She had already made headlines a few weeks ago at the Junior World Track Cycling Championships in China, winning two gold medals, one individual and the other as part of the team. Cat Ferguson repeated her success, but this time on the road, winning two new titles, solidifying her position as the best young cyclist in the world.
The Time Trial Dominated.
At 18 years old, Cat Ferguson gave her competitors no chance in the 18.8 km time trial course in Zurich. With an average speed of 47.7 km/h, she clocked a final time of 23 minutes and 49 seconds, leaving Slovakian Viktória Chladoňová 34 seconds behind and her fellow Brit Imogen Wolff 36 seconds behind. The Movistar rider, currently a stagiaire but set to become a professional in 2025, made a dominant impression.
A Mastered Road Race.
She was the favorite for the road race and lived up to that expectation by securing a double victory. On Thursday at noon, Cat Ferguson claimed the Junior Women’s World Road Champion title by the shores of Lake Zurich after a controlled race and a three-way sprint where she outpaced Viktória Chladoňová and Paula Ostiz. “It’s a relief, once again. I worked so hard for this race, specifically, throughout the year. Any result other than the title and gold medal wouldn’t have satisfied me,” she admitted in the mixed zone after crossing the line, referring to last year’s World Championships where she had finished second.
However, the future Movistar rider had to wait until the very last moment to make her move, as she could not shake off Spaniard Paula Ostiz or Slovak Viktória Chladonová — who had been briefly trapped but fought her way back in the final lap. The finish was a strange one, as the three eventual medalists were nearly at a standstill for the last two kilometers, looking at each other, waiting for someone to make a move. “I didn’t want them to catch up from behind, but I also knew that if neither of them launched too early, it would likely come down to a short sprint, which worked in my favor.”
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