Road World Championships in Australia: Ricarda Bauernfeind takes bronze in the U23 class

Road World Championships in Australia
Ricarda Bauernfeind takes bronze in the U23 class

Ricarda Bauernfeind won the bronze medal in the individual time trial of the U23 class at the Road World Championships in Wollongong, Australia.

The 22-year-old from Ingolstadt was stopped on Sunday on the 34.2 kilometers in 47:38 minutes and was 2:17 minutes behind the Italian Vittoria Guazzini. Second was Shirin van Anrooij from the Netherlands (1:48 minutes behind).

“It’s something completely new for me to be on the podium at a World Championships. I didn’t really expect to win a medal. Top 5 would have been nice,” said Bauernfeind, who was the first to start in the best Australian spring weather walked the course and thus opened the World Cup.

At the World Championships in Australia, medals were awarded in the U23 class for the first time. The riders started as part of the women’s time trial, which Ellen van Dijk from the Netherlands won in 44:28 minutes. For the 35-year-old it was the third title after 2013 and 2021. Second and third place went to Australian Grace Brown (0:12 minutes behind) and European champion Marlen Reusser from Switzerland (0:41).

Mieke Kröger from Bielefeld was 2:29 minutes behind in twelfth place. “I lost a few seconds on the mountain, but I can’t get over it any faster,” said Kröger. On Wednesday, the European track cycling champion will defend her title in the mixed relay. But Kröger is skeptical whether it will be enough to get a top position again: “We have never driven together. We still have to find each other and coordinate well. This blind understanding that I always had with Lisa and Lisa. It may be that we find that too, but maybe we still have a lot to discuss and practice.” Lisa Brennauer recently ended her career and Lisa Klein is not at the start in Australia due to health problems.

dpa