{"id":206268,"date":"2026-09-28T15:38:41","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T15:38:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=206268"},"modified":"2026-09-28T15:38:41","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T15:38:41","slug":"a-recap-of-the-womens-world-championships-in-montreal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2026\/09\/28\/a-recap-of-the-womens-world-championships-in-montreal\/","title":{"rendered":"A Week of Rainbow Jerseys, Rivalries and Redemption: The Women\u2019s World Championships in Montr\u00e9al"},"content":{"rendered":"

Across eight days of racing in Montr\u00e9al, a new generation claimed rainbow jerseys, established stars added to already formidable palmar\u00e8s, and some of the sport\u2019s most compelling rivalries were renewed on one of the toughest World Championship courses in recent memory.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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And then there was Demi Vollering. After years of near misses, the Dutch star finally pulled on the World Championship rainbow jersey on Saturday, winning a spectacular 180.1-kilometre elite road race in a two-up sprint against Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney. But Vollering\u2019s victory was only the final chapter in a week that offered plenty of reasons to believe women\u2019s cycling is entering an especially fascinating period.<\/span><\/p>\n

Reusser starts with a statement<\/b><\/h2>\n

The championships opened with Marlen Reusser doing what she has become rather good at: winning the individual time trial. The Swiss rider defended her world title over Montr\u00e9al\u2019s 39.2-kilometre course, but this was no straightforward procession. Reusser actually trailed Zoe B\u00e4ckstedt at the first time check, with the British rider, making her elite World Championship debut, setting an exceptionally fast early pace.<\/span><\/p>\n

Reusser turned the race around in the second half, ultimately finishing in 50:24.44, more than 40 seconds clear of B\u00e4ckstedt. Germany\u2019s Franziska Koch took bronze, while Elisa Longo Borghini and C\u00e9drine Kerbaol rounded out the top five. Reusser\u2019s victory was particularly fitting given that she celebrated her 35th birthday on race day.<\/span><\/p>\n

It was also a revealing result for the next generation. B\u00e4ckstedt, already a junior and U23 world champion in the discipline, immediately translated that success to the senior level with silver. She had chosen to race the elite time trial rather than defend her U23 title, and the decision paid off spectacularly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Demi Vollering finished eighth. It was a rare reminder that being the strongest rider in a road race and being the fastest against the clock are rather different propositions. Of course, Vollering would have another opportunity to demonstrate which discipline suited her better later in the week.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Zobrazit p\u0159\u00edsp\u011bvek na Instagramu<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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P\u0159\u00edsp\u011bvek sd\u00edlel u\u017eivatel @montreal_2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n