Felicity Wilson-Haffenden powers to women's under-23 Worlds time trial in Montréal

Felicity Wilson-Haffenden (Australia) won the under-23 women's individual time trial at the World Championships in Montréal, covering the 20.3-kilometre course in 27:40 at an average of 44km/h.

Nienke Vinke (Netherlands) was second at 28 seconds, with Luca Vierstraete (Belgium) third at 45 seconds. Viktória Chladoňová (Slovakia) finished just under a second off the podium, while Mackenzie Coupland made it two Australians in the top five.

The course ran from Avenue du Parc through Montréal, with 84% of its distance on flat roads and a drag up to the finish at Parc Jeanne-Mance. It was shorter than the 22.6km test in Kigali last year, when the category was contested for the first time.

Wilson-Haffenden was 0.19 seconds behind Vinke at the first check after 6km. She won the race over the next section, covering the stretch leading to the 14.5km at 46.5km/h, almost 21 seconds faster than anyone else. By the second check she led by 25.78 seconds.

She was also fastest over the final 5.8km, extending her advantage slightly on the run to the line.

The Australian national time trial champion rides for Lidl-Trek and was fourth in Kigali last year behind Zoe Bäckstedt, Chladoňová and Federica Venturelli. Bäckstedt did not defend, having moved up to the elite race, where she took silver behind Marlen Reusser.

Vinke set the benchmark early, going quickest at all three points and finishing in 28:09.19. She caught Lidia Cusack of the United States, who had started 90 seconds ahead of her, and held the hot seat for most of the morning.

Febe Jooris (Belgium) was the first to take the lead at the second check before Vinke went through, and finished seventh.

Chladoňová, runner-up last year and the Slovakian national champion, was third at the first check and fifth at the second before finishing fourth.

Vierstraete moved up through each section to take bronze. Coupland was fourth at both intermediate points before sliding to fifth.

Ava Holmgren was the best of the home riders in sixth at 1:01, with Oda Aune Gissinger (Norway), Megan Arens (Netherlands) and Justyna Czapla (Germany) completing the top ten.