rohan Dennis is the other high-profile omission for family reasons.

Giro d'Italia winner Jai Hindley and Grand Tour performers Michael Matthews, Ben O'Connor and Simon Clarke will lead the men's elite team in their absence.

Last year's under-23 time trial runner-up Luke Plapp will replace Rohan, while Luke Durbridge, Heinrich Haussler and Nick Schultz round out the squad.

AusCycling elite road boss Rory Sutherland confirmed to reporters on Friday that Dennis pulled out due to a family obligation and that "there's nothing bad about it, nothing dire".

"Everyone was disappointed but ... family comes first," he said.

"There's nothing between Australian cycling and Rohan in a bad sense."

The same may not be said for disheartened five-time Tour de France stage winner Ewan, who had circled the date on his calender in the hope of winning a world championship just hours from his childhood home.

But, despite the irony of Ewan proving in Germany he's no one-trick pony, Sutherland said the 4000m of elevation over the 266.9km course had forced them to look elsewhere.

"It's a tricky one. I know Caleb is from the area (and when Wollongong was announced as host) we originally thought ... (it would be) a very sprinter-friendly race," he said.

"But it's a very demanding course, the more we sent people in Australia to ride it and check it out and our staff ... (we discovered) it's hard.

"It opens it up to all kinds of athletes. We need to make a decision based on the course itself.

"It's been a fun and interesting process to get to that point."

Commonwealth gold medallists Georgia Baker and Grace Brown will feature alongside Birmingham teammates Sarah Roy, Alexandra Manly and Brodie Chapman.

Amanda Spratt will return for her 10th world championships appearance, chasing a third medal, while Wollongong local Josie Talbot will debut.

Baker and Brown will likely contest the time trial while the mixed teams squad will be finalised closer to the event, which begins on September 18.

Australian Associated Press