Marlen Reusser retains world time trial title — Channel NewsAsia
Swiss rider Marlen Reusser became the world champion in the elite women’s individual time trial for the second consecutive time on September 20 in Montreal, Canada. Over the 39.2 km distance, she recorded a time of 50 minutes 24.44 seconds and retained the title she won in Kigali in 2025. The victory came on the athlete’s 35th birthday, Channel NewsAsia reports.
Competition medalists
Britain’s Zoe Bäckstedt won the silver medal, finishing 40.11 seconds behind Reusser. Germany’s Franziska Koch came third, 45.54 seconds behind the winner.
The route ran through Montreal along the Saint Lawrence River, across the Samuel De Champlain Bridge and through the Gilles Villeneuve Circuit. The finish was located on an uphill section in Old Montreal.
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Challenging strategy over the distance
Reusser, known as the “Flying Elephant,” said she was nervous before the start because of the route’s difficulty and technical features. According to her, the team held many discussions with the coach responsible for preparation about the strategy for distributing effort over the distance.
Tour de France champion Demi Vollering of the Netherlands finished eighth, losing 1 minute 49.94 seconds to Reusser. She said she was satisfied with her own pace but described the route as one better suited to time trial specialists.
The Road Cycling World Championships returned to Montreal for the first time in 52 years. Canada is hosting the event for the third time: the tournament was previously held in Montreal in 1974 and in Hamilton in 2003.
