Dygert, Niedermaier and Wilson-Haffenden individual time trial UCI World Champions

Full of surprises on the roads of Stirling

The eighth day of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships was full of surprises on the roads of Stirling, in Scotland. Chloé Dygert (USA) won a second Women Elite UCI World title while Antonia Niedermaier (GER) and Felicity Wilson-Haffenden (AUS) dominated the Women Under 23 and Junior categories respectively.

Women Elite and Under 23: the return of Dygert and first UCI World title for Nidermaeier

The Women Elite and Under 23 fought over the same distance of 36.2km in the Stirling region, home of legendary Scottish knight Sir William Wallace. This individual time trial was filled with surprises, both for the Elite and for the Under 23s, including the withdrawal of one of the big favourites, Switzerland’s Marlen Reusser, who did not get to the finish. The Swiss powerhouse had crashed in the mixed team event that she had contested and won on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the USA’s Chloé Dygert, Women Elite UCI World Champion in the individual time trial in 2019 before crashing a year later in Imola (Italy) and beginning a long convalescence, had announced that she was sick a few hours before the race. But she still delivered an extraordinary performance (46:59.88) to claim another rainbow jersey that proves she is back at the highest level. The star from the Canyon//Sram Racing team covered the 36.2km course at an average of 46.2km/h, settling in the hot seat, that she never left.

Only Australia’s Grace Brown could seriously challenge Dygert, also a four-time UCI Track World Champion on the track in the team and individual pursuit (most recently in the individual event in Glasgow). Second at her home UCI World Championships last year in Wollongong, Brown went through the intermediate points trailing by 17, 30 and eventually 23 seconds. She clearly saved some energy for the final run-in and it nearly paid off as the Australian National Champion only lost to Dygert by five seconds on the line!

More than a minute behind the Dygert and Brown, only a handful of seconds separated the many contenders for the bronze medal. Austria’s Christina Schweinberger eventually got the better of Great Britain’s Anna Henderson, France’s Juliette Labous and the Dutch winner of the 2023 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, Demi Vollering.

Among the Under 23 rising stars, Germany’s Antonia Niedermaier (11th best time of the afternoon in 49:27.26) won ahead of Cédrine Kerbaol (13th, +7”) and Belgium’s Julie de Wilde (17th, +39”).

“I’m really lost for words,” Dygert said as she brilliantly celebrated her return to the highest level. “It’s really amazing to be able to win this jersey again. I gave everything I had until the finish. It’s a very special victory.”

Women Junior: Sensational Wilson-Haffenden

Earlier, the clear exhaustion of the riders in front of Stirling Castle testified to the violence of the effort they delivered over 13.5km. In the medieval city of south-west Scotland, Australian youngster Felicity Wilson-Haffenden showed her talent to the whole world as she powered to her greatest victory to date.

Eighth rider to start out of the 42 competitors, Wilson-Haffenden flew over the course. Despite a little scare when she unclipped on the start ramp, the 18-year-old set the reference time in 19:31.51, at an average of 41.48 km/h.

No-one was able to beat the time of the specialty’s Australian National Champion of the specialty, also crowned Oceania Champion last March. The final standings only show two young women trailing by less than 30 seconds on the line: Great Britain’s Isabel Sharp (+16”) and Italy’s Federica Venturelli (+29”).

Already impressive during the road race on Friday although she finished just off the podium, Venturelli crossed the first intermediate with the same time as the new UCI World Champion, with a few hundredths of seconds separating them. But the Italian couldn’t resist the Aussie’s incredible finish on the cobbled ascent to Stirling Castle.

Isabel Sharp (GBR) threatened Wilson-Haffenden, witnessing her rivals’ performances from the hot seat. The winner of 2023 Gent-Wevelgem in Flanders Field Juniors lit the green at the checkpoint located at kilometre nine, with a 4” lead over the Australian. But just like Venturelli, the Briton faded in the end, eventually losing more than 16 seconds on Wilson-Haffenden.

UCI World Champion in the road race, Julie Bego was not up to a historic double. The Frenchwoman nevertheless got an encouraging top 10 in this solo effort.

A strong favorite to succeed her compatriot Zoe Bäckstedt, Cat Ferguson lost more than a minute to Wilson-Haffenden, a disappointment for the British National Champion in the speciality.

After her victory, a very emotional Felicity Wilson-Haffenden said: ‘It’s a surprise. I've only been cycling for two years. It really is a dream come true.”