Reusser overtakes Vollering and retains world time trial title on her birthday
CyclingSunday, 20 September 2026 at 22:21
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Follow us on GoogleMarlen Reusser has won the time trial at the World Cycling Championships. The Swiss rider appeared to face competition from Zoe Bäckstedt for a long time, but ultimately left the Briton far behind. Bäckstedt took silver, ahead of Germany's Franziska Koch. The Dutch women failed to impress: Demi Vollering was overtaken by Reusser and finished eighth.
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The wait is finally over: the World Championships are here! The women’s time trial kicks things off, with a unique course. While Switzerland and Rwanda each featured a challenging loop with significant elevation gain, the course in Montréal was designed for true specialists. Flat and winding: the best sprinter would win here—that much is certain.
We had to wait a while for the real big names, but Taylor Knibb was an interesting one. The American finished 19th in the Olympic time trial two years ago, but she is normally a triathlete. The three-time Ironman world champion was doing well and went more than six minutes faster than Tang's time, but Lotte Claes (Belgium) was nine seconds quicker at the finish line.
Read more below the video!
Surprises after the first and second split times
She clocked a time of 52.34 minutes. Meanwhile, we saw more and more favourites set off, including Lieke Nooijen. The Dutchwoman started as a real outsider for the medals, but had already lost a fair bit of time by the first split. Once everyone had set off, the picture became increasingly clear. Zoe Bäckstedt had got off to a good start.
The British rider was just a touch faster than Cédrine Kerbaol (France) and Franziska Koch (Germany). How would the top favourites fare? The answer was a surprise. After eleven kilometres, Vollering had already lost 34 seconds, whilst defending champion Reusser was ten seconds behind. It wasn’t the names one would have expected that were leading the way in Montréal.
Bäckstedt was also the fastest at the second intermediate point and looked set to claim the world title. The young Briton had become world champion in the U23 category last year and had a chance to win the rainbow jersey straight away in the elite category. But Reusser made it a contest once again. The Swiss rider had upped the pace and closed the gap to just three seconds at the second intermediate point.
Read more under the photo
Reusser overtakes Vollering
The Swiss rider had clearly paced her time trial perfectly. Bäckstedt was well on her way, but Reusser took the lead in the second half of the time trial. At the third intermediate point, she was faster for the first time – by thirteen seconds. She caught sight of Vollering, and in the final stretch of the time trial she overtook the Dutch rider.
Meanwhile, Koch had clocked the fastest time at the finish. The German was four tenths of a second faster than Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy), whilst Lotte Kopecky rode a creditable time trial but was a minute behind the FDJ-SUEZ rider. Nooijen was further back still, trailing by 1 minute 30 seconds. But the world champion was, in fact, already a clear winner.
Because Reusser was on a roll. Bäckstedt was the first to cross the line, narrowly beating Koch by five seconds. It proved not enough for the world title. Reusser had to tackle the final kilometres on slightly damp tarmac, but was still well faster than Bäckstedt: at the finish, the gap was a full 40 seconds. The Swiss rider gave herself the perfect birthday present. Vollering then crossed the line in eighth place.
Result, 2026 World Championships Time Trial - Elite Women
1. Marlen Reusser
2. Zoe Bäckstedt
3. Franziska Koch
4. Elisa Longo Borghini
5. Cédrine Kerbaol
6. Lotte Kopecky
7. Antonio Niedermaier
8. Demi Vollering
9. Dominika Wlodarczyk
Tom van der Salm (27) comes from the charming town of Zeilberg (Deurne) in the Netherlands and has been working as editor-in-chief & journalist at IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, In de Leiderstrui, since 2019. He travels with the peloton from the Tour de France to the AlUla Tour and from the World Championships in Rwanda or Canada to the Zilvermeercross in Mol. In his spare time he enjoys playing football, mountain biking, running, walking with his Labrador/Stabyhoun, investing, holidays, (specialty) beers, reading, cooking and watching sports & documentaries!
Contact: [email protected]
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Latest Comments
- - Gran artículo, pero una duda: ¿por qué solo dos horas de reconocimiento? Eso suena muy corto para un Mundial. Merci!velodromevirtuoso119-09-2026
- - Wait, Rwanda 2025—did he really win last year by over a minute on Jay Vine? I thought the huge margin was two seasons ago. Feels like the article’s mixing editions?jennifer1919-09-2026
- - Fifth in Montréal after the Québec win isn’t a red flag. That parcours is punchier and the cadence demands are different. TT legs should be fine by Sunday. Allez Remco!davidm19-09-2026
- - Ganna’s “2–3 km” power is insane, but this is 39k. Over/under pacing will decide it. If Remco negative splits like Québec, he’s favourite. If it’s blustery, Ganna’s mass might help. Flip a coin.sprocketspiny19-09-2026
- - Remco’s right to be annoyed. Two hours for line choice, wind mapping, road surface, manhole locations, roundabouts, and turnaround pacing is tight. He’s meticulous—racetrack sessions, CdA dialing, the whole lot. Marginal gains win rainbow bands.andrewf19-09-2026
- - How does course reconnaissance actually help in a time trial if it’s mostly flat and straight? Is it just corner lines and wind spots, or are there other things they look for?bikebuffj19-09-2026
- - Minor correction: the Worlds TT is usually on a weekday, not Sunday the 20th? Is that a typo from the organiser or the article? Either way, Montréal flats + long straights scream Ganna vs Evenepoel. Can’t wait.gearguru3319-09-2026
- - Love the confidence from Remco, but two hours recon on a2km TT is a joke. Course knowledge matters at 55 kph. Still, if anyone maximises aero and pacing, it’s him.breakawaybikerd19-09-2026
- - Qué pena por Carapaz, pero la salud primero. Volverá más fuerte. Grande campeón!robert6519-09-2026
- - Slightly harsh take: announcing via “his own channels” isn’t unique to South America, it’s just modern pro sport. That line felt a bit stereotyped, to be honest.davidm19-09-2026
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