As it happened: World Championships - Chloe Dygert takes second Elite Women Individual Time Trial, Reusser abandons

Hello and welcome to the Cyclingnews live coverage of the World Championships elite women's time trial. 

Racing gets underway at 1355 local time, just under half an hour from now, on a 36.2 kilometre course with a flat first two thirds and a much tougher second part, culminating in a difficult ascent to the finish past Stirling Castle.

The 86 riders will all leave at 75 second intervals. First off is Arefa Amini of Afghanistan.

One pre-race standout fact is that the World Time Trial Champion for 2022, 2021 and 2013 Ellen van Dijk, as well as the 2020 Champion Anna van der Breggen and 2018 and 2017 Champion Annemiek van Vleuten, all from Holland are all missing from the startlist this year. Cue one power vacuum to be filled, perhaps, although 2019 Champion Chloe Dygert and 2016/2008 Champion Amber Neben are both racing for the US here in Stirling.

You can find a full startlist and start-times in the link below: World Championships Women's Elite Time Trial 2023 start times and startlist

And under cloudy skies, Arefa Amini of Afghanistan heads down the start ramp and away. The Road World Championships Elite Women's Individual Time Trial has officially begun.

Here are the distances for the three intermediate checkpoints. The first two provide indications of how the riders are handling the opening, flatter section, the third is the key indication of how they're handling the hillier final section. Start: km 0

Checkpoint 1: km 12.6

Checkpoint 2:km 23.1

Checkpoint 3: km 31.8

Finish: km 36.2

One key ame ntoday is Tour de France Femmes winner Demi Vollering. You can read her pre-Worlds TT thoughts and analysis here in this article by Cyclingnews colleague Laura Weislo. Vollering hoping third time's a charm against Reusser in Worlds time trial

TV images show Chloe Dygert 2019 World TT Champion and current US National TT champion (for a second time) is waiting to start in about ten minutes' time. She'll be the first big favourite to head onto the course this afternoon.

Earlier today in Scotland there was the Road World Championships Junior Women's Individual TT. A link to our full report here: World Championships: Felicity Wilson-Haffenden wins junior women’s time trial 

And here's an image of Spain's Sara Martin out on the course today. 

Three times Slovenian Individual TT Champ Eugenia Bujak is currently clocking the best time at the opening checkpoint after 12.9 kilometres: 15:22.

And Chloe Dygert has just smashed that best time of Bujak's at Checkpoint 1, with the former World Champion clocking a time of 14:27.

Bujak continues to hold the top spot at Checkpoint 2 (km 23.1) by nearly a minute over Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Denmark) but it remains to be seen what Dygert can do after her stunning provisional best at Checkpoint 1.

And just like that, Dygert clocks a stunning provisional best at Checkpoint 2, 1:35 up on Bujak.

After that excellent Checkpoint 2 time Dygert is getting even more of a morale boost as she powers past on Olga Zabelinskaya (Uzbekistan), who started 2:30 ahead.

Lotta Henttala of Finland briefly loses control of her bike and all but falls on the cobbled rise into Stirling. She's managed to regain control but it's clearly a very difficult finale to handle after the previous 35 kilometres.

Henttala crosses the line to clock the first time of 53:23.

Eugenia Bujak (Slovenia) stops the clock almost four minutes ahead of Henttala, with a time of 49:28.

Dygert continues to impress enormously on this course: she's 2:18 up on Bujak at checkpoint 3. Barring a complete disaster, a new provisional best is all but certain at the finish in a few minutes' time.

Dygert thunders up the 700 metre climb towards the finish, the first part smooth, the second segment cobbled. Already an Individual Pursuit gold medallist, this performance could set her up for a top result on the road.

Dygert sets a hugely impressive time of 46:59, a massive 2:29 up on previous best Bujak. 

And here's a shot of Dygert en route to the top of the leader board today.

2021 British TT Champion Anna Henderson rolls down the start ramp. Just 25 starters of the 86 left now.

One of the top favourites today that could yet topple Dygert's time is Switzerland's Marlen Reusser, winner of the Tour de France Femmes final time trial in Pau. You can read her pre-TT thoughts in this article here by CN colleague Laura Weislo. Marlen Reusser aiming to bring rainbow bands to SD Worx in Worlds time trial

Tour de France Femmes winner Demi Vollering rolls down the start ramp. She's got former World TT Champion and Dutch compatriot Anna van der Breggen directing from the team car. Could this be another chance to rack up another major success in what's already been a dream year?

Dygert remains secure in the hot seat for now, as rider after rider crosses the line nowhere near her time. But Britain's Anna Henderson's time 25 seconds slower at checkpoint 1 (km 12.6) and currently second best behind the American is a reminder that there are a lot of big names still to cross that uphill finish line in Stirling.

Another top name, Vittoria Guazzini (Italy) rolls down the start ramp. She was fourth in Australia's TT last year.

Reports coming through via colleague Laura Weislo that Dygert had been sick with a respiratory infection for a couple days before this TT. Which only makes what Dygert has achieved today even more impressive.

Dygert's compatriot and former double World TT Champion Amber Neben heads down the ramp. Only three more starters to go now.

Top favourite Reusser, bronze medallist last year in his event, and the winner of the Tour de France Femmes TT, powers away.

At the other end of the course, Slovenia's Urska Zigart crosses the line nearly four minutes down on Dygert. The terrain on this time trial is causing some serious damage.

All the riders have now started, with Marlen Reusser's pedalling style looking very smooth and steady in the early kilometres.

Vollering is 42 seconds down on Dygert at the first checkpoint. Yet more indirect confirmation of how good the American's time is.

A reminder of the top three at the finish right now: 1: Chloe DYGERT (USA) - 46:59.80

2: Eugenia BUJAK (Slovenia) at 2:29 3:  Teniel CAMPBELL (Trinidad&Tobago) at 3:12.65

Emma Norsgaard (Denmark) clocks a time of 2:56 down on Dygert, putting the Movistar pro into the provisional bronze spot ahead of Teniel Campbell (Trinidad&Tobago).

Here's a shot of Vollering out on the course. 

Reusser heads through checkpoint 1 and she's 32 seconds down on Dygert, so she'll need to turn the tables big time in the final part of the course to stay on track for a possible gold.

Polish national time trial champion Agnieszka Skalniak-Sojka marks a time of 1:38 down on Dygert to briefly move into second place, but Britain's Anna Henderson quickly outpaces her at 1:15.

Then yet another rider moves into the silver position as Christina Schweinberger of Austria finishes at 1:12 on Dygert, three seconds ahead of Henderson. Dygert, though, still stays completely unreachable for now.

A warning shot across the bows for Dygert as Australian Grace Brown comes to within 17 seconds of the American's top time at checkpoint 1, the closest of any rider yet.

Reusser has sat up. Something's up.

No sign of any particular issues, but Reusser was shaking her head briefly before she sat up, and has now dismounted and is sitting cross-legged on the verge. Her race is over.

Meanwhile the race continues and Grace Brown is still pushing hard against Dygert's time, with a time 30 seconds slower at checkpoint 2. 

Brown's compatriot Georgina Howe battles up towards the finish and crosses the line in fifth.

Vollering then finishes almost immediately afterwards, claiming fourth on the provisional results table, 1:27 down on Dygert and  - like so many riders after that brutal final ascent - gasping for breath.

So the situation at checkpoint 2, two thirds of the way through the course at km 23.3 sees Dygert still 30 seconds ahead of Brown with Anna Henderson in third at 56 seconds.

Juliette Labous makes a stunning finish for France and storms home just outside the medals in fourth at 1:22.

Vittoria Guazzini (Italy) comes home in 28th spot, over four minutes down. 

Dygert's veteran compatriot Amber Neben, meanwhile, is producing a very strong ride and is picking off riders who started ahead of her in the finale.

Showing she's calculated her ride perfectly, Neben's performance is a remarkable one, pedalling home steadily to claim seventh spot at 1:51. 

Wow, Grace Brown timed her finish brilliantly, coming home for silver just five seconds slower than Chloe Dygert. So close for what would have been Australia's second time trial gold today.

Last rider home, Riejanne Markus (Netherlands) crosses the line 2:07 down in ninth place.

Chloe Dygert (USA) is the new Elite Women Individual Time Trial World Champion, with Grace Brown (Australia) getting silver and Christina Schweinberger (Austria) claiming bronze.

One of the earliest starters, Dygert had a long wait, but she's now claimed her second World Championships TT titles.

Some words from the 2023 World Time Trial Champion: "This is really special, not just for me, for everybody behind me: the team, Canyon-SRAM, USA Cycling, my family, my personal team, this means a lot for us. I'm really thankful." Asked about her recent illness she said, "I was really worried, if the race was yesterday I don't think I'd have started. I'm still not 100 % but I started the race to give everything I could. It was just enough for today and I'm very pleased." "I gave it 100%, I'm not going to take anything away. Grace Brown is amazing and that was a huge, amazing run for her. So it was everything I had." "For sure I was nervous, that was a super strong finish from her [Brown], I knew she'd be one of the ones to watch today. I just gave it everything and I'm happy it was enough."

And here's the top 20, courtesy of FirstCycling

Today's race also decides the U-23 Individual Women's Time Trial Title, which went to Germany's Antonio Niedermaier, 8 seconds ahead of Cedrine Kerbaol of France and 39 seconds up on Julie De Wilder of Belgium. Niedermaier was placed 11th in the full results for both senior and U-23 riders.

A shot of the three medallists in the senior category: L-R Grace Brown (Australia) with silver, Chloe Dygert (USA) with gold and Christina Schweinberger (Austria) taking the bronze.

You can reach our full report on today's racing, complete with analysis and photo galleries on the link below: World Championships: Chloe Dygert beats Grace Brown to reclaim elite women's time trial title

We've also got a report on dramatic mid-TT abandon by the top pre-race favourite, Marlen Reusser of Switzerland. Link below: Marlen Reusser climbs off mid-race in Worlds elite women’s time trial 

A quick quote from Grace Brown, whose searing final third of the time trial saw her move to within six seconds of Dygert. Of all the late starters, the Australian was by far the one who calculated her effort the best, but interestingly she said it didn't quite work out as well as she'd hoped. "I was planning to build a little more in the end and I went harder in the start. If I hadn't maybe I could have found those six seconds. I gave it everything I could.Chloe was amazing today and deserves to win that especially after all the tough things she's been through, it's inspirational."

And here's a shot of Brown out on the course, with a fine backdrop of the Scottish countryside near Stirling. 

So what's next? In the Road World Championships on Friday, Stirling plays host to the Junior Men's and the Elite Men's Individual TTs. We'll have full reports of both events and live coverage of the Elite Men's event.

This ends our live coverage of the 2023 Road World Championship Elite Women's Individual Time Trial. This evening  here on Cyclingnews we'll have further reactions and analysis, from Chloe Dygert on her second Worlds TT gold in four years - the latest chapter in a rollercoaster career where injury and illness have not stopped her from claiming one of cycling's most coveted titles - to all the other key protagonists.