Jolanda Neff will aim to defend her women's title ©Getty Images

Defending champions Jolanda Neff and Tiago Ferreira will aim to retain their International Cycling Union (UCI) Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships titles tomorrow in Singen.

The field for both the men’s and women’s events has been hailed as one of the strongest in the Championships 15-year history.

Neff will aim for back-to-back titles in the women’s race, with the Swiss rider having triumphed at Laissac in France last year.

She will seek to hold off the challenge of her compatriot and 2010 champion Esther Süss on the 80 kilometre course in Germany.

Six-time winner Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa of Norway is among the field, along with Denmark’s Olympic cross-country champion Annika Langvad and local favourite Sabine Spitz.

Ferreira heads the men’s line-up, with the Portuguese cyclist having won the title for the first time last year.

Tiago Ferreira is the reigning champion in the men's event ©Getty Images
Tiago Ferreira is the reigning champion in the men's event ©Getty Images

Former winners Jaroslav Kulhavy of the Czech Republic and Austria’s Alban Lakata are among those seeking further success.

The pair were winners of the 2014 and 2015 editions of the event respectively.

The Netherlands’ Mathieu van der Poel have opted to skip his country’s national road championships to take part in the 98km race.

A total of 77 riders will compete in the women’s event, while 188 are due to contest the men’s.