Worlds 2024 TT Race Report: Australia’s Grace Brown added the World championships to her Olympic time trial gold. Brown was behind Demi Vollering (The Netherlands) at the second intermediate timing point, but thanks to a strong finish she took the win by 16 seconds. Vollering was second and Chloe Dygert (USA) took third at 56 seconds.
Rainbow to go with Gold – Grace Brown
The Elite Women’s time trial started in Gossau and finished in Zurich, 29.9 kilometres later. The riders had a few short climbs: The first was 2.6 kilometres at an average of 4.5% and then steeper one of 1.4 kilometres at over 5%. Olympic champion Grace Brown was the top favourite, but there was a lot of tough competition: Chloé Dygert, Lotte Kopecky, Demi Vollering and Antonia Niedermaier would give her a battle.
One of the first contenders for a medal was Ellen van Dijk. At the first timing point she had the best time, ahead of Brodie Chapman. The difference was 24 seconds. At the finish line, Van Dijk’s lead over the Australian had increased to almost 40 seconds. But the top riders were still to start.
Not Lotte Kopecky’s day
Antonia Niedermaier was fast enough for 4th place
At the first intermediate point, Lotte Kopecky had lost 18 seconds to Van Dijk. The first to go under the time of the Dutch rider was Antonia Niedermaier. Demi Vollering soon followed, who was 23 seconds better than the German. Then Olympic champion Grace Brown came through to better all their times. She had a lead of 6 seconds over Vollering. Chloé Dygert, who was last to came through, was 37 seconds down on Brown.
Demi Vollering had the lead, but…
At the second intermediate point, Niedermaier had a lead of 21 seconds on Van Dijk. Vollering was nearly 45 seconds faster. The Dutch rider had lifted her speed in the middle section and Grace Brown lost a little time to her. With 9 kilometres to go, Vollering was 9 seconds ahead of Brown. Vollering kept pushing hard and just after the next timing point she passed Juliette Labous.
Olympic champion Grace Brown fought back for the win
The French rider tried to hold her, but Vollering was pushing hard for the win. At the finish line, she was 48 seconds better than Niedermaier, who would take the U23 World title. Brown was now the only rider who could threaten Vollering. The Australian had something left in her legs. She was closing in on Vollering and would eventually beat her by 16 seconds. Third place went to Chloe Dygert, fourth to Niedermaier. Lotte Kopecky was fifth.
Chloe Dygert was last to finish and took 3rd place
2024 Time Trial World Champion, Grace Brown (Australia): “I’m really going to retire after this season. A lot of people ask, but I’m really going to retire after this season. I’m really lucky to be able to end my career like this. These months feel like a dream. I had a lot of goals and I did them. This is really cool. The experience of the Games and the success I had there, that gave me a lot of confidence. In the last kilometres I said to myself: ‘I can really become World champion!’. That gave me the strength to keep pushing until the end. I had all the information, so I knew I was in the lead after the first climb. Then Vollering rode a really good middle part. It took me a while to get into my rhythm on the flat, especially after all that climbing, but I was able to accelerate and make up time there. I didn’t have that much time to prepare, but I did so many time trials and believed in my preparation.”
Worlds 2024 podium: Demi Vollering (2nd), Grace Brown (1st) and Chloe Dygert (3rd)
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Worlds 2024 Women’s Time Trial Result:
1. Grace Brown (Australia) in 39:16
2. Demi Vollering (The Netherlands) at 0:16
3. Chloe Dygert (USA) at 0:56
4. Antonia Niedermaier (Germany) at 1:05
5. Lotte Kopecky (Belgium) at 1:39
6. Christina Schweinberger (Austria) at 1:44
7, Anna Henderson (GB) at 1:44
8. Ellen van Dijk (The Netherlands) at 1:47
9. Juliette Labous (France) at 1:51
10. Amber Neben (USA) at 2:20.
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