2021 UCI Road World Championships: 5 riders to watch in elite women's time trial

Netherlands' Annemiek Van Vleuten celebrates after winning the women's cycling road individual time trial during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
Netherlands' Annemiek Van Vleuten celebrates after winning the women's cycling road individual time trial during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (Image credit: Getty Images)

There will be no defending champion participating in the elite women's time trial at the UCI Road World Championships held on September 20 in Belgium. Anna van der Breggen has chosen not to compete which leaves the chances of securing the rainbow jersey wide open for the other specialists in the race against the clock.

The elite women will race 30.3km and an elevation gain of 54 metres with a start at Knokke-Heist, upon the North Sea coast by the Dutch border, and a finish in the centre of the historic city of Bruges.

Kirsten Frattini
Deputy Editor

Kirsten Frattini is the Deputy Editor of Cyclingnews, overseeing the global racing content plan.

Kirsten has a background in Kinesiology and Health Science. She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's biggest races, reporting on the WorldTour, Spring Classics, Tours de France, World Championships and Olympic Games.

She began her sports journalism career with Cyclingnews as a North American Correspondent in 2006. In 2018, Kirsten became Women's Editor – overseeing the content strategy, race coverage and growth of women's professional cycling – before becoming Deputy Editor in 2023.