"It’s either full gas or the race is over" - Marlen Reusser critical of rivals at World Championships
CyclingSaturday, 26 September 2026 at 21:27
Marlen Reusser finished fourth at the Montréal World Championships but was disappointed with the outcome of the race. The Swiss rider had the legs, but couldn't enter the medals in the final kilometers of the race.
The Movistar rider has put in several strong performances this year that propelled her into a position of favouritism into this Saturday's race, but depended on a move inbetween climbs to succeed.
She lamented her error at a feeding station as a decisive moment in her race. “Unfortunately, I missed that crucial moment. I had run out of energy gels by then because I’d missed my feed," Reusser admitted in a post-race interview.
“It was stupid, but I thought: let’s still go for the win". Reusser was dropped by Demi Vollering and several others when she first attacked, and was then chasing. She caught up with the group of Elisa Longo Borghini and Katarzyna Niewiadoma.
Despite having been previously dropped, she was the one doing the lion's share of the work in the eight-rider group. She wasn't comprehensive of her rivals' behaviour at that time of the race.
"I felt there were still plenty of teammates around the other leaders, yet I noticed everyone else was riding for second place. When someone like Demi breaks away, you can’t just sit back or ride half-heartedly. It’s either full gas or the race is over," she argued.
Marlen Reusser was disappointed in her post-race interview
Reusser criticizes Niewiadoma, Longo Borghini et al.
The Swiss riders' work was key in controlling the gap to Vollering, whilst afterwards Niewiadoma, Longo Borghini and Juliette Berthet managed to close the gap down to the front rider.
"Most riders refused to do that. In my view, only Puck Pieterse had a valid excuse, being Demi’s teammate. It was my choice to try, but I felt I was riding solely for the win. If I didn’t, nothing would happen and Demi would win easily".
Read also
Reusser regrets timing of attack
Fourth at the finish line, just barely missing out on catching Elisa Longo Borghini, Reusser was disappointed and emotional at the finish line. She believes she should've attacked earlier in the race, seeing the reaction of the group to Vollering's attack.
“Next time, it would be better if I just went with the move immediately instead of having to chase. I did keep fighting right to the end, though".
"Chasing Demi and Elisa Longo Borghini, I threw everything into that final descent, hoping they’d spend a lot of time watching each other," she concluded. "That didn’t happen, so fourth was the best I could manage.”
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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Rafionain-Glas26-09-2026 - As good a season as Tadej’s best.Mistermaumau26-09-2026
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