Road World Championships: Felicity Wilson-Haffenden back in rainbows with fantastically strong women’s under-23 time trial ride

Felicity Wilson-Haffenden (Australia) raced to the under-23 women’s world time trial title on Montreal on Monday afternoon, blitzing the 20.3km course at an average speed of 44kph.

The Australian, already her nation’s elite time trial champion and a former junior world champion, beat Nienke Vinke (Netherlands) to the top of the leaderboard by 28 seconds, having raced a negative split to speed up as her rider progressed.

Fierce competition in second-ever standalone U23 TT

That time was quickly bested by riders from bigger cycling nations, however. Sidney Swierenga (Canada) and Febe Jooris (Belgium) were among the first 15 riders. Swierenga was the first rider to the finish under 30 minutes, logging a 29:17 to top the leaderboards before Jooris swept through 29 seconds to the good to dethrone the home racer.

Out on course, 20th starter Nienke Vinke (Netherlands) was making a hot start as the first rider to hit the first checkpoint in under eight minutes. The 22-year-old was quickest at the second check, too, and duly crossed the line with a time of 28:09 to snatch provisional first from Jooris by 39 seconds.

Vinke on her way to second place (Image credit: Getty Images)

The next batch of riders out on course wouldn’t trouble Vinke’s time, though Wilma Antila (Finland) was going well – second at the first check – before a crash cost her momentum and end up in third place with a 29:10.

Mackenzie Coupland (Australia), the 30th rider off, was also speeding along. She improved from fourth to second between the first and second checkpoints, but still Vinke proved immovable at the top of the standings, 18 seconds clear.

Even as the later runners – including Luca Vierstraete (Belgium), Amandine Muller (France), and Paula Ostiz (Spain) – went out, none could lay a glove on Vinke, all losing over 10 seconds at the first checkpoint. Vierstraete improved to second place, however, at 11 seconds off Vinke, at the second check.

Home favourite Ava Holmgren (Canada), the 48th rider to start, clocked a time just six second off Vinke at the first checkpoint, while Felicity Wilson-Haffenden and Viktória Chladaňová (Slovakia) beat her time, with Wilson-Haffenden passing through just tenths of a second off Vinke.

Wilson-Haffenden in full flight (Image credit: Chris Auld/SWpix.com)

Vinke’s time survived Vierstrate’s assault, with the Belgian concluding her run at a deficit of 16 seconds. After her, it looked to be up to Holmgren, Wilson-Haffenden, and Chladaňová if anyone were to unseat the world champion-elect.

The Australian looked best placed to do so at the second checkpoint, storming through 26 seconds up on Vinke as Holmgren and Chladaňová lost ground. Holmgren would end her run 32 seconds down and already out of the medal positions, but Wilson-Haffenden continued to fly, ending up as the only rider to best Vinke’s time.

All that was left then was for Chladaňová to finish off the day’s action, the Slovakian desperately close to a medal as she finished within a second of Vierstraete’s third place.

Results

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