The first event of the World Championships delivered spectacle, as the women's Elite Time-Trial saw the best riders against the clock going head-to-head, and defending champion Ellen van Dijk rode to her second consecutive win in the discipline.
The 34 kilometers against the clock favoured surprises, with the wind present, some uphill sections throughout the course and a wide list of favourites. With the two main favourites for the day however starting as the final two, it gave the opportunity for the hot seat to be occupied by outsiders.
Home team's Grace Brown rode a fantastic time ahead of most of the rivals from the first waves. Whilst the likes of Annemiek van Vleuten and Lotte Kopecky struggled, the Autralian's time was strong and held the charge of many of the favourites.
She held it all the way into the very end, as Marlen Reusser could not beat the time of Brown. It came down to a dramatic finale with Ellen van Dijk - the defending champion - being the final rider to cross the finish, but the Dutch rider set her mark dominantly, crossing the line with the fastest time. Van Dijk was 13 seconds faster than Brown and 42 faster than Reusser who have completed the podium.
ELLEN VAN DIJK CONSERVE SA COURONNE ! En ouverture de ces championnats du monde, la Néerlandaise s'impose sur le contre-la-montre élite femmes en devançant de 12 secondes l'Australienne Grace Brown et de 41 secondes la Suissesse Marlen Reusser. #Wollongong2022
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