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The elite ladies’s particular person time trial will open the UCI Highway World Championships on Sunday, September 21, in Kigali, Rwanda, marking the primary time the occasion is held in Africa.
There will likely be 49 riders from 36 nations taking to the beginning ramp situated on the BK Area in central Kigali. They’ll embark on a 31.2km race in opposition to the clock that finishes on the Kigali Conference Centre.
The elite ladies will deal with 460 metres of elevation alongside the course that features three climbs; twice over the Côte de Nyanza with 2.5km at 5.8% on the best way out and 4.1km at 3.1% on the best way again towards the end. They’ll then climb the cobbled Côte de Kimihurura, which is 1.3km at 6.3% and likewise used on town circuits through the highway races later within the week.
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Marlen Reusser (Switzerland)
Marlen Reusser is the reigning Swiss time trial champion and has had an extended historical past with this self-discipline on the World Championships. Though she earned three medals, two silver and one bronze, she has by no means received the world title.
She was pressured to drop out of the occasion mid-race in 2023, as one of many high favourites, citing burnout on the finish of the season, and she or he didn’t begin the occasion in 2024 after a season marred by a crash on the Tour of Flanders after which COVID-19.
Reusser’s observe document within the particular person time trial, on the entire, is exceptional, having completed within the high three of each single occasion she has completed within the final 5 years.
This may mark her first race since she was pressured to desert the Tour de France Femmes in July because of sickness. Nevertheless, previous to that race, she had a powerful season, ending second general at Setmana Ciclista Valenciana and the La Vuelta Female, earlier than profitable general titles at Vuelta a Burgos, Tour de Suisse, and ending second on the Giro d’Italia.
Chloé Dygert (United States)
One other particular person time trial powerhouse, Chloé Dygert, is a former two-time world champion within the self-discipline, securing the rainbow jerseys in 2019 in Yorkshire and 2023 in Glasgow.
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She seemed to be on her technique to profitable one other time trial world title in Imola in 2020, however a horrific crash noticed her go over the guard rail on a high-speed descent, and she or he suffered a severe leg harm.
Along with her highway biking world titles, she can also be an eight-time world champion and Olympic gold medallist in observe racing.
Final 12 months, Dygert secured the bronze medal on the Zürich Worlds and will likely be trying to reclaim the rainbow jersey in Kigali.
The course is hilly, however Dygert confirmed her energy in hilly time trials when she received her first elite world title within the self-discipline in Yorkshire.
Anna Henderson (Nice Britain)
Anna Henderson has not cracked the highest three within the particular person time trial on the Worlds, however she is a two-time nationwide champion and secured the silver medal on the Olympic Video games in Paris final summer season.
She hasn’t had too many alternatives to compete within the time trial this 12 months, however she was a part of the profitable staff on the staff time trial that opened the La Vuelta Femenina.
She was second on the British Nationwide Championships behind Zoe Backstedt, who’s competing within the under-23 occasion in Kigali.
On one other standout 12 months, Henderson was sixth within the opening time trial on the Giro d’Italia, the place she received stage 2 and wore the maglia rosa.
Xaverine Nirere (Rwanda)
Because the host nation, the Rwandan nationwide staff will discipline three riders within the particular person time trial led by nationwide champion Xaverine Nirere.
The staff may also embrace Diane Ingabire, runner-up within the nationwide championships and who races for Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto Era, and third place within the nationwide championships, Violette Irakoze Neza, who races for Ridley.
Xaverine Nirere primarily competes in Africa, having received her nation’s Heros Biking Cup, and received a stage and completed second general on the Migration Gravel Race. She secured two medals on the nationwide championships and received the general title on the Pupkewitz Megabuild Windhoek Tour in Namibia.
Demi Vollering and Anna van der Breggen (Netherlands)
The Netherlands traces up with two potential podium contenders with former Tour de France winner Demi Vollering and former world champion Anna van der Breggen.
Vollering, who has not competed in a time trial this 12 months, has all the time been a powerful time trialist, but it surely has by no means really been her predominant focus, tending to position her consideration on being an all-rounder within the Classics and Grand Excursions.
She has had some distinctive time trials, nonetheless, securing the silver medal on the Zurich Worlds and profitable the time trial on the Tour de France final 12 months. She was additionally second, behind her then commerce teammate Reusser, within the last time trial on the 2023 Tour de France, the place she received the yellow jersey.
Van der Breggen has secured 5 medals within the time trial and the world title in 2020 in Imola. She can also be a two-time nationwide champion within the self-discipline, however having solely lately come out of a three-year retirement, she will likely be a darkish horse for this occasion.
The one different time trial that she has competed on this 12 months was on the Giro, the place she completed fourth.
Cédrine Kerbaol and Juliette Labous (France)
French nationwide champion, Cédrine Kerbaol, has earned her place at her third World Championships after a powerful season the place she completed eighth general on the Tour de France.
Earlier within the season, she received the nationwide title for the second time in her profession, beating compatriot Juliette Labous.
Each riders are the strongest time trial checklist of their nation, with Labous ending second within the nationwide championships, however having represented France on the Paris Olympic Video games, the place she was simply off the rostrum in fourth.
She has steadily labored on her time trial over the past 5 years and has completed thrice within the high 10 at Worlds.
Antonia Niedermaier (Germany)
Antonia Niedermaier will symbolize Germany within the time trial because the nationwide champion. She has competed in a single different time trial this season on the Giro d’Italia, the place she was fifth general.
An all-rounder, Niedermaier excels in lots of areas of the game, however she has confirmed her energy at earlier world championships, ending fourth final 12 months and eleventh the 12 months earlier than that in Glasgow.
This time trial course will cater to her climbing strengths, with three climbs to contest; this might find yourself being one among her greatest time trials.
Hermionne Ahouissou (Benin)
Two-time Benin nationwide champion, Hermionne Ahouissou, traces up as one of many stronger time triallists in Africa.
She arrives at this world championships having simply competed for her nationwide staff on the Maryland Biking Basic in Baltimore, the primary time an African nationwide staff has competed in a UCI occasion within the US.
Though she didn’t end that race, it was undoubtedly a studying expertise to check her legs in opposition to the mixed nationwide and worldwide peloton at a high-level occasion.
Brodie Chapman (Australia)
Brodie Chapman has large sneakers to fill, lining up because the defending nation within the worlds time trial, off the heels of Grace Brown’s profitable efficiency in Zurich final 12 months. Chapman can definitely maintain her personal in a time trial, proving as a lot by profitable the Australian nationwide title in January.
Like most of the ladies racing on this occasion, she has solely accomplished two different time trials this 12 months together with her commerce staff on the European circuit. She is aware of what it means to win a world title, although, having been a part of the nationwide staff that secured the gold medal within the blended staff relay final 12 months.
She was additionally third within the time trial on the Giro and second within the time trial on the Thüringen Women Tour, seventh within the occasion on the Tour de Suisse, second within the time trial on the Vuelta Extremadura, and a part of the staff that received the opening staff time trial on the Vuelta final 12 months, all final 12 months.
Aurelie Halbwachs (Mauritius)
Racing for Mauritius, Aurelie Halbwachs is the reigning time trial champion from the African Video games, securing her gold medal final summer season in Accra, Ghana, forward of Ese Lovina Ukpeseraye of Nigeria and Lucy Younger of South Africa.
Her compatriot Kim Le Court docket-Pienaar has put Mauritius on the map this summer season, the place she received a stage and wore the yellow jersey on the Tour de France.
Halbwasch will be a part of Le Court docket-Pienaar within the blended staff relay and the elite ladies’s highway race later within the week.
Subscribe to Cyclingnews to unlock limitless entry to our protection of the first-ever UCI Highway World Championships on African soil. Our staff of journalists will carry you all the key storylines, in-depth evaluation, and extra immediately from the motion in Rwanda as the subsequent rainbow jerseys are determined. Discover out extra.
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