Talia Appleton has led home the ARA Australian Cycling Team at the UCI World Championships today, finishing ninth in the under-23 women’s road race.
The first standalone edition of the under-23 women’s event was held over eight laps of a hilly Kigali circuit, totalling 119 kilometres.
The course was defined by two steep climbs, principally the 1.3-kilometre Cote de Kimihurura, a cobbled ascent with gradients of up to 11% that nominally peaked with 1km to go, but continued to rise all the way to the finish line.
(L-R) Wilson-Haffenden, Coupland, Anderson and Appleton represented Australia in the historic race. (Chris Auld / SWpix.com)
The attritional race saw just 10 of the 85 starters, including Appleton, reach the foot of the final climb together.
Until the start of the final lap, Appleton had ridden without error, keeping herself near the front of the peloton at every moment. She had even driven the pace on the second-last ascent of the climb, helping to whittle the race down.
On the final climb, however, French rider Marion Bunel attacked, dragging clear two other riders who would ultimately sprint for the win.
The peloton was gradually whittled down in the first standalone event for under-23 women. (Zac Williams / SWpix.com)
Appleton, who had just chased back to the leaders with a small group, could not match the Frenchwoman's acceleration. She held her tempo up the steep stopes to secure a top-10 result for Australia.
"It was a really tough day out there for the four of us," Appleton said.
"It was a brutal circuit at altitude in some pretty hot conditions, which made it a super tough day and we knew it was going to be an attritional race. I was trying to hide as much as I could, but on a course like that, it’s still hard all day. No-one’s doing it easy."
The 19-year-old Victorian from Mansfield Mt Buller Cycling Club said she was happy with her performance.
Appleton emptied herself on the final climb. (Chris Auld / SWpix.com)
"I had some pretty big goals for myself coming into this race because I knew the parcours suited me well," Appleton said.
"It’s the first ever separate under-23 race; we didn’t know what the dynamics would be like. I think, in the end, it was really a race of survival.
"I’d actually been chasing; we’d only just came back together for that last climb and had been chasing since the previous climb, so I’d been pretty gassed. I kind of knew it would be every man for themselves up that climb, and you just do the best effort you can and finish it off the best you can.
"For me today, that was ninth place, so I’m happy with it."
Coupland chased back to the peloton multiple times after mechanical problems. (Alex Whitehead / SWpix.com)
For the ARA Australian Cycling Team, it was a race of grit and tenacity.
Mackenzie Coupland recovered from no fewer than three mechanical incidents – eventually finishing on a Shimano neutral spare bike – to finish just behind the next main group.
Felicity Wilson-Haffenden, fresh from becoming a world champion in the mixed relay time trial, supported her Australian teammates in the first half of the race.
Alli Anderson withdrew after doggedly fighting her way back to the peloton numerous times between climbs.
The 2025 UCI Road World Championships continue tomorrow with road races for the junior men and under-23 men.
Results – Under-23 Women Road Race
🥇 Celia Gery (FRA) 3:24:26
🥈 Viktoria Chladonova (SVK) +2
🥉 Paula Blasi Cairol (ESP) +12
9. Talia Appleton (AUS) +31
22. Mackenzie Coupland (AUS) +2:40
33. Felicity Wilson-Haffenden (AUS) +12:01
DNF. Alli Anderson (AUS)
Feature photo: Alex Whitehead / SWpix.com