The Belgian pair, two of the world's greatest road cyclists, rode laps on the 14 kilometres loop.

The Championships take place on September 25, with the Belgians favourites for the world champion title.

Boonen said: "I really like the circuit, it is very beautiful.

"It is for sure going to be a fast race, and I consider my chances to be really good.

"I think that there will only be seven or eight other cyclists who have a chance in a sprint up hill after 260km - and I'm one of them."

Gilbert added: "It was nice to see the circuit for real.

"It is going to be a fast race, and maybe it will end with a mass sprint of 40 maybe even 100 riders.

"The weather will have an enormous impact, but the finishing hill is not tough enough for me."

Gilbert has won three of world cycling's greatest classics; the Amstel Gold Race, Fléce Wallone and Liége-Bastogne-Liége.

Boonen was the world champion in 2005 and was the first cyclist to win the Ronde van Vlaanderen, Paris-Roubaix and World Cycling Championships in the same season.

Lars Lundov, the chief executive of Sport Event Denmark, a key partner behind the event, said: "Staging the UCI Road World Championships 2011 is a show case of the many opportunities to focus on Denmark as a sport event nation in the run up for the event.

"For example we see the massive media coverage of the Belgian visit yesterday both nationally and internationally - and also we give the different national teams the chance to get organised and aquatinted with the Danish and Denmark.

"We really look forward to welcoming each of them back in September for the world championships."

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