An incredible and historic day for Magdeleine Vallieres of Canada as she becomes the first Canadian to win the Elite Women’s road race and the World Champion’s striped jersey.
- Video hilights are at the bottom
The women’s World Championship road race in Rwanda delivered a blockbuster of a surprise on Saturday, as 24-year-old Canadian Magdeleine Vallieres stormed to a stunning victory on the cobbles of Kigali. The young rider left pre-race favorites gasping in her wake, beating New Zealand’s Niamh Fisher-Black and Spain’s Mavi García to the line. For Canada, it was history in the making – their first-ever elite women’s world title.
Eleven Laps of Pain
Unlike the men, the women faced the circuit alone: eleven laps, each featuring the sting of the Côte de Kigali Golf (800m at 8.1%) and the teeth-rattling cobbles of the Côte de Kimihurura (1.3 km at 6.3%). With 165 kilometers in the legs, it was always going to be a war of attrition. Favorites like Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, Elisa Longo Borghini, Marlen Reusser, Anna van der Breggen, and Demi Vollering lined up—but defending champ Lotte Kopecky never made the trip to Rwanda.
Early Action
The race rolled off calmly until Austria’s Carina Schrempf bolted clear on lap two. She carved out nearly three minutes, but the peloton never panicked. Femke de Vries had a dig, Blanka Vas countered, and soon the Dutch duo Shirin van Anrooij and Julie van de Velde were across to Schrempf. Van Anrooij proved strongest, dropping her companions on the Golf climb, only to be reeled in ten kilometers later.
The Dutch, Belgians and Italians all seemed to underestimate who else was riding… big mistake.
Favorites Under Pressure
Noemi Rüegg (Switzerland) and Mireia Benito (Spain) tried their luck next, but the heavy hitters were stirring. Markus, García, Muzic, Vallieres, Caluori, Fisher-Black, and Niedermaier all formed a dangerous move with two laps to go. Behind, disaster struck the Dutch: first Van der Breggen cracked on Kimihurura, then Vollering faltered on the penultimate lap when Longo Borghini pressed the gas. She fought back, but the damage was showing.
The Winning Move
With 23 km left, Fisher-Black, Vallieres, and García clipped off the front. Markus, Caluori, and Niedermaier scrambled across, and by the bell lap the lead group had five riders with nearly a minute on the rest. Reusser tried to bridge alone, dragging Malcotti, but it was too late.
On the final climb of Kimihurura, Vallieres seized her moment. She attacked at the base, powering clear while García and Fisher-Black had no response. Over the top she had the gap—and on the fast run to Kigali she never looked back.
Paris-Roubaix winner Alison Jackson pulled out early but made her presence known form the sidelines.
History Made
Vallieres roared across the line for her second-ever pro win—and Canada’s first gold medal in an elite women’s road race. Alison Sydor and Linda Jackson had bronze in the ’90s, Anne Samplonius and Clara Hughes silvers in the time trial—but never before a rainbow jersey.
Fisher-Black grabbed silver, García bronze, with Chabbey and Markus rounding out the top five. Vollering salvaged seventh from the favorites’ group, but the day belonged to Vallieres.
Wtahc teh Video hilights of teh 2025 Women’s E;ite Rpad Race
Results UCI Kigalia World Championships – Women’s Elite Road Race – from ProCyclingStats.com
The post Worlds ’25: Magdeleine Vallieres Scores Historic Gold Win For Canada appeared first on PezCycling News.
