UCI Road World Championships 2025 Elite Women's race AS IT HAPPENED - Massive upset as Magdeleine Vallieres shuts out favourites and snatches rainbows

The Women's World Championship Road Race delivered a shock result, as 24 year-old Magdeleine Vallieres of Canada ripped up the script and went away to rainbows, in only her second professional victory.

All the pre-race favourites were left wanting, as New Zealand's Niamh Fisher-Black and Spain's Mavi Garcia, the oldest rider in the race at 41, locked down the medals.

The longest, hardest course in World Championship history, which took place over 11 15km laps, was expected to produce some hard, attritional racing and so it proved.

As strong, controlled riding from Italy, France and Netherlands gradually sent riders out the back, Austria's Carina Schrempf spent several laps off the front on her own, with up to three minutes of lead but no real likelihood of success.

The main action began inside 60km to go, as a flurry of attacks from all sides put cats among pigeons. Most of the favourites' nations were represented in a strong group of 11 that established a confident gap from 35km out, but none of the main pre-race names were among them. Australia was the biggest country to have missed out entirely and obliged to do the chasing.

The escape had more cohesion than the bunch, quickly building their lead beyond a minute. With 20km remaining three riders, Garcia, Fisher-Black and Vallieres blew up the break and made a determined beeline for the medals. It was all or nothing for them, while those riders with leaders behind could not be sure whether it was best to stay or go. That only played into the hands of the three attackers. Although Marlen Reusser and Elise Chabbey of Switzerland looked to be gaining ground it was to no avail.

Onto the last lap and with road running out, the likes of Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, Elisa Longo-Borghini and Demi Vollering proceeded to cancel each other out. The front trio, meanwhile, were completely committed. They went over the Cote de Kigali golf with time in hand, able to think about individual tactics. Vallieres had the best legs going onto the final climb, and attacked immediately, cracking first Garcia then Fisher-Black. She soon had a 10-second gap which she never looked like losing with the rainbow jersey in sight. Her eventual victory margin was 23 seconds over Fisher-Black, with Garcia securing a bronze medal.

"The girls believed in me so I believed in myself," the winner said. "I really committed to going for it. I prepared well, so I knew I was on good form. I just tried and told myself I didn't want to have any regrets. I don't. I knew I probably wouldn't win in a sprint against Niamh, and we were both really committed to this break, both working really hard. I saw that she was fading a little bit so I told myself I had to go all in. It worked out in the end.

"With the Worlds in Montreal next year, it's perfect. I've been dreaming it for a while now. It was a big goal, I worked well for it, did altitude. I focussed on it with my coach. It's a dream come true."

And with only her second professional victory, her first being Trofeo Palma (which really doesn't count.)

And it's bronze for Mavi Garcia, the oldest rider in the race. The Dutch go home empty handed yet again, with 5th place the best they can muster.

The gradient eases up as it turns to tarmac but it keeps rising. The Canadian fights all the way to the line to become a famous world champion. The biggest win of her career by far!

15 seconds to Niamh Fisher-Black, 23 to Garcia. No-one else is in sight.

A measurable gap already to the other two. What a remarkable ride from the Canadian, and she still looks super strong.

And Vallieres attacks right away. Mavi Garcia slips a smidgen, Fisher-Black wrestles with her bike.

Who is going to ride? For now, it looks like the answer is none of them.

One more climb to go. Less than 40 seconds to the front, it could yet come back together on the very last climb. Vollering doesn't look to be at her best.

She's on a mission with twenty seconds to make up. I think she'll do it.

Markus and Niedermaier can't keep up. Garcia initially was dropped but looks to be coming back on this penultimate climb. It's very hard to keep track there's so much going on.

About equidistant but the Reusser group is making more inroads on the leaders than the group of favourites are. Le Court and Malcotti can afford to sit on.

They can see where this race is going and it's nowhere good. The French are on the back foot and there are attacks all over the place. Kim Le Court makes a successful one, coming across to the Reusser group with Elise Chabbey. The Swiss are looking in great shape.

Great timing, and a great move from the Swiss rider with absolutely nothing to lose. Malcotti grabs her wheel.

Five riders at the front, with about a minute in hand. Two climbs left for them to hang on.

Markus not there yet but should, while Caluori looks like to be struggling. Malcotti finds herself right in between break and bunch. Dani Rowe compares this climb to the Bosberg, a really long cobbled, grind, which is a smart observation.

Riejanne Markus, Ginia Caluori and Antonia Niedermaier looking to bring them to heel, and they have them in their sights on the cobbled climb. Just a small handful of seconds to close.

Almost two minutes now back to what remains of the peloton. No-one put these three on their contenders lists before the race. Certainly I didn't. Not over yet by any means, and the French seem most determined to bring it back, but they've got a job on their hands.

The Cote de Kigali Golf offers the opportunity and they take it. Three riders, three medals.