Flint and fellow Launceston rider Sam Fox were both named in the Australian team for the titles in Italy in August but while Fox has previously contested the events, it is the second year running that Flint has been named knowing she cannot go.

"While it's super exciting, I knew, if I was selected, that I wouldn't be able to attend, so it's quite bitter-sweet," said the 19-year-old former gravity enduro national champ.

"It's lovely to be selected but I always knew I wouldn't be able to go.

"The email telling me I'm selected says congratulations but also that I'm ineligible to attend."

Auscycling announced the team this week but stated that only four of the 18 riders are allowed to compete as they are on eligible UCI-registered teams.

Fox and Flint were selected in the under-23 cross-country categories while ACT-based couple Rebecca and Dan McConnell plus South Australian Cameron Ivory were named for the elite races.

AusCycling issued a statement on April 29 that it would not send national teams to any 2021 UCI World Championship due to the global pandemic.

This week it added: "The arduous COVID-19 protocols, high cost of travel and insurance, and the requirement of a 14-day hotel quarantine on return to Australia are unacceptable impositions on individual riders, particularly juniors, in any activity where AusCycling assumes a duty of care."

AusCycling mountain bike sport manager Evan James said the organisation felt it is important to recognise athletes that have achieved selection, even if they are unable to compete.

"AusCycling recognises that 2021 has been a challenging year for athletes with exceptionally limited racing opportunities to meet performance standards and selection criteria," James said.

Both former Riverside High and Launceston College students, Flint and Fox were selected on the back of excellent results at the national championships on home soil at Maydena in March.

After two junior world championship campaigns, Australian all-schools and Tasmanian senior titles, 20-year-old Fox won at the eighth time of asking while Flint came second in the women's under-23 race in her first year out of juniors.

Having gained exemption to travel overseas, Fox flies to Europe this week for three months of competition but said he too is not allowed to contest the world champs.

"I'll be there, but am still not allowed to compete at the moment," he said. "I'll race the world cup season anyway."

The cloud's silver lining for Flint are the racing opportunities still available in Australia plus the invitation to a national high-performance camp which all selected riders will receive.

AusCycling said several trans-Tasman options are being explored for the camp to be held later in the year.

"It's a pretty big deal being able to represent Australia, that in itself is pretty amazing," Flint said.

"It's disappointing but we've got such an amazing season here in Australia so that kind of makes it feel a bit better."

Coached by Peta Mullens, who has national titles on the road, track and mountain bike, Flint is loving riding multi disciplines with UCI Women's Continental team Roxsolt Liv SRAM.

A week after coming second and third on consecutive days in the elite women's race at the UCI Mackay Cup, she won both elite races at the national cyclocross series in Adelaide and heads back to Queensland this week for the Bayview Blast, a 100-kilometre one-day marathon race expected to take between five and six hours.

"Cyclocross is basically a road bike with nobbly tyres," explained Flint, who still works at Launceston bike shop MyRide between races. "It's a completely different sport and Adelaide was my first race. My coach Peta talked me into it and it turns out I quite like it and am not half bad at it."