As it happened: Canadian rider outwits the favourites in elite women's road race

Good morning from Cyclingnews' live coverage of the first Elite road race from this year's Road World Championships.

The Elite women are set to start their race in less than an hour, but we've already had one race this morning. Spain's Paula Ositz won the Junior Women's race, winning a sprint from a small group.

Before the Elite women get underway, you can read how Ostiz won her rainbow jersey here.

As you’d expect for the Elite Women's World Championships, the route is a tough one, the riders tackling a 164.6km parcours, comprising 11 laps of the Kigali circuit we’ve seen already in the Junior and U23 races.

Not only is it a long old day out, there’s also a lot of climbing, the race taking on 3,350m of vertical ascent over 11 laps of the 15.2km circuit. Kigali sits at 1,800m above sea level, the altitude combining with the route to add an extra challenge.

The weather’s not too smart either, with 26º expected to feel more like 29º and the chance of rain on the circuit. With cobbles and a decent amount of descending all day any moisture the roads could add yet another aspect to what is already a fascinating race.

Each of the laps contains two main climbs. With an average gradient of 8.1% over its 800m, the Côte de Kigali Golf comes first, with the cobbled Côte de Kimihurura coming inside the closing 3km of the lap. Over the top of that climb the riders are faced with the final kilometre and its brutal short ramp to the line.

Who's going to win? Well, we'll need to wait a few hours to find that one out, but we've analysed some of the pre-race favourites which can read here.

You can read our analysis here.

One woman not on that list is defending champion Lotte Kopecky who opted out of defending her title after winning the rainbow jersey in both 2023 and 2024. She’s had a difficult year, starting the season under-par after injury affected her preparation over the winter.

The Belgian team have also been hit by the withdrawal of Justine Ghekiere. The national road champion crashed at high speed during the recent GP Stuttgart and her injuries have not healed well enough to allow her to race.

The race is on

The race is one and it's a cagey start. There are 104 riders from 44 nations all hoping to win the rainbow jersey in this, the 2025 Elite Women's road race.

It's a high pace on the descent of the opening kilometres, but there are no attacks. Instead we see the Dutch, Australians, French and Norwegians among the nations on the front of the bunch.

If you’re wondering where the British riders are, GB didn’t send any women to the Elite Women’s race despite being allocated the maximum six places. They’ve sent a team to the women’s Elite race every year since 1995, winning it twice, first with Nicole Cooke in 2008, then in 2015 it was Lizzie Deignan, or Armitstead, as she was then.

The only elite British woman at the Worlds this year is Anna Henderson, last year’s Olympic silver medalist finishing eighth in the Individual Time Trial, some 1:37 behind eventual winner, Switzerland’s Marlen Reusser.

Over the top of the first ascent of the Côte de Kigali Golf and we're still waiting for the first concerted attack. The biggest teams are still tightly packed at the front of the race, while some of those representing the smaller nations have slipped off the back of the peloton.

The circuit is incredibly demanding, not only are there the two main climbs, but there are also a number of smaller inclines. The cagey start suggests riders are feeling their way into the race, testing their own legs before testing their opponents.

The pace up the Côte de Kimihurura and across the line at the end of the first lap was high, but any selection is being made from behind as the race is all together at the front. Italy were very much in control, but Australia take to the front.

The opening lap has taken its casualties with plenty of riders pulled from the race having been dropped from the bunch. Among those are the Mauritain pair of Lucie De Marigny-Lagesse and Aurelie Halbwachs, whose withdrawal leaves pre-race favourite Kim Le Court-Pienaar totally isolated.

The first attack!

Austria's only representative, Carina Schrempf has attacked the bunch and takes a lead of 40 seconds onto the ascent of the Côte de Kigali Golf.
Short and sharp the climb has seen many a breakaway brought back during the earlier road races this week.
Today, though, the peloton seem happy to let her go.

Schrempf is on a mission, she's extended her lead to 1:15 as she hits the cobbles of the Côte de Kimihurura for the second time.
The Austrian rides for the Fenix-Deceuninck team when not representing her country and is an accomplished climber, as well as a former national champion.

While the start list for today's ride is packed with big names, one of the biggest is not in Kigali.

Marianne Vos, who has three road world titles to go with a vast palmarès, had initially been selected to ride but withdrew for personal reasons. You can read the story here.

Vos has been replaced by Femke de Vries who will add to an immensely strong team which can challenge with a number of riders.

Despite only managing third place in the time trial, Demi Vollering starts as one of the outstanding favourites, and is joined by two time champion Anna van der Breggen, who is clearly on form after taking the silver medal in the time trial last Sunday.

They’re Dutch team is completed by Shirin van Anrooij, Pauliena Rooijakkers, Yara Kastelijn and De Vries, with each of them offering the team differing strengths.

However, the perennial problem for the Dutch team has been their strength being a weakness, with some riders historically unwilling to follow team plans.

Today we’ll find out if those issues still linger.

On the Côte de Kimihurura for the third time and Schrempf is leading by almost three minutes.

The last time an Austrian woman was off the front alone with a good lead in a major championship was the Tokyo Olympics, and we all remember Anna Kiesenhofer winning the gold medal there!
Just saying...

120km to go

Carina Schrempf (Austria) leads onto the fourth lap by 2:50. The bunch remains a big one, with fewer riders being dropped out of the back of the race than we saw on the opening laps.

We have action on the front of the peloton!
Some attacks in the bunch has seen the pace lift significantly with Shirin van Anrooij leading for the Dutch team.

With 110km to go we're done with another ascent of the Côte de Kigali Golf and the pace in the peloton had eased for a while.

However, the Dutch team are back at it now, Femke de Vries on the move once again as the cobbled climb looms for the fourth time.

Carina Schrempf has just completed the fourth lap at the top of the Côte de Kimihurura, and though her lead had been eroded slightly by the attacks in the bunch, it's grown to 3:36 again, the peloton riding the climb a little easier.

One rider who would have gone well on the Kigali circuit is Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig, but the Danish rider was forced to withdraw only this week, leaving the Danish team with only Solbjørk Minke Anderson.

Uttrup Ludwig has been suffering from a parasitic stomach infection for some time and though it’s on the mend she withdrew form the race earlier this week.

It might be the World Championships but it’s not the longest race the women's peloton have ridden this year. At 168.9km both Gent-Wevelgem and Tour of Flanders were longer, though neither had anywhere near the same amount of climbing.

Nor does today’s race have the most metres of vertical ascent the women’s peloton has covered this year, that honour goes to stage 7 of the Giro d’Italia women, when Sarah Gigante won after climbing 3,700m, over 150km.

That was Gigante's second win of this year’s Giro, and where she finally made her big breakout. Sadly, though, the Australian was unable to be in Kigali to after breaking her leg in a training crash last month.

Less than 100km left to race

Schrempf is still leading after the fifth ascent of the Côte de Kigali Golf, but once again her advantage is shrinking. It was back out to 2:50, but as she approaches the cobbled climb again she only has 2:25.

The Canadian team have started to make their presence known at the front of the peloton, but the Italians are the ever present nation on the cobbled Côte de Kimihurura as Schrempf's advantage drops below tow minutes.

With six laps and just over 90km to go, the peloton are closing in on our solo breakaway rider, Carina Schrempf whose lead is just 1:40.

Still the big teams lead the peloton though the Dutch seem to have shrunk back into the pack.

86km to go and we've had huge attack from Usoa Ostolaza (Spain). She was followed by a handful of others but Hungary's only representative, Blanka Vas attacked over the top of the Spanish rider and is in pursuit of Schrempf.

The other nations know how strong and versatile Vas is, though, and the Dutch, Italians and French are trying to chase her down.
We're heading onto yet another ascent of the Côte de Kigali Golf.

Ooops! No, cancel that, the Italian team decided to take the chase on, but they now seem happy with Vas heading up the road.
To be fair, we do have more than 80km to go and Vas might an outstandig rider, but she's not known for ultra-long range winning moves.

But the Dutch want a piece of this too, and Yara Kastelijn is trying to get away. No one would let one of the Dutch women get away and she has been closely marked.
Now it's Van Anrooij's turn and once again the Italians react, but the race is well and truly on!

It's really kicking off now!

Vas has been brought back but now Belgium attack with Julie Van de Velde, though the peloton don't see her as much of a threat as Vas.
The Belgian woman is 18 seconds behind Schrempf and the bunch a further 15 seconds back.

On the cobbles of the Côte de Kimihurura and Van de Velde has caught Schrempf, the Austrian tucking into the Belgian's slipstream looking for any help she can get on the steep gradients.

With only 78km left to race over half way and onto the seventh lap of the 11. The two leaders have an advantage of around 20 seconds, but they've been joined by Dutchwoman, Shirin van Anrooij.

This is now a very dangerous group and Italy have taken to the front, leading the chase.

Before the race Anna van der Breggen said the winner was likely to come from the biggest teams. Now her Dutch team have a rider up the road they don't have to chase, so it is up to the other big teams, and while Italy have taken responsibility, France are keeping their powder dry. For now.

Inside the final 70km

This course is relentless!

We're now onto the Côte de Kigali Golf - again - and Van Anrooij is solo at the front of the race with a lead of 37 seconds on the peloton. Schrempf was first to be dropped and has been caught by the Italian led bunch.

Onto the cobbled Côte de Kimihurura and Van Anrooij is leading Van de Velde by 20 seconds with the peloton hot on the Belgian's heels.
Canadian Olivia Baril is dropped from the bunch, with Schrempf heroically trying to hold.

Four laps to go

With a touch over 60km left to race Shirin van Anrooij (Netherlands) leads the peloton by 16 seconds.

Van Anrooij is aa brilliant all-round rider. An accomplished cyclo-cross rider, she is obviously strong on the road too. she was the best young rider at the 2022 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift and has since won the Tour de l'Avenir.

With 55km left to race Van Anrooij's time at the front is over. The Dutch woman is back in the bunch and we have two more escapees up the road.
Noemi Rüegg (Switzerland) and Mireia Benito (Spain) attacked over the top and built a lead of 25 seconds on a peloton which has shrunk significantly.

50km until the new World Champion is crowned

Just 50km to go and France have been forced into action.

Benito and Rüegg still lead by 20 seconds as we approach the Côte de Kimihurura, with the French squad leading the chase. We've had a couple of punches off the front, with New Zealander, Niamh Fisher-Black gaining a small gap for a while.

As the bunch hit the cobbles Switzerland lead the bunch. With a team mate up the road in the form of Rüegg, this is more likely to be a case of positioning rather than an effort to close the gap or disrupt the chase.

Rüegg and Benito lead by 30 seconds.

With three laps to go Rüegg and Benito lead a peloton of only around 30 riders by only 25 seconds.

There are two new faces on the front of the group, with Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (South Africa) and Urška Žigart (Slovenia) leading. However, as soon as the road levelled off Amanda Spratt (Australia) attacked, putting the cat among the pigeons.

This is brilliant. As the peloton is being eroded the big names are beginning to show themselves, Italian rider Elisa Longo Borghini closing a small gap as the French slowly drag Spratt back into their clutches.

Benito and Rüegg continue to lead, now with 30 seconds.

All change!

While Benito and Rüegg still lead the bunch by 50 seconds, two women are chasing in between, Blanka Vas chasing the leaders with Rüegg's Swiss team mate Jasmin Liechti.

The French are having none of it though, Marie Le Net heading off in pursuit.

With 35km to go a small group has forced its way off the front of the peloton. There are none of the favourites in there, but all the big teams are represented.

Onto the cobbles Benito and Rüegg still lead the race by 16 seconds from Vas and Liechti who have been caught and are now part of a 10 women chasing group.

Australia missed this group and are leading what remains of the peloton, but they're struggling to close a deficit of 35 seconds to the leaders.

Two laps to go

30km to go and Anna van der Breggen (Netherlands) has been dropped from the reduced peloton. The Dutch have Riejanne Markus in the chasing group which is closing in on the leading duo.

As the peloton approach the finish line the race well and truly kicks off, Italy's Elisa Longo Borghini attacking, briefly taking a small group off the front and catching the Dutch and French out.

Meanwhile, at the front the two leaders are caught and 10 women lead.

It's all action, you know!

With 10 leaders and a peloton of around 20 riders, Brodie Chapman (Australia), Katrine Aalerud (Norway) and Ella Wyllie (New Zealand) are chasing in between the two bigger groups.

That 20 woman peloton is out to 1:25 though, and the rainbow jersey could well come from the leading two groups.

The leading group is comprised of;

Vallieres (Canada), Markus (Netherlands), Malcotti (Italy), Caluori and Rüegg (Switzerland), Évita Muzic (France), Benito and Garcia (Spain), Fisher-Black (New Zealand), Niedermaier (Germany).

They lead the chasers by 35 seconds and the peloton by 1:34 with 22km to go.

On the penultimate ascent of the Côte de Kigali Golf García attacks, taking Vallieres and Fisher-Black with her. This move has blown the breakaway apart and they lead three more chasers by 13 seconds.

The peloton are losing ground and are almost two minutes from the leaders.

The leasers are on the penultimate ascent of the Côte de Kimihurura, clattering across the cobbles.

García, Vallieres and Fisher-Black have been joined by Niedermaier while Markus is struggling to make contact.

Juliette Labous is leading the peloton for France, bringing the gap down to 1:21. This might not be a done deal just yet, even if the four leaders look strong.

Last lap - 15.1km to go

The five leaders have been joined by Markus and have a gap of one minute over the favourites group, but there are riders scattered in between.
Time trial champion Marlen Reusser attacks over the line, Longo Borghini in pursuit.

Reusser is on a mission. She has Malcotti on her wheel and is opening up a 10 second gap on Longo Borghini's group. They're 45 seconds from the front of the race, so this certainly isn't a done deal.

10km to go

Markus, Fisher-Black, García, Niedermaier and Vallieres lead by only 28 seconds from Reusser and Malcotti who have been joined by Kim Le Court.

The peloton are surely out of it, with only 9km to go they are a minute back.

Reusser now has Swiss team mate Elise Chabbey in that chasing group and they're closing in to under 25 seconds, especially as the leaders seem to be hesitating a little.

Chabbey came across with Le Court and gives amazing options for Switzerland.

It's a nail biter!

The final ascent of the Côte de Kigali Golf brings an attack from Chabbey and she is solo trying to bridge to the leaders.

Niedermaier and Markus have been dropped from that group, while Longo Borghini, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (France) and Kasia Niewiadoma (Poland) are closing in!

What a race this is!

Malcotti, Reusser and Le Court are joined by the Longo Borghini group. Meanwhile Fisher-Black, García and Vallieres lead Chabbey and Markus by 20 seconds.

There are only 4km to go.

Approaching the final cobbled ascent of the Côte de Kimihurura and the favourites group are looking at each other readying themselves for the final assault, maybe.

Vallieres attacks as she hits the cobbles, while Fisher-Black and García are dropped and the Canadian is forging on alone.

She leads by 30 seconds with only 2km to go, but from all the earlier races the week we know just how tough this final is.

Final kilometre and García is closing in on Fisher-Black who is only 14 seconds behind Vallieres on the front of the race.

Into the final 500m and it looks like the Canadian rider has it!

And she does it!

Magdeliene Vallieres of Canada is the new Elite women's World Champion!
In second place is New Zealand's Niamh Fisher-Black, with Mavo García (Spain) in third.

What a remarkable race from start to finish.

What a race!

Chabbey crossed the line in fourth place, while pre-race favourite Demi Vollering (Netherlands) led the group of favourites home, 1:34 behind Vallieres, and in seventh place.

Magdeleine Vallieres:

"I really committed to going for it, I prepared well, I knew I was on good form, so I tried. I told myself I didn't want to have any regrets. And I don't.

"It's great to win here, and with the Worlds next year in Montreal, it's been perfect. It was my dream to win it, and now it's come true - it's crazy."

Elisa Longo Borghini: ”This is cycling, sometimes you win sometimes you lose and sometimes it's not only the one that has the biggest power that wins, it's the most clever, the one that makes the right move…"