2025 WC: Thread for all the women's races + Mixed Relay

[Danskebjerge]

I will repeat again that WT riders should be ineligible for the under 23 world championships.

The latter should cease to exist. Doesn't make sense anymore to have grown up men competing in a separate category. Same with the white jerseys. Stop this nonsense. A veteran's jersey would be more appropriate.

 

[Danskebjerge]

Two Swedish wins in one day. Not often we see that! 😉

 

[Samu Cuenca]

She does the same in cyclocross, so I think it's her decision and not British Cycling. And in this case there's even something to be said for it, as she didn't have any U23 world titles on the road yet.

I think she couldn't have challenged for the elite title, btw. In cross she's also sometimes faster on the same course as the elites... but then when she races the elites she can't beat them, 99% of the time. Different conditions, shorter distance.

Being able to receive intel from the races yesterday may also have helped her.

Not only hadn't she won a U23 Worlds title before, she hasn't raced the road WC since she was a junior. It's already decided that WWT riders can't race in the U23 races next year, so this was her only remaining chance.

 

[theyoungest]

It's already decided that WWT riders can't race in the U23 races next year, so this was her only remaining chance.

What an odd decision... women's cycling doesn't really have a proper U23 category, so the best juniors turn pro straightaway. If you exclude them from the Worlds you get a really meaningless competition. It would be better to lower the age limit from U23 to U21.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

What an odd decision... women's cycling doesn't really have a proper U23 category, so the best juniors turn pro straightaway. If you exclude them from the Worlds you get a really meaningless competition. It would be better to lower the age limit from U23 to U21.

I do hope they will at least delay those rules for another year. You can't draw too many conclusions from this year's U23 races when multiple countries aren't fielding riders for budgetary reasons.

 

[yaco]

Why, that just devalue's the race. Lower the age limit or whatever , but must be open to all.
Restricting the eligibility whould make it second class and mean nothing.

As previously suggested make it under 21 but no WT riders. There is a reason why development teams started to bridge the gap between junior and elites.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Today it's the juniors turn. Their route avoids Côte de Nyanza all together and instead they'll be making their U-turn just before the 10 km mark.

I think/hope it will be a closer race for the gold medal than we saw yesterday. The British, Spanish, French, Dutch and American riders plus Swierenga, Okrucinska, Kiros and Gissinger look the most likely to fight for the medals. You never know what you gonna get from the Australians, as well as the Russians, who haven't raced in the Nations Cup, and perhaps the two Asian championship medalists Ismailova and Yelkina can surprise as well.

After seeing what Aalerud and Leknessund achieved on day one, I will be putting my CN bucks on Oda Aune Gissinger becoming the next World champion.

Start list: https://ucikigali2025.rw/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TT_WJ_Start-List.pdf

 

[Wyndbrook]

As previously suggested make it under 21 but no WT riders. There is a reason why development teams started to bridge the gap between junior and elites.

I still struggle to understand why not world tour riders.
Its just totally devalued, may as well call it the the second division worlds race.
Will be just as bad as being a triathlon age group world champion, means nothing.
Worlds should be a worlds, ability only as selection criteria.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I still struggle to understand why not world tour riders.
Its just totally devalued, may as well call it the the second division worlds race.
Will be just as bad as being a triathlon age group world champion, means nothing.
Worlds should be a worlds, ability only as selection criteria.

However you may also risk devaluing the elite races if too many established riders opt for the U23 races instead.

Marlen R. has taken the lead once again.

 

[theyoungest]

Megan Arens wins the junior TT. She completely destroyed everyone on that final climb, taking at least half a minute on the field there.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Arenswoman lives up to the hype after last year's road race. It's difficult to know how much time Boothman lost by clicking out of the pedal, but it was definitely one of the worst possible places to have a mechanical.

 

[Red Rick]

Arenswoman lives up to the hype after last year's road race. It's difficult to know how much time Boothman lost by clicking out of the pedal, but it was definitely one of the worst possible places to have a mechanical.

Probably cost her a podium, very doubtful it cost her the win.

 

[yaco]

I still struggle to understand why not world tour riders.
Its just totally devalued, may as well call it the the second division worlds race.
Will be just as bad as being a triathlon age group world champion, means nothing.
Worlds should be a worlds, ability only as selection criteria.

Because WT riders have too many advantages with their structured program. It will also encourage more 19 and 20o year olds to use development teams to prepare for their entry to the elites.

 

[yaco]

Arenswoman lives up to the hype after last year's road race. It's difficult to know how much time Boothman lost by clicking out of the pedal, but it was definitely one of the worst possible places to have a mechanical.

Boothman was a false favorite. She does not have the body shape to get up the climbs in the final. she's ridden two races as a stagiare for the Liv Alula jayco Development team and struggled on anything hilly. Her rider comparison is Zoe backstedt but with a much better sprint. I will follow her progress in 2026 with the Liv Alula team.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Probably cost her a podium, very doubtful it cost her the win.

The GPS, although I don't trust it all that much, did say Arens was still leading by a few seconds at the bottom of the climb and she is also the stronger climber of two, but it was still anticlimactic to see the battle already decided at that point. Let's hope Boothman can follow it up with a great road race.

 

[Wyndbrook]

Because WT riders have too many advantages with their structured program. It will also encourage more 19 and 20o year olds to use development teams to prepare for their entry to the elites.

Second division championships then, not a world championships.
Might as well go back to how was without one.

 

[Wyndbrook]

However you may also risk devaluing the elite races if too many established riders opt for the U23 races instead.

Marlen R. has taken the lead once again.

Is that so bad that riders opt for u23?
Happens all the time in other disiplines without being a problem. Multiple riders doing it only last week in mountainbike champs including Bella Holmgren.

 

[yaco]

Second division championships then, not a world championships.
Might as well go back to how was without one.

My post is looking at wider issues then WT eligibility for the World's. It's also about too many juniors skipping development teams ( they now have a choice ) to jump into the WT, when for many years we have bemoaned the fact that the jump from juniore to elites is too much. Anyway, at least the junior categoties don't have this problem.

 

[RedheadDane]

So... the Danish changes in the Elite RR went from non-existant to... worse.
Uttrup out; stomach issues.

 

[yaco]

So... the Danish changes in the Elite RR went from non-existant to... worse.
Uttrup out; stomach issues.

Hardly a loss. Uttrup's form in 2026 has been shocking.

 

[RedheadDane]

Hardly a loss. Uttrup's form in 2026 has been shocking.

But two is still better than one.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

But two is still better than one.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQhAq5a2xfs


It's probably too late to sign Minke up for the U23 race instead.

 

[Sciatic]

Hardly a loss. Uttrup's form in 2026 has been shocking.

It’s still a loss for anyone who was rooting for her to perform better

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Next up is the mixed relay. 2 laps of the WU23/MJR course will determine the winners of this one (they will be starting from the finishing area and not inside the BK Arena like in the individual time trials). As you would imagine, the start list is even worse than usual, but that doesn't in itself rule out that we could get another close race for at least one of the medals.

Australia, Germany, France, Italy and Switzerland will be fighting for the top spots, with Spain as a dark horse. The Belgian women will probably lose too much time for them to be in with a shot.

Elise Chabbey isn't riding the event this time around which means that no one will now have competed in all editions since the introduction in 2019.

Start list (there could possibly still be made further changes before the start at 13:45 CEST): https://ucikigali2025.rw/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TTM_XE_Start-List.pdf

 

[Libertine Seguros]

So... the Danish changes in the Elite RR went from non-existant to... worse.
Uttrup out; stomach issues.

On the other hand, they have the opportunity to improve the commentary by 1000%.