Women’s World Championship Individual Time Trial: Who will claim the first rainbow jersey in Montreal?

The 2026 Road Cycling World Championships in Montreal will kick off with the individual time trials for the elite categories. Even before the sprinters, puncheurs and classics specialists battle it out for the other rainbow jerseys, the first medals of the championships will be decided in the individual time trials. The time trial is traditionally regarded as one of the fairest competitions in cycling: with no slipstreaming, team tactics or race dynamics to influence the outcome, individual performance alone determines victory or defeat. The rainbow jersey, which is awarded to the world’s best specialist in this discipline, is accordingly highly prestigious.

The starting line-up promises to be particularly exciting this year. Whilst some of the established time trial stars are once again battling it out for gold, more and more riders are breaking into the world’s elite in this discipline. Added to this is the fact that the World Championships are once again taking place late in the calendar, and many riders are arriving in varying states of form after a long season. This makes predictions difficult and opens up additional opportunities for the underdogs.

The route of the individual time trial

The organisers have chosen a course for the individual time trial in Montreal that, whilst favouring the specialists, is not exclusively tailored to riders who rely purely on raw power. The route runs along wide roads and features numerous sections where maintaining a consistent aero position will be crucial. Long straights allow for high average speeds and reward riders who can pace themselves precisely.

At the same time, several technical sections prevent the race from becoming a mere battle of watts. Anyone hoping to compete for medals needs not only power but also riding skill and the ability to maintain their rhythm despite the changing nature of the course. The finale is then a real test. The final three kilometres are all uphill, with the last kilometre being the steepest. The three points for split times at kilometres 10.7, 21.9 and 29.8 therefore only indicate a general direction, but anything can happen on the final climb.

​The race covers 39.2 kilometres through Montreal and features a total elevation gain of 220 metres. It starts at 9.00 am on Avenue du Parc, with the finish line at Parc Jeanne-Mance. This year, both women and men will be racing on the same course. After several years of having routes of different lengths, the organisers are returning to the format that was already in place in Australia at the 2022 World Championships.

​The Tour favourites, ranked by stars

***** Marlen Reusser

**** Demi Vollering

*** Zoe Bäckstedt, Antonia Niedermaier, Lieke Nooijen

** Elisa Longo Borghini, Cédrine Kerbaol, Paula Blasi

* Juliette Berthet, Katrine Aalerud, Franziska Koch, Lotte Kopecky, Kristen Faulkner, Lauretta Hanson, Taylor Knibb

* The more stars a rider receives, the better her chances are considered to be. At the time of publication, the start list has not yet been finalised.

The favourites for the individual time trial

​On paper, the path to the world championship title hinges primarily on two riders. Defending champion Marlen Reusser She heads to Montreal once again as the clear favourite. The Swiss rider has once again impressively demonstrated this season why she is regarded as the benchmark in time trials. Hardly any other rider combines aerodynamics, pacing and raw power as consistently as the reigning world champion. When Reusser performs to her usual standard, she is in a league of her own.

Demi Vollering is likely to be her biggest challenger. The Dutch rider won both the Giro d’Italia Women and the Tour de France Femmes this year, thereby underlining once again her status as the most complete stage racer in the peloton. At the same time, Vollering is also among the very best in the world when it comes to time trials. However, she will probably need a perfect day to claim gold, as Reusser is regarded as the rider to beat on a course like the one in Montreal.

Young challengers sense their chance

If there is to be a surprise, it is most likely to come from the next tier of favourites. Zoe Bäckstedt’s progress is particularly exciting. The British rider is competing in the elite time trial at a World Championships for the first time, even though she would still be eligible to race in the U23 category for several more years. That alone shows just how high the expectations are for this young rider. This season, Bäckstedt has won almost every individual time trial she has entered, including the national championship. It was only at the Burgos Tour that she suffered a clear defeat. On a good day, she has the potential to be in contention for a medal right from her elite debut.

Antonia Niedermaier falls into the same category. The German has been one of the strongest time-trialists of her generation for years and has time and again demonstrated her ability at the very highest level. At the 2026 Tour de France Femmes, she was unable to fully showcase her time-trialling prowess, which is why there is a slight question mark over her current form. Nevertheless, her potential to secure a place on the podium is undisputed.

Lieke Nooijen rounds off the leading group of challengers. The Dutch rider is a proven specialist for whom the time trial is clearly her strongest discipline. At the same time, she has shown this season that she is in outstanding form overall. In particular, her title at the Dutch Road Championships, secured against strong competition, underlines her current form. If she can deliver a performance at the very highest level, a place on the podium is certainly a realistic prospect.

Experienced athletes with their sights set on medals

Behind the top favourites lurk a number of riders who, whilst not regarded as the frontrunners for gold, would by no means be a complete surprise should they win. Foremost among them is Elisa Longo Borghini. The Italian has been among the world’s best for years, has a wealth of experience and regularly delivers strong performances, particularly at major championships. Anyone in contention for medals almost always has to reckon with Longo Borghini. In the time trial, however, she is not quite as strong as her rivals in the major stage races.

The same applies to Cédrine Kerbaol. The Frenchwoman recently announced that she was changing teams and is likely to be highly motivated as she heads to Canada. A World Championship is the ideal setting in which to make an immediate and impressive impact on her new employer. She undoubtedly has what it takes to achieve a top result.

​Paula Blasi, who is just 22 years old, has made her definitive breakthrough at the very highest level this season and established herself as a strong stage racer. Whilst, on paper, she still lacks significant experience at World Championships, the Spanish rider’s form has been on a steep upward trajectory for months. A place on the podium in the individual time trial would, however, be a minor surprise.

The Underdogs

Behind them is a group of female riders who could spring a surprise. Juliette Berthet is certainly one of them. Although she has not yet been able to fully demonstrate her time-trial prowess this season, having finished seventh at the last World Championships, the Frenchwoman knows exactly how to perform at a major event.

The situation is similar for Katrine Aalerud. The Norwegian finished a creditable fifth at the 2025 World Championships and is considerably stronger in the time trial than her public image sometimes suggests.

From a German perspective, all eyes are also on Franziska Koch. The German has what it takes to finish high up the rankings and, with a bit of luck, could even come close to winning a medal.

The group of outsiders also includes Lotte Kopecky, Kristen Faulkner and Lauretta Hanson. All three have the calibre to achieve a top result on a perfect day, even if the course and the field of competitors mean they are considered dark horses.

​One rider stands out in particular from the field. Taylor Knibb is competing for the USA, but she is not actually a professional cyclist. Rather, the American is one of the world’s best triathletes and has enjoyed her greatest successes in middle- and long-distance events. This is precisely why it is difficult to gauge her potential in comparison with the specialists. However, two national championship titles and a 19th-place finish at the Olympic Games in Paris show that she is by no means without a chance.