As it happened: Golden Grace Brown ends career taking rainbow jersey with victory in Zurich

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the elite women's time trial at the 2024 Road World Championships in Zürich.

It is time trial day in Switzerland and the riders are ready to battle against the clock. Starting the day with the women's elite and U23 race followed by the elite men with the U23 men coming tomorrow. 

Starting the day off with the news room and all the latest Worlds chat...

>>> UCI Road World Championships 2024 - Elite women's individual time trial contenders 

The new European ITT champion has tipped the defending champion to take victory today...

>>> Lotte Kopecky tips Chloé Dygert as time trial favourite, sets sights on a medal at Zurich Worlds 

Here are all the riders starting today and their start times. 70 riders are taking to the start ramp in Gossau...

>>> UCI Road World Championships 2024 - Elite Women's Time Trial start times and startlist 

And finally, a general overview of what's to come this week...

>>> 'Too much spectacle in Zürich?' – Elite time trials kick off loaded week at Road World Championships 

If Ellen van Dijk wins today she will go level on wins with the great Jeannie Longo with four victories. It would be quite the astonishing change of form but never out of the question when Van Dijk is involved. 

Grace Brown finished the last two World Championship time trials in silver. However, with her gold medal at the Olympics and the end of her career in sight, she will be really prepared and maybe even confident coming into this race...

Since 2016 the women's individual time trial has been won by two nations. The USA and the Netherlands. Every rider except two in that list had won it twice in that time frame. 

Chloe Dygert, Ellen van Dijk and Annemiek van Vleuten with Anna van der Breggen and Amber Neben taking one. 

Neben, of course, won her first title back in 2008. 

The Dutch dominance is not really expected to continue today. However, it is not out of the question with Ellen van Dijk and GC superstar Demi Vollering on the startlist. 

Also, home favourite Marlen Reusser is not able to race as she is still suffering from post Covid symptoms. Hopefully she will get better soon and is back race next season. 

Despite trying to shift the focus onto other favourites, Lotte Kopecky comes into this as one of the stand out favourites to take rainbows. 

Her time trialing improved dramatically last year at the Tour de France Femmes where she took second place on GC thanks to her performance in Pau. Since then, she has the national TT title and the European TT title as well as sixth in the Olympic TT on a very difficult and wet course. 

First rider off the ramp

The first rider, Petya Minkova of Bulgaria, sets off on her ride and we are racing!

Eyeru Gebru riding for the Refugee team but from Ethiopia starts her ride. It is a very peasant day in Gossau today as the riders head to Zurich. Temperature at 17 degrees centigrade with hazy sunshine. 

Now the Maltese rider, Jessica Pratt. The 26-year-old rolls off the start ramp and gets going on her ride. She dominated the Tour of Malta this year and is in good form. Back to the ramp and it is Viktoriya Sidorenko of Azerbaijan who is in the U23 category. 

Afghanistan's Yulduz Hashimi sets off. Her sister, Fariba, is setting off later today but Yulduz sets off now. 

Gebru (REF) passes Minkova (BUL) and is now the first rider on the road. Solid start on the climb for the rider representing the Refugee team. 

The younger sister of Yulduz, Fariba Hashimi of Afghanistan, sets off on her ride. They are both extremely talented riders and both have a very bright future. 

Gebru (REF) has gone through the first time check with a time of 19'58" which is a minute and a half faster than Minkova (BUL) who she passed on the climb. 

Yulduz Hashimi (AFG) coming to the first time check and goes second at +19" down on Argentinian rider Anabel Yapura. 

Gebru (REF) goes through the second check in 34'13". Let's see where she is when the bulk of the early starters go through. 

Fariba Hashimi (AFG) down at the first split in 5th +54" down on Eugenia Bujak (SLO) who leads. 

At the second split, Yapura (ARG) leads by +52" over Y. Hashimi (AFG) and +1'45" over Gebru (REF) in third. 

Talented Finnish rider, Anniina Ahtosalo has set off on her ride. Could be a good bet for the U23 title today. 

Great to see the Afghanistan duo of Fariba (pictured) and Yulduz Hashimi riding today... 

Gebru (REF) should be finishing soon. The first rider to finish. 

First finisher

Eyeru Gebru (REF) comes to the line and sets a time of 47'21" with an average speed of just under 38kph.

Anabel Yapura (ARG) has set the fastest time of 44'53" with Yulduz Hashimi (AFG) going second almost a minute down on the Argentinian. 

A new leader at the first time check is Teniel Campbell (TTO) with a time of 17'39", leading Eugenia Bujak (SLO) by +12". 

New fastest time

Paula Blasi (ESP) comes to the line and sets a time of 44'51" by just 2" over Yapura (ARG). 

Australian rider, Brodie Chapman, sets off on her ride. 

New fastest time

Eugenia Bujak (SLO) is setting the fastest time of 43'07" by a gap of 1'45" over Blasi (ESP). That is a big gap. She has taken another 44" in that final 10km from Blasi (ESP). 

Campbell (TTO) comes through the second time check and is 25" up on Bujak (SLO) with 10km to go. 

Mie Bjørndal Ottestad (NOR) goes fastest at the first time check by 8" over Campbell (TTO). 

Laura Lizette Sander (EST) has just gone second at the finish but now leads the U23 classification. 

Cédrine Kerbaol (FRA) sets off on her ride. Definitely a rider who could take a top 10 today. Winner of a stage in this year's Tour de France Femmes, she has had a terrific year. 

Ellen van Dijk (NED) starts her ride in the quest to become the joint record holder in this competition. She could equal Jeannie Longo's four victories today. 

Champman (AUS) goes fastest at the first split by 4" over Biriukova (UKR) and 7" over Ottestad (NOR). The Norwegian rider leads at the second split. 

New fastest time

Teniel Campbell (TTO) with a 42'45" with Mireia Benito (ESP) going second by +15". 

New fastest time

Emily Ehrlich (USA) with a 42'38" taking the lead by 7" over Campbell (TTO). Very impressive ride by the 30-year-old. 

New fastest time

Mie Bjørndal Ottestad (NOR) sets a time of 42'03" by a gap of 35" over Emily Ehrlich (USA).

Brodie Chapman (AUS) goes fastest at the second split by 4" over Ottestad (NOR). 

Elena Hartmann (SUI) sets off on her ride in her home country. Huge cheer by the crowd. 

Antonia Niedermaier (GER) sets off in her defense for the U23 world title. 

Ellen van Dijk (NED) goes 24" faster than Chapman (AUS) at the first split. 

Lotte Kopecky (BEL) has set off on her ride to Zurich now... 

Olympic silver medalist in the time trial, Anna Henderson (GBR), sets off on her ride. 

Next to roll off the ramp is Juliette Labous (FRA). 

Just four rider left to start. 

Demi Vollering (NED) will set off next. But, out on course, Ellan van Dijk (NED) is absolutely railing this course and is going all out on the climbs. 

Christina Schweinberger (AUT) sets off on her ride. She will try and go better than her amazing bronze medal in Stirling last year. 

New fastest time

Brodie Chapman (AUS) with a 41'43" which is 20" faster than Ottestad (NOR). 

Chapman's fellow Australian, Grace Brown, sets off on her ride. The Olympic champion will love to add rainbows to the gold before retiring at the end of this year. 

Defending champion, Chloe Dygert (USA) sets off. She has won the rainbow jersey twice. Both times were in the UK. Can she take a third here in Switzerland? 

Van Dijk (NED) leads by 41" over Chapman (AUS) at the second check with 10km to go. 

Antonia Niedermaier (GER) goes fastest at the first time check! Superb start by the defending U23 champion. 

Lotte Kopecky (BEL) goes fourth fastest at the first time check! She is +28" down on Antonia Niedermaier (GER) with Ellen van Dijk (NED) and Amber Neben (USA) in that gap.

Demi Vollering (NED) goes fastest at the first check by 23" over Antonia Niedermaier (GER). 

Anna Henderson (GBR) almost on the exact same time as Lotte Kopecky (BEL) at the first split at around 50" down on Vollering (NED). 

New fastest time

Ellen van Dijk (NED) sets a time of 41'03" by a gap of 40" over Chapman (AUS), losing a little bit of time to Chapman (AUS) in the final 10km. 

Grace Brown (AUS) goes fastest at the split by 6" over Demi Vollering (NED)! The race is on! 

Chloe Dygert (USA) goes fourth at the first check +37" down on Brown (AUS). 

Antonia Niedermaier (GER) goes fastest at the second check by 21" over Ellen van Dijk (NED). 

Lotte Kopecky (BEL) is third at the second check at +30". She'll be disappointed with this. 

Anna Henderson (GBR) goes +36" down in fourth place at the second split. 

Demi Vollering (NED) comes to the second check and is about to pass Juliette Labous (FRA) with Vollering (NED) leading by 45" over Niedermaier (GER). 

Vollering (NED) passes Labous (FRA) on the road. 

Grace Brown (AUS) at the second split and goes slower than Demi Vollering (NED) with just 10km to go. Brown (AUS) is +9" on the Dutch woman. 

Labous (FRA) now just sticking with Vollering (NED) but on the other side of the road very deliberately not to be penalised. Maybe Vollering (NED) is fading or Labous (FRA) is possibly finding a bit more now she has someone to chase? 

New fastest time

Antonia Niedermaier (GER) finishes with a time of 40'21" and is 42" faster than Ellen van Dijk (NED). 

Antonia Niedermaier (GER) WINS the Under 23 World Championship title for a second year running and may well be on the podium for the elites as well. 

Lotte Kopecky (BEL) finishes +34" down on Antonia Niedermaier (GER) and into second place for now. 

Anna Henderson (GBR) finishes +39" down in third for now. Beating Ellen van Dijk (NED). 

New fastest time

Demi Vollering (NED) coming to the line and setting a time of 39'33" and that is a massive 49" between her and second place Antonia Niedermaier (GER)! Wow! 

New fastest time

Grace Brown (AUS) does it!! The Olympic champion becomes the WORLD champion with a time of 39'16"! That is 17" over Vollering (NED)! Goodness me she absolutely nailed that. 

Chloe Dygert (USA) crosses the line in third place with a gap of +56" back from Brown (AUS). 

Grace Brown of Australia is the World Individual Time Trial Champion! Adding to her national, commonwealth and Olympic ITT titles. 

Top 10

1. Grace Brown (AUS) 39'16"
2. Demi Vollering (NED) +17"
3. Chloe Dygert (USA) +56"
4. Antonia Niedermaier (GER) +1'05"
5. Lotte Kopecky (BEL) +1'39"
6. Christina Schweinberger (AUT) +1'44"
7. Anna Henderson (GBR) S.T.
8. Ellen van Dijk (NED) +1'47"
9. Juliette Labous (FRA) +1'52"
10. Amber Neben (USA) +2'20"

Grace Brown (AUS) takes her 25th career win with the one she probably wanted more than any other. 

Under 23 podium

1. Antonia Niedermaier (GER)
2. Jasmin Liechti (SUI)
3. Julie De Wilde (BEL)

Today's podium in the women's elite ITT... 

Our post race report is online now for you to read...

>>> UCI World Championships: Grace Brown beats Demi Vollering to elite women's time trial title 

Grace Brown (AUS) becomes the first rider in history in men and women's racing to take the Olympic and World title in the same year. What a way to bring your career to a close.