Australia Edges Germany To Win Team TT Mixed Relay At UCI Road Worlds 2024

Grace Brown led Australia to a win over Germany in the mixed relay time trial at the UCI Road World Championships 2024 by a margin of less than a second.

Sep 25, 2024 by AFP Report

Australia Edges Germany To Win Team TT Mixed Relay At UCI Road Worlds 2024

Olympic and world champion Grace Brown led Australia to a razor's edge triumph over Germany in the mixed relay time trial at the UCI Road World Championships 2024 on Wednesday with a winning margin of less than a second after a rolling 53.7-kilometer course.

Retiring at the end of the season, despite her time trial domination this year, Brown was one of three women alongside Brodie Chapman and Ruby Roseman-Gannon. The three men were Ben O'Connor, Michael Matthews and Jay Vine.

The mixed team relay opened with the three men completing the 26-kilometer circuit, and the Australians were ahead when Vine and O'Connor crossed.

"We wanted to keep Mike with us as long as possible for all the climbs," said Vine, who came fifth in the men's time trial, despite a nasty crash at the weekend.

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Australia timed 1 hour, 12 minutes, 52.85 seconds, leaving Germany's team, consisting of 21-year-old Antonia Niedermaier, Franziska Koch, Liane Lippert, Marco Brenner, Miguel Heidemann and Maximilian Schachmann, just 0.85 seconds adrift in second.

Italy was left with regrets in third at just 8.25 seconds for Elisa Longo Borghini, Soraya Paladin, Gaia Realini, Edoardo Affini, Mattia Cattaneo and Filippo Ganna.

It was a tricky course around Zurich with a lot of climbing and descending, with certain sections at 15% incline. The action started and finished at the Sechselaeutenplatz town square.

The Mongolian team was the first down the ramp, followed by Rwanda, which will play host to the 2025 World Championships.

"It's difficult, but we are here representing our nation and our families, and we gained good experience here from this race," said Diane Ingabire, the lead Rwandan rider.