ANTONIA CLAIMS 6TH IN ELITE TIME TRIAL AT WORLDS

Antonia Niedermaier delivered a solid performance to claim sixth place in the Elite Women’s Time Trial on the opening day of the UCI Road World Championships in Kigali, Rwanda.

It wasn’t quite the head-turning fourth place that she delivered last year in Zurich, nor did it match the two rainbow jerseys she’d previously won in the Under 23 Time Trial ranks. But still, it was an impressive result, particularly considering she chose to target the elite category rather than use up her final year of U23 eligibility.

Antonia missed the top five, arguably a more satisfying achievement, by just five seconds, while the podium was 25 seconds out of reach. The World Champion title was secured in commanding, classy style by Marlen Reusser (SUI).

After an intense morning in Rwanda, here’s what the young yet highly decorated Antonia had to say about her ride, the result, and the course.

“I think I can be happy with my race, but actually I’m not really satisfied. I feel like I did not have a really good day today. I was having bike issues, and I also lost my Hammerhead. It was just a weird day and for the first half, I was thinking, ‘oh no, this is not my day.’

Also, the course – it was nice with a lot of climbing, but the descents were not perfect for me. Actually, racing the course was a lot harder than I’d experienced in recon, but it was still over quite fast. It was surprisingly quite hot today, so maybe that was also a point.

I wouldn’t say that it was the toughest time trial I’ve ever done, but it was a really special one. Mentally, for sure, it was really hard, with all the big, straight roads. I think it was not my dream course, but yeah, in the end, it is what it is. There are more races to come here in Kigali, so let’s see what we can do in those.”

The tough 31 kilometre time trial  wound across the city’s hills, ridges, and valleys, mostly on wide main roads, accumulating 456 metres of elevation. Much of this came on two deceptively steady 5% climbing stretches over several kilometres, where big time gaps could be gained or lost. The course reached a brutal crescendo in the last 2.4km on the Côte de Kimihurura, where gradients spiked to 11%. A rough cobbled surface also added resistance under the wheels until the final kilometre, and ensured that riders emptied every last bit of gas from their tanks – and then some.

Despite her own critical self-reflection, Antonia posted a commendable 44:38 minutes, averaging 41.9kph – a speed noticeably slower than last year, likely reflecting the intensity of the Rwandan course.

CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto had five riders on the start ramp: Soraya Paladin, Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney, Diane Ingabire, Antonia, and penultimate starter Chloé Dygert. Chloé crossed the line in 9th with a 45:34 mins, disappointingly falling short of the result she likely envisioned as a former two-time elite TT world champion. Kasia was next best in 14th.

The action for the team continues tomorrow, when two strong U23 contenders  take part in the inaugural U23-only time trial – German U23 National Champion Justyna Czapla and British Elite National Champion Zoe Bäckstedt. Zoe looks to convert her red-hot form, with four consecutive time trial wins since June, into world-championship-level success – an achievement she would be no stranger to.

HOW TO FOLLOW

U23 Women Time Trial | Monday, Sept 22  | 22.6km | 331m elevation | Start 10:35 CET – finish 12:45 CET.

Mixed Team Time Trial | Wednesday, Sept 24  | 42.4km | 695m elevation | Start 12:30 CET – finish 17:00 CET.

U23 Women Road Race | Thursday, Sept 25  | 119.3km | 2277m elevation | Start 13:05 CET – fastest finish 16:30 CET.

Elite Women Road Race | Saturday, Sept 27  | 164.6km | 3131m elevation | Start 12:05 CET – fastest finish 16:45 CET.

Live coverage of most events will be available on Eurosport, TNT Sport, Discovery+, FloBikes, the UCI YouTube channel, and many regional broadcasters. Stay updated on X with #Kigali2025, and follow CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto’s social channels for all the latest team news.