2024 World Cycling Championships: Ferguson crowned double world champion in the Zurich rain
Sebastian Lindner
· 26.09.2024
The last one and a half of the 74 kilometres of the junior women's road race at the World Championships in Zurich had a track character. Great Britain's Cat Ferguson, Paula Ostiz from Spain and Viktoria Chladonova (Slovakia) tried their hand at standing. The trio, who were already among the medal contenders in advance, could afford to do so, as they had built up a lead of up to one and a half minutes in the undulating part of the course. None of them lost their nerve, even when Megan Arens from the Netherlands shot up from behind. Ultimately, Ostiz opened up the sprint with just under 200 metres to go. But she was unable to hold off the overpowering Ferguson for the gold medal. She was left with silver, while Chladonova took bronze.
It was the second gold medal of the World Championships for Ferguson, after she had already won the time trial. Ahead of Chladonova. Ostiz had secured the title at the European Championships two weeks earlier. All three - Ferguson is 18, the other two are still in the younger junior age group - already have their contracts in the WorldTour. Chladonova will ride for Visma | Lease a Bike next year, the other two for Movistar, where they have been travelling as stagiaires since August.
German team on the offensive again, but unlucky
The title - and the double - for Ferguson comes as no surprise. The young woman, who comes from near Leeds, has finished on the podium in every race she has entered this season. The only exception was seventh place in the Women's Cycling Grand Prix in the elite class. In her age group, however, she barely missed a beat.
The German juniors started the day in the rain as they had already tried to do at the European Championships: offensively. They immediately took the lead in the first ten kilometres and sorted out the field in order to somehow get sprinter Messane Bräutigam, who had taken silver at the European Championships, to the finish line with - or preferably ahead of - the favourites. Bräutigam then went on the attack herself, but was brought back again.
The other nations then also joined the attack. Joelle Messemer made it into the initial eight-strong leading group, but crashed there and lost the connection. This put an end to Germany's medal hopes. Caoilinn Littbarsky-Gray was ultimately the best German in 18th place.
World Cycling Championships 2024 - Results: the top 10 of the junior road race
- Cat Ferguson (Great Britain) 1:54:48
- Paula Ostiz (Spain) +0:0
- Viktoria Chladonova (Slovakia) +0:00
- Megan Arens (Netherlands) +0:09
- Celia Gery (France) +0:53
- Imogen Wolff (Great Britain) +1:26
- Kamilla Aasebö (Norway) +1:26
- Amandine Muller (France) +1:26
- Lara Liehner (Switzerland) +1:26
- Lucy Benezet Minns (Ireland) +1:26
