The rainbow jersey among U23 women at the Montreal 2026 World Championships belongs to Viktória Chladoňová. The 19-year-old Slovak, who finished second last year in Kigali, claimed victory after 134 kilometers, beating Canadian Isabella Holmgren in a two-up sprint. Third, 33 seconds behind the winner, was Belgian Fleur Moors. The Italian riders finished far from the top positions, with Eleonora Ciabocco crossing the line in fourteenth place after overcoming some mechanical issues that forced her to chase the leading group during the middle stages of the race. Gaia Segato and Giada Silo finished in twenty-eighth and thirty-seventh positions respectively.

THE RACE. The U23 women's World Championship started with 112 riders representing 41 nations. After the opening kilometers, several riders from emerging nations struggled and lost ground from the main group, which was traveling at a fast pace. Towards the back of the group, just before the end of the first lap, several riders crashed, including Megan Arens (Netherlands), who was forced to retire.

At the end of the second lap of the circuit, the day's first breakaway formed: Wilma Aintila (Finland) and Sofia Ungerová (Slovakia) gained an advantage. In pursuit of this duo, Eliška Kvasničková (Czech Republic) launched an attack and successfully caught them, forming a trio that led the race for a long time with a maximum advantage of 2'00".

In the main group, Australian riders were very active, particularly Felicity Wilson-Haffenden: the time trial world champion, who will race for Fenix-Premier Tech next year, made a strong acceleration that brought her out of the group along with Amandine Muller (France), Imogen Wolff (Great Britain), Alexandra Volstad (Canada), Magdalena Leis (Germany), Oda Aune Gissinger (Norway), Juliana Londoño (Colombia), and Lea Huber (Switzerland).

This group of immediate chasers was caught shortly after, and the main group reformed. During this phase of the race, a puncture slowed down Giada Silo and derailleur problems forced Eleonora Ciabocco to chase. Fortunately, with determination and strong legs, the two Italian riders made it back to the main group, reforming the trio with Gaia Segato.

Up front, Eliška Kvasničková (Czech Republic) raised the white flag and dropped away from the breakaway, being caught by the chasers. When four laps remained, Aintila and Ungerová could manage a 30-second advantage over the main group, which still numbered around fifty riders. The pace set by the Australian and Canadian teams allowed the group to close in further on the two leaders until, with a strong attack, Ava Holmgren, Isabella's twin sister, brought the group back to the attackers.

Entering the final thirty kilometers of the race, the most anticipated riders opened up the battle. Isabella Holmgren (Canada), Fleur Moors (Belgium), and Viktória Chladoňová (Slovakia) moved to the front, while at the same moment Nienke Vinke (Netherlands), one of the pre-race favorites, was slowed by a mechanical problem. The increasingly select group also lost Cat Ferguson (Great Britain) and our Eleonora Ciabocco, who nonetheless attempted a chase for several kilometers.

Up front, a situation developed with the three attackers being chased by a small group of pursuers, with the Australians asserting their numerical superiority. About twelve kilometers from the finish, Holmgren attempted a change of pace that the Belgian Fleur Moors struggled to follow, leaving the spirited Canadian and Viktória Chladoňová at the front.

At 4 kilometers to go, Holmgren launched another attack without, however, troubling the Slovak rider, who remained attentive and studied the situation. As they reached the final straight, the "home rider" launched her sprint, the Slovak responded and in an instant moved to the front, crossing the line with arms raised. Thus Viktória Chladoňová won the 2026 U23 women's World Championship.

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FINAL RESULTS

1 Viktoria Chladonova Slovakia 3h49'10"
2 Isabella Holmgren Canada 0"
3 Fleur Moors Belgium 33"
4 Mara Winter Switzerland 33"
5 Talia Appleton Australia 33"
6 Lore De Schepper Belgium 39"
7 Katherine Sarkisov United States 1'10"
8 Sidney Swierenga Canada 1'16"
9 Justyna Czapla Germany 1'16"
10 Mackenzie Coupland Australia 1'46"
11 Rosita Reijnhout Netherlands 1'47"
12 Emily Dixon Australia 1'50"
13 Nienke Vinke Netherlands 2'04"
14 Eleonora Ciabocco Italy 2'05"
15 Ava Holmgren Canada 3'40"
16 Paula Ostiz Spain 3'40"
17 Juliana Londono David Colombia 3'40"
18 Julie Bego France 3'47"
19 Ema Comte France 5'04"
20 Cat Ferguson Great Britain 5'40"
21 Anina Hutter Switzerland 7'43"
22 Babette Van der Wolf Netherlands 7'43"
23 Awen Roberts Great Britain 7'43"
24 Emma Siegers Belgium 7'43"
25 Amandine Muller France 7'43"
26 Tess Moerman Belgium 7'43"
27 Marion Bunel France 7'45"
28 Gaia Segato Italy 7'45"
29 Kylee Hanel United States 8'07"
30 Oda Aune Gissinger Norway 8'13"
31 Olympia Norrid-Mortensen Denmark 8'15"
32 Malwina MUL Poland 8'15"
33 Nina Andacka Slovakia 8'15"
34 Silje Antvorskov Denmark 8'18"
35 Sophia Sammons Australia 8'36"
36 Barbora Nemcova Czech Republic 10'58"
37 Giada Silo Italy 10'58"
38 Leyre Almena Requena Spain 10'58"
39 Ayala Serrano Manso Spain 10'58"
40 Stina Kagevi Sweden 10'58"
41 Wilma Aintila Finland 10'58"
42 Imogen Wolff Great Britain 10'58"
43 Felicity Wilson-Haffenden Australia 10'58"
44 Abigail Miller Great Britain 10'58"
45 Sofia Ungerova Slovakia 10'58"
46 Celia Torres Arias Spain 10'58"
47 Liv Wenzel Luxembourg 10'58"
48 Tabea Huys Austria 10'58"
49 Morven Yeoman Great Britain 10'58"
50 Titia Ryo France 10'58"
51 Joelle Amelie Messemer Germany 10'58"
52 Alexandra Volstad Canada 10'58"
53 Laura Lizette Sander Estonia 13'32"
54 Lea Huber Switzerland 13'32"
55 Alyssa Sarkisov United States 14'07"
56 Nadia Hartman Poland 14'07"
57 Gwen Nothum Luxembourg 14'07"
58 Elisabeth Ebras Estonia 14'51"
59 Clara Jäger Germany 14'51"
60 Florencia Monsalvez Rojo Chile 14'51"
61 Mayte Zamudio Garcia Mexico 14'51"
62 Adar Shriki Israel 14'51"
63 Kiara Lylyk Canada 17'16"
64 Elizaveta Bor Neutral Individual Athlete 17'16"

DNF. Xiaoyan Xu China

Ret. Marlen Rojas Lescot Chile
Ret. Delfina Dibella Latorre Argentina
Ret. Rena Tanaka Japan
Ret. Tsige Kiros Ethiopia
Ret. Shengning Wang China
Ret. Milana Ushakova Ukraine
Ret. Lidia Cusack United States
Ret. Mia Aseltine United States
Ret. Tully Schweitzer Australia
Ret. Maja TRACKA Poland
Ret. Urszula Sipko Poland
Ret. Haixin Dong China
Ret. Jazilla Mwamikazi Rwanda
Ret. Mariatha Byukusenge Rwanda
Ret. Laura Choma Poland
Ret. Gissel Adriana Borbon Hull Mexico
Ret. Tingting Wang China
Ret. Viktoriya Polzunova Uzbekistan
Ret. Natalie Revelo Bossano Ecuador
Ret. Irati Aranguren Carbayeda Spain
Ret. Ida Ayu Manik Laksmi Dewi Indonesia
Ret. Nihayatuzzain Asshofi Indonesia
Ret. Shafa Al Zahra Indonesia
Ret. Sara Nicole Torrico Ortiz Bolivia
Ret. Atzi Paola Reyes Rodriguez Mexico
Ret. Georgette Vignonfodo Benin
Ret. Abril Luciana Capdevila Rivero Argentina
Ret. Camille Chasteau de Balyon Mauritius
Ret. Ayana Mizutani Japan
Ret. Andrea Vasquez Puac Guatemala
Ret. Melsey Yamely Perez Vega Dominican Republic
Ret. Jazmin Puac Elias Guatemala
Ret. Qing Zhao China
Ret. Mieraf Aregawi Ethiopia
Ret. Mebrhit Girmay Ethiopia
Ret. Angie Londono Posada Colombia
Ret. Natalia Garzon Cifuentes Colombia
Ret. Magdalena Leis Germany
Ret. Eliska Kvasnickova Czech Republic
Ret. Anastasiya Samsonova Neutral Individual Athlete
Ret. Lilia Ismagilova Neutral Individual Athlete
Ret. Alena Bogdanova Neutral Individual Athlete
Ret. Valeriya Koviazina Neutral Individual Athlete
Ret. Febe Jooris Belgium
Ret. Camilla Ranes Bye Norway
Ret. Raquel Dias Portugal
Ret. Megan Arens Netherlands

DNS. Julia Kopecky Czech Republic