UCI Road World Championships 2024 Elite Women's time trial - Can Chloe Dygert defend her rainbow jersey?

Grace Brown is the UCI time-trial world champion, while Antonia Niedermaier is just pushed off the podium into fourth by Dygert's time, but retains her U23 title. Vollering is second overall, Dygert third. Behind Niedermaier, Kopecky, Schweinberger, Henderson, Van Dijk, Labous, and Amber Neben of the USA round out the top 10.

It's bronze for Dygert! The defending champion just didn't have enough, crossing 56:42 slower than Brown, and we have a new rainbow jersey. Australia's Grace Brown finishes her career with the Olympics-worlds double. Absolutely spectacular.

Chloe Dygert is into the final kilometre. Crunch time... where will she finish?

Grace Brown crosses 16:79 seconds faster than Vollering! She was sprinting all the way to the line as the clock ticked down but she managed it beautifully, digging so deep to claw back her deficit to Vollering. The two embrace at the finish. Just Dygert left to go...

Vollering has thrown down a gauntlet and a half, finishing 48:31 faster than Niedermaier in our first sub-40 minute time of the day, 39:32.83. That's an absolutely blistering time and she collapses to the floor after sprinting to the line. Anna Henderson is back in provisional fourth, having also pulled back a lot of time on Van Dijk in the final section; the Dutchwoman is now back in sixth.

Lotte Kopecky goes into silver medal position as it stands, 34:34 slower than Niedermaier. She's unlikely to be happy with that but it's a very strong finish by the Belgian, taking back 20 seconds or so on Van Dijk in the final section.

HUGE statement of intent by Antionia Niedermaier, who finishes in 42:28 seconds quicker than Van Dijk in a new fastest time of 40:21.14, and defends her U23 title in style. Van Dijk applauds and vacates the hot seat; she's down to silver as it stands.

Labous hasn't been dropped entirely: she's keeping pace with Vollering, but holding about 25m behind her, as the regulations state caught riders should do. Has Vollering pushed too hard in that first part of the course?

Vollering has made up huge time on that descent: Brown now has an 8:87 second deficit on Vollering at the second split, from a six second advantage 10km earlier. The Aussie needs to dig deep.

Vollering is 44:75 quicker than Niedermaier at the split! She's flying, and fellow Dutchwoman van Dijk knows it: she looks a little nervous in the hot seat. Vollering has also caught Labous. What a statement of intent.

Anna Henderson has also pulled back some time, fourth quickest at the second time split, 35 seconds adrift of Niedermaier's time and six seconds or so back on Kopecky. Vollering is motoring through this course and has France's Juliette Labous - herself a strong time triallist - in her sights.

Kopecky is nearly 30 seconds down on Niedermaier at the second checkpoint and is slowly building through this time trial, having made up nearly half a minute over the last 10km. The new European TT champion may have one eye on the upcoming road race, where she'll be keen to defend her rainbow jersey, but she's still looking good here.

Niedermaier is in the midst of an absolutely blistering ride. She's gained another ten seconds on van Dijk by the second checkpoint and looks almost a dead cert to retain her U23 title.

Chloe Dygert is 36.69 seconds adrift of her main rival Grace Brown at the first split, but she has favourable terrain coming up on the descent and flat section so it won't be panic stations yet for the defending champion.

Van Dijk looks absolutely spent, collapsing onto the tarmac where she's warmly applauded by the crowd. Cedrine Kerbaol has also crossed and the young Frenchwoman is in provisional fourth as it stands. Grace Brown, on her garish/stylish (delete according to taste) fully gold bike, has gone through the first split six seconds quicker than Vollering.

Ellen van Dijk is storming towards the finish and crosses 39.43 seconds quicker than Chapman. 41:03.42 is her time and that's worthy of the hot seat. How long can she keep it?

Vollering moves into the lead! She's 23 seconds quicker than Niedermaier at the first split and is currently winning her battle vs Kopecky, 50 seconds faster than the Belgian. The Dutch women are flying and Vollering is absolutely launching herself down this descent. Just behind, Anna Henderson has gone through two-hundredths of a second slower than Kopecky.

In the first surprise of the day Lotte Kopecky is fourth fastest at the first split, nearly 28 seconds back on defending U23 champion Antonia Niedermaier. The German has gone through just shy of 10 seconds quicker than Van Dijk. At the other end of the course Franziska Koch of Germany has finished provisional third after a very strong ride.

Three-time world champ Van Dijk is absolutely powering round this course in her signature, somewhat bobbing style. She's extended her lead over Brodie Chapman to 41 seconds at the second time check, 20.5km in, from 24 seconds at the first split 10km before.

Dygert rolls down the ramp in her USA kit rather than the rainbow stripes, and that's all the riders in action now. She's been world champion twice, winning in 2019 and 2023. Can she defend her title? This should be a thrilling end to proceedings.