The course and climate in Kigali ripped the women's elite road race apart, and as the favourites all looked at each other, Magdeleine Vallieres raced away to win a well-deserved first rainbow jersey for Canada.
Vallieres was part of a large group that went on the attack in the last three laps, which was ultimately whittled down to just three leaders as the peloton disintegrated behind them. The Canadian's fellow aggressors Niamh Fisher-Black (New Zealand) and Mavi García (Spain) finished second and third respectively, just reward for their efforts to take the World Championships into their own hands.
[race_result id=9067 stage_id=0 count=10 gc=0 year=2025]
How it happened
- The race started slowly, with a lone leader off the front, Carina Schrempf of Austria. It wasn't until 86 km to go, midway through the sixth lap of the circuit, that more nations tried their luck – Usoa Ostolaza (Spain), Blanka Vas (Hungary), and Julie van de Velde (Belgium).
- Van de Velde caught Schrempf on the sixth ascent of the cobbled climb, and with her injection of pace, the gap remained. Shirin van Anrooij was the next to jump across, adding the Dutch into the mix.
- The three were brought back only for Noemi Rüegg (Switzerland) and Mireia Benito (Spain) to make a counterattack. With the two out front and three laps to go, the peloton started to splinter in earnest.
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