Marlen Reusser wins world time trial title on her birthday in Montreal

Marlen Reusser of Switzerland retained her world time trial title Sunday at the UCI Road World Championships in Montreal, finishing the 39.2km course in 50:24.44 — her birthday.

Reusser, 35, was 10 seconds down at the first timing point but moved ahead by the third checkpoint. In the final stretch to the finish at the foot of Mount Royal, she gained an additional 27 seconds on runner-up Zoe Bäckstedt of Great Britain, winning by 40 seconds. Bäckstedt's time of 50:24.44 plus 50 seconds made her first appearance at elite-level world championships a strong one — she was 22 at the time of the race. Franziska Koch of Germany took bronze, 5 seconds behind Bäckstedt.

Reusser's victory held the rainbow jersey she won last year in Kigali, Rwanda. She had previously finished second in this discipline in 2020 and 2021, and third in 2022.

Canadian competitors Nadia Gontova finished 19th and Olivia Baril 23rd in a field of 47 finishers. Demi Vollering of the Netherlands, who finished eighth, 1:49 behind Reusser, is favoured for next Saturday's road race.

Bäckstedt told the source: "I thought it was possible when I heard the first split time, but I also knew that Marlen was incredibly strong. I knew she had the ability to come back strong, and that's what she did. I have immense respect for her." Koch, 26, said a bronze medal at worlds was meaningful even after winning the monument Paris-Roubaix in April: "Winning a monument like Paris-Roubaix is better than a third place at the Worlds, that's for sure, but a victory here would have been on equal footing. That said, I'm really happy to have won the bronze."