The five best women's time trial in World Championships history - Chloe Dygert's power to Annemiek van Vleuten's versatility
CyclingSunday, 20 September 2026 at 11:00
The time trial World Championships will once again bring together this Sunday in Montreal the best specialists on the planet, in an event that will add a new name to the long list of world time trial champions. Since 1994, when Karen Kurreck opened the roll of honor in Catania, the race has been the domain of some of the most dominant riders of each generation.
Over more than three decades, the discipline has changed considerably. The early editions were marked by riders able to combine raw power with great endurance, while the evolution of the bike, aerodynamics, and specific preparation over the years reshaped the event.
The honors list highlights two names above the rest: Jeannie Longo and Ellen van Dijk, both with three world titles. Behind them sits a broad group of double champions, including Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel, Judith Arndt, Kristin Armstrong, Annemiek van Vleuten, and Chloé Dygert.
Together they represent different eras and distinct approaches to the time trial. From Longo’s extraordinary longevity to Dygert’s explosiveness, via Van Dijk’s power, Arndt’s consistency, and Van Vleuten’s dominance, these are five great specialists who have shaped the history of the Worlds.
Jeannie Longo: the pioneer who ruled across three generations
Jeannie Longo is one of the great figures in the history of women’s cycling and the first major ruler of the world time trial. The French rider claimed three titles, in Tunja 1995, Lugano 1996, and San Sebastián 1997, stringing together three consecutive wins. Her reign followed Karen Kurreck’s inaugural title in 1994.
Longo was an exceptionally complete rider, able to compete at the highest level for many years and adapt to different courses and generations of rivals. Her ability to sustain prolonged efforts against the clock combined with tremendous endurance and experience, which became one of her key competitive advantages.
Her three titles came against top-tier rivals. In 1995 she beat Clara Hughes and Kathryn Watt; in 1996 she defeated Catherine Marsal and Alessandra Cappellotto; and in 1997 she prevailed over Zulfiya Zabirova and Judith Arndt. In addition, her podiums in Plouay 2000 and Lisbon 2001 underline the extraordinary longevity of a rider capable of competing across completely different generations.
Ellen van Dijk at the 2024 Europeans
Ellen van Dijk: power and precision for three rainbows
Ellen van Dijk embodies the evolution of the modern specialist. The Dutch rider won three world titles, in Florence 2013, Flanders 2021, and Wollongong 2022, becoming one of the discipline’s dominant forces across two different eras.
Her profile was defined by immense power and an exceptional ability to hold very high speeds over long efforts. Van Dijk became a pure specialist without turning her back on other disciplines, and her dominance was closely tied to extracting the maximum from aero positions and sustaining a steady pace.
In 2013 she beat Linda Villumsen and Carmen Small; eight years later she topped Marlen Reusser and Annemiek van Vleuten in Flanders. In 2022 she again prevailed over Grace Brown and Reusser. Her rivals capture much of the contemporary time trial elite: riders who can fight for Grand Tours, pure specialists, and cyclists with outstanding ability against the clock.
Annemiek van Vleuten: the specialist who also mastered Grand Tours
Annemiek van Vleuten took two world titles, both consecutively, in Bergen 2017 and Innsbruck 2018. Her place in this group is explained not only by those two golds, but also by how she made the time trial one of the key weapons of an extraordinary career.
The Dutch rider had a different profile from pure specialists. She was a climber and Grand Tour contender capable of delivering exceptional time trials, especially when the course included elevation. That blend allowed her to win in Bergen and repeat a year later in Innsbruck, proving she could triumph on relatively demanding routes as well as on layouts with significant climbing.
In 2017 she beat Anna van der Breggen and Katrin Garfoot, while in 2018 she again finished ahead of Van der Breggen and Ellen van Dijk. Her titles, therefore, came against two of her generation’s great specialists. Van Vleuten also added third place in Flanders 2021, confirming her remarkable consistency in the event.
Chloé Dygert, a world-class time trial specialist
Chloé Dygert: the arrival of overwhelming power
Chloé Dygert delivered one of the most striking breakthroughs in recent time-trial history. The American won the Yorkshire 2019 Worlds with a dominant display and reclaimed the crown four years later in Stirling 2023. Between those titles she also took third in Zürich 2024.
Dygert embodies the most explosive version of the modern specialist. Her huge ability to produce power and sustain very high speeds made her a benchmark from a young age. Her first world title came with a particularly dominant ride in Yorkshire, while the second confirmed she remained among the world elite several years later.
In 2019 she prevailed as Remco Evenepoel and Filippo Ganna shared the men’s podium, while in the women’s race Dygert’s main rivals were Anna van der Breggen and Annemiek van Vleuten. In 2023 she returned to the top step, this time ahead of Grace Brown and Christina Schweinberger. The American also placed third in Zürich 2024, behind Grace Brown and Demi Vollering.
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Judith Arndt: consistency and German dominance
Judith Arndt was another standout specialist in an era defined by fierce competition in women’s time trials. The German claimed back-to-back world titles in Copenhagen 2011 and Valkenburg 2012, and she was also second in 2003 and 2004 before reaching the summit of the discipline.
Arndt was a complete rider, resilient and extremely solid against the clock. Her ability to hold a high pace over long distances made her a reference point for years. She was not only a specialist: her versatility allowed her to target major road objectives, but the time trial was one of the disciplines in which she earned her greatest international recognition.
In 2011 she defeated Linda Villumsen and Emma Pooley, while a year later she again took gold ahead of Evelyn Stevens and Villumsen. Her Worlds record also includes a runner-up finish in 2003, behind Joane Somarriba, and another in 2004, behind Karin Thürig. That continuity across different generations of specialists explains her place among the great time trialists in history.
| Year | Host | Champion | 2nd | 3rd |
| 1994 | Catania, Italy | Karen Kurreck | Anne Samplonius | Jeannie Longo |
| 1995 | Tunja, Colombia | Jeannie Longo | Clara Hughes | Kathryn Watt |
| 1996 | Lugano, Switzerland | Jeannie Longo | Catherine Marsal | Alessandra Cappellotto |
| 1997 | San Sebastián, Spain | Jeannie Longo | Zulfiya Zabirova | Judith Arndt |
| 1998 | Valkenburg, Netherlands | Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel | Zulfiya Zabirova | Hanka Kupfernagel |
| 1999 | Treviso, Italy | Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel | Anna Wilson | Edita Pučinskaitė |
| 2000 | Plouay, France | Mari Holden | Jeannie Longo | Rasa Polikevičiūtė |
| 2001 | Lisbon, Portugal | Jeannie Longo | Nicole Brändli | Teodora Ruano Sanchón |
| 2002 | Zolder, Belgium | Zulfiya Zabirova | Nicole Brändli | Karin Thürig |
| 2003 | Hamilton, Canada | Joane Somarriba | Judith Arndt | Zulfiya Zabirova |
| 2004 | Verona, Italy | Karin Thürig | Judith Arndt | Zulfiya Zabirova |
| 2005 | Madrid, Spain | Karin Thürig | Joane Somarriba | Kristin Armstrong |
| 2006 | Salzburg, Austria | Kristin Armstrong | Karin Thürig | Christine Thorburn |
| 2007 | Stuttgart, Germany | Hanka Kupfernagel | Kristin Armstrong | Christiane Soeder |
| 2008 | Varese, Italy | Amber Neben | Christiane Soeder | Judith Arndt |
| 2009 | Mendrisio, Switzerland | Kristin Armstrong | Noemi Cantele | Linda Villumsen |
| 2010 | Melbourne, Australia | Emma Pooley | Judith Arndt | Linda Villumsen |
| 2011 | Copenhagen, Denmark | Judith Arndt | Linda Villumsen | Emma Pooley |
| 2012 | Valkenburg, Netherlands | Judith Arndt | Evelyn Stevens | Linda Villumsen |
| 2013 | Florence, Italy | Ellen van Dijk | Linda Villumsen | Carmen Small |
| 2014 | Ponferrada, Spain | Lisa Brennauer | Hanna Solovei | Evelyn Stevens |
| 2015 | Richmond, United States | Linda Villumsen | Anna van der Breggen | Lisa Brennauer |
| 2016 | Doha, Qatar | Amber Neben | Ellen van Dijk | Katrin Garfoot |
| 2017 | Bergen, Norway | Annemiek van Vleuten | Anna van der Breggen | Katrin Garfoot |
| 2018 | Innsbruck, Austria | Annemiek van Vleuten | Anna van der Breggen | Ellen van Dijk |
| 2019 | Yorkshire, United Kingdom | Chloé Dygert | Anna van der Breggen | Annemiek van Vleuten |
| 2020 | Imola, Italy | Anna van der Breggen | Marlen Reusser | Ellen van Dijk |
| 2021 | Flanders, Belgium | Ellen van Dijk | Marlen Reusser | Annemiek van Vleuten |
| 2022 | Wollongong, Australia | Ellen van Dijk | Grace Brown | Marlen Reusser |
| 2023 | Stirling, United Kingdom | Chloé Dygert | Grace Brown | Christina Schweinberger |
| 2024 | Zürich, Switzerland | Grace Brown | Demi Vollering | Chloé Dygert |
| 2025 | Kigali, Rwanda | Marlen Reusser | Anna van der Breggen | Demi Vollering |
Javier RampeCycling Journalist
Javier Rampe is a sports analyst with more than 15 years of experience. He holds a degree in Economics from the University of Rome and a Diploma in Business Studies from the University of Cádiz. Despite coming from an academic background not particularly associated with cycling, his passion for both cycling and journalism was instilled in him from an early age. He grew up following Miguel Indurain and José María “El Chava” Jiménez. An admirer of Michael Robinson’s communication style and journalistic approach, he was inspired to pursue a degree in Journalism at the University of Buenos Aires, which he is currently completing.
He has always maintained close ties with the worlds of sport and culture, contributing from a young age to sports blogs and film and music review websites. His work has appeared in media outlets such as Cope, RAI, and Radio Con Vos. He is also the founder of the cycling-focused podcast El Contraanálisis and the football interview channel Días De Fútbol, dedicated to conversations with professional footballers.
In addition to his work at Ciclismoaldia, Javier has interviewed some of the most influential figures in modern cycling, including Alejandro Valverde and Tadej Pogačar, as well as key voices in anti-doping policy such as Alberto Yelmo, David Varillas, and Marcelo Milano. Marcos Maynar, in relation to the ‘Operación Ílex’ case, is also among the personalities he has interviewed. He enjoys conducting in-depth analysis of the cycling ecosystem and has attended major events such as Strade Bianche, the Vuelta a Andalucía, and Itzulia, as well as numerous national cyclo-cross races.
His background in economics, combined with extensive experience in marketing and corporate communications, drives his continuous study of positioning strategies and ensures that he always keeps his focus on crafting compelling and evocative headlines.
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- Who's Mou???PogiSloFans20-09-2026
- Does this guy whine about everything ? He must be running out of tissues!frieders320-09-2026
- This is an informative article, but some of the sentences are very hard to read in English. The following is an example: "Although only one month remains to the season, some meaningful moves are still yet to be made in the market. Some are a matter of time to be made public, but new potential transfers have been rumoured over the past week. Daniel Benson, Ciro Scognamiglio, Wielerflits, Het Laatste Nieuws and Het Nieuwsblad often contribute towards a hub of market activity that creates a clear picture. The previous has reported on three potential signings for the American Modern Adventure Pro Cycling team: Australian national champion Pattrick Eddy; Josh Burnett and Owen Cole." Just get a native speaker or, if that is too expensive, an AI to translate/correct them for you.SuperConfexYokoOno20-09-2026
- I should have guess Mr shoot his mouth off and no research would comment without knowing. Yes on any given year there are 75-100 countries that participate in the world championships. Which is why I said 80. So they’re really good when comparing to all 80. Not as impressive on this list. If you don’t understand how percentages work, and don’t want to do the research, LMK. I’ll explain it for you.mij19-09-2026
- Why should you check about who someone actually is before making comments based on their looks alone? Really??? That’s your excuse? So do you also look at pictures of Black people and make assumptions on looks alone? Who are you to say it is easy money to have one’s picture taken? How many photo shoots have you done? Note to you I’ve been in them. Not for me. But it is grueling for everyone. And of course you have nothing to say about the many other positive attributes of her. You judge on looks alone and use your morals to castigate her. You’re pathetic.mij19-09-2026
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- Oh dear... we all knew what would happen when Mou got news of it... 3 days later
Rafionain-Glas19-09-2026 - 0:02.5 is 2.5 seconds, not 0.02Rafionain-Glas19-09-2026
- 80 huh? I don’t know how many are in the all- time list and I don’t even know what this list actually represents because it doesn’t correspond to well-labelled ones that include a description of what is or is not included (which would be a more interesting discussion than this one) but I can tell you on the modern list of SENIOR (ie no U23 or other categories) road racing champs there are already 38 different current countries (I specify specifically because if you start considering East/West Germany, Soviet Union, Che/Slo, Balkanisation, etc. things get messy).Mistermaumau19-09-2026
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