Lieke Nooijen (Visma-Lease a Bike) powered across the 22.2km time trial course in southwestern Québec from the middle wave of riders and easily won the Chrono Féminin de Gatineau in Canada on Friday.
US time trial champion Emily Ehrlich (Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY28) was the last rider on course but could not match the dominant pace set by the Dutchwoman and finished second, 41 seconds back. She did disrupt a Visma podium sweep, going 7 seconds faster than Margaux Vigié, and dropping Carlijn Achtereekte to fourth.
The bronze medalist at this year's Dutch time trial nationals, Nooijen dashed around the two laps of the 11km course with both the best intermediate time and the best finishing time, stopping the clock at 28:50. Finishing one spot off the podium at the TT at Simac Ladies Tour a week ago, Nooijen recorded her first victory of the season in Gatineau.
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"Well, it was a super tough time trial. But yeah, to win this time trial in Canada, it's super nice and happy to take them in today,. It makes our trip amazing," Nooijen said on the FloBikes broadcast about her first time in Canada.
The new circuit for 2025 was completed twice for 22.2km, taking riders from the centre of Gatineau in Québec across the Ottawa River into Ontario, crossing the waterway on the Portage Bridge for an out-and-back path. The U-turn in Ontario arrived at kilometre 4.5 on the first pass and kilometre 15.5 on the second pass. After crossing the Ottawa River a final time on the Portage Bridge, just 2km remained for the finish.
The field was absent the top seven riders from last year, with Julie Lacourciere, eighth in 2024, the highest returning competitor and this year riding for Team Canada. The number one bib was carried by Ehrlich as the US elite women's TT winner from May.
Canadian Isabelle Mayrand (ECF p/p Golden Sport) was the first rider down the start ramp and 31 riders to follow, with bright, blue skies and mild temperatures offering no weather conditions for the final days of summer.
When Ehrlich hit the course, 24-year-old Nooijen was already in the hot seat, having started 12 riders ahead as the final rider in the second of three waves. The US rider then had a big deficit to close by the second lap, 21 seconds behind the best intermediate time set by Nooijen, 14:29.
A few riders ahead of Ehrlich on the course was Visma's Achtereekte, who had the second-best time split until the US champion went by one second faster. While Ehrlich then passed Lacourciere, who started one minute in front, she could not make up the difference to Nooijen.
"I haven't done a time trial in a while now, I was home sick for a while, so it's been a little little bit rough trying to get back into race form," Ehrlich said at the finish.
"I would say in the second lap, it felt like it started to get a little bit harder, but I tried my best today, and I'm very happy with my result."
Ehrlich last raced in June at the Armed Forces Cycling Classic. She had opened her 2025 season having won gold medals in the Individual Pursuit and Team Pursuit at Pan American Track Championships and at the Road Pan-Ams she took silver in the time trial.
Friday's UCI 1.1 time trial will be followed on Saturday with a road race and a criterium on Sunday, all events scored as individual races and not combined as a stage race.
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