Time trials are widely thought of as the race of truth – just a rider against time, with the strongest coming out on top. However, there’s a lot more to the discipline than just power numbers: aerodynamics and technical ability also play a huge factor in determining who wins gold at the end of the race. This will be especially true at the 2022 Road World Championships in Wollongong, where the elite men’s and women’s categories face a tricky and technical circuit that will see a well-rounded and skillful rider take victory.
Like in the men’s race, the elite women will take on two laps of a 16.8 kilometre course in Wollongong on the September 18, amounting to a total distance of 34.2 kilometres. It’s a lap which is heavy with corners, and features a small climb up Mount Ousley Road. This isn’t as intense as the steep inclines on Mount Pleasant that the peloton will tackle in the road race, but it could still test the legs if the riders are close to their limit.
All you need to know about the route of the 2022 Road World Championships individual time trial
There are a number of riders who could contest for victory in the elite women’s event, with newly crowned European Time Trial Champion Marlen Reusser (Switzerland) sitting at the top of the pile. There are also plenty who will want to challenge her though, especially those in clad in the bright orange of the Netherlands. They bring a strong team including Tour de France Femmes winner Annemiek van Vleuten – we can expect to see at least one Dutch rider on the podium. Time trials can often throw up surprises, though, and the long travel to Australia could impact some of the key contenders.
With this in mind, here are the top contenders to take the rainbow jersey in the women’s elite individual time trial at the 2022 UCI Road World Championships.
Annemiek van Vleuten
Winner of the inaugural Tour de France Femmes and current Olympic time trial champion, Annemiek van Vleuten, is one of the hot favourites to take victory in Wollongong. When she won in Tokyo, the Dutch rider finished almost one minute ahead of Marlen Reusser in second place with a dominating ride. She’s proved this season that her form is better than ever, winning all three ‘grand tours’: the Giro d’Italia Donne, Tour de France Femmes and the Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta. While none of these included a long time trial similar to the one we will see at the World Championships, this still is a clear…