The official start order has been confirmed for the elite women’s individual time trial at the 2026 UCI Road World Championships in Montréal, with 48 riders from 34 nations set to race on Sunday 20 September. Skye Davidson will be the first rider down the ramp at 09:19:30 local time, while defending champion Marlen Reusser starts last at 10:30.
The final group contains most of the major contenders in quick succession. Zoe Bäckstedt starts at 10:27 local time, Demi Vollering follows 90 seconds later and Reusser begins another 90 seconds after the Dutch rider. Antonia Niedermaier, Mireia Benito, Juliette Berthet, Kristen Faulkner, Lotte Kopecky and Elisa Longo Borghini are also packed into the final 15 minutes.
Riders leave at 90-second intervals throughout the 39.2km course, which contains 220 metres of elevation gain and intermediate timing points after 10.7km, 21.9km and 29.8km.
For analysis of the riders most likely to challenge for the rainbow jersey, see the women’s World Championships time trial 2026 preview. The earlier full women’s World Championships time trial start list covers the field before the final running order was issued.
Women’s World Championships time trial 2026 race details
Date: Sunday 20 September 2026
Course: Montréal
Distance: 39.2km
Elevation gain: 220 metres
First rider: 09:19:30 local / 14:19:30 BST
Final rider: 10:30 local / 15:30 BST
Intermediate checks: 10.7km, 21.9km and 29.8km
Defending champion: Marlen Reusser
The official programme lists the women’s time trial session from 09:00 local time, but the published start order now confirms that the first rider actually leaves at 09:19:30.
UK television coverage begins before the riders start, with the full schedule and streaming options available in ProCyclingUK’s guide to watching the 2026 UCI Road World Championships.
The 2026 World Championships course guide has a detailed look at the route through central Montréal, Île Notre-Dame and Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve.
Full women’s World Championships time trial 2026 start order
The final official start sheet contains 48 riders, with each competitor separated by 90 seconds. Times below are shown in Montréal local time and BST for UK viewers.
| No. | Rider | Nation | Local time | BST |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48 | Skye Davidson | Zimbabwe | 09:19:30 | 14:19:30 |
| 47 | Sajedeh Siyahian | Iran | 09:21:00 | 14:21:00 |
| 46 | Xin Tang | China | 09:22:30 | 14:22:30 |
| 45 | Alyssa Burgess | Cayman Islands | 09:24:00 | 14:24:00 |
| 44 | Monica Kiplagat | Kenya | 09:25:30 | 14:25:30 |
| 43 | Karin Abe | Japan | 09:27:00 | 14:27:00 |
| 42 | Mishael Alhazmi | Saudi Arabia | 09:28:30 | 14:28:30 |
| 41 | Magh Firotika Marenda | Indonesia | 09:30:00 | 14:30:00 |
| 40 | Ann-Christine Allik | Estonia | 09:31:30 | 14:31:30 |
| 39 | Diane Ingabire | Rwanda | 09:33:00 | 14:33:00 |
| 38 | Gergana Stoyanova | Bulgaria | 09:34:30 | 14:34:30 |
| 37 | Rongina Ngandu | Zimbabwe | 09:36:00 | 14:36:00 |
| 36 | Romina Hinojosa | Mexico | 09:37:30 | 14:37:30 |
| 35 | Shimeng Zhu | China | 09:39:00 | 14:39:00 |
| 34 | Faina Potapova | Kazakhstan | 09:40:30 | 14:40:30 |
| 33 | Kendra Tabu | Kenya | 09:42:00 | 14:42:00 |
| 32 | Valeriia Kononenko | Ukraine | 09:43:30 | 14:43:30 |
| 31 | Taylor Knibb | United States | 09:45:00 | 14:45:00 |
| 30 | Olivia Baril | Canada | 09:46:30 | 14:46:30 |
| 29 | Teniel Campbell | Trinidad and Tobago | 09:48:00 | 14:48:00 |
| 28 | Xaveline Nirere | Rwanda | 09:49:30 | 14:49:30 |
| 27 | Lotte Claes | Belgium | 09:51:00 | 14:51:00 |
| 26 | Dominika Włodarczyk | Poland | 09:52:30 | 14:52:30 |
| 25 | Anniina Ahtosalo | Finland | 09:54:00 | 14:54:00 |
| 24 | Lauretta Hanson | Australia | 09:55:30 | 14:55:30 |
| 23 | Anna Morris | Great Britain | 09:57:00 | 14:57:00 |
| 22 | Vittoria Guazzini | Italy | 09:58:30 | 14:58:30 |
| 21 | Bronwyn MacGregor | New Zealand | 10:00:00 | 15:00:00 |
| 20 | Lucie de Marigny-Lagesse | Mauritius | 10:01:30 | 15:01:30 |
| 19 | Franziska Koch | Germany | 10:03:00 | 15:03:00 |
| 18 | Sara Roel | Mexico | 10:04:30 | 15:04:30 |
| 17 | Diana Peñuela | Colombia | 10:06:00 | 15:06:00 |
| 16 | Cédrine Kerbaol | France | 10:07:30 | 15:07:30 |
| 15 | Paula Blasi | Spain | 10:09:00 | 15:09:00 |
| 14 | Nika Bobnar | Slovenia | 10:10:30 | 15:10:30 |
| 13 | Nadia Gontova | Canada | 10:12:00 | 15:12:00 |
| 12 | Lieke Nooijen | Netherlands | 10:13:30 | 15:13:30 |
| 11 | Christina Schweinberger | Austria | 10:15:00 | 15:15:00 |
| 10 | Elisa Longo Borghini | Italy | 10:16:30 | 15:16:30 |
| 9 | Lotte Kopecky | Belgium | 10:18:00 | 15:18:00 |
| 8 | Kristen Faulkner | United States | 10:19:30 | 15:19:30 |
| 7 | Juliette Berthet | France | 10:21:00 | 15:21:00 |
| 6 | Mireia Benito | Spain | 10:22:30 | 15:22:30 |
| 5 | Antonia Niedermaier | Germany | 10:24:00 | 15:24:00 |
| 4 | Katrine Aalerud | Norway | 10:25:30 | 15:25:30 |
| 3 | Zoe Bäckstedt | Great Britain | 10:27:00 | 15:27:00 |
| 2 | Demi Vollering | Netherlands | 10:28:30 | 15:28:30 |
| 1 | Marlen Reusser | Switzerland | 10:30:00 | 15:30:00 |
Photo Credit: GettyWhat time do the main contenders start?
The final part of the start list is tightly packed, so there should be little waiting between the riders expected to set the decisive times.
Taylor Knibb: 09:45 local / 14:45 BST
Lieke Nooijen: 10:13:30 / 15:13:30 BST
Elisa Longo Borghini: 10:16:30 / 15:16:30 BST
Lotte Kopecky: 10:18 / 15:18 BST
Kristen Faulkner: 10:19:30 / 15:19:30 BST
Antonia Niedermaier: 10:24 / 15:24 BST
Zoe Bäckstedt: 10:27 / 15:27 BST
Demi Vollering: 10:28:30 / 15:28:30 BST
Marlen Reusser: 10:30 / 15:30 BST
Reusser being last means the defending champion will have access to the intermediate times of every other contender. Vollering starts only 90 seconds ahead, while Bäckstedt has a three-minute advantage over Reusser on the road.
Nooijen is positioned noticeably earlier than the final favourites. She starts at 10:13:30 local time, meaning her ride could establish the first genuinely significant benchmark before Longo Borghini, Kopecky, Faulkner and the final five riders reach the course.
Great Britain start times
Great Britain have two riders in the elite women’s time trial.
Anna Morris starts with race number 23 at 09:57 local time / 14:57 BST, while British champion Zoe Bäckstedt is the third-last rider down the ramp at 10:27 / 15:27 BST.
Bäckstedt therefore starts immediately before the final pairing of Vollering and Reusser, giving viewers a concentrated run of three of the principal medal contenders within three minutes.
Final start order reduces the field to 48 riders
The official timing sheet supersedes the earlier preliminary entry list, which contained 53 riders.
Janika Lõiv, Vera Looser, Kristina Novikova, Henrietta Christie and Jasmin Liechti do not appear on the final 48-rider start order. Their absence accounts for the difference between the preliminary field and the confirmed starters.
The updated order also means the first actual rider starts later than originally indicated by the general event schedule. Davidson begins at 09:19:30 local time, while Reusser closes the sequence 70 minutes and 30 seconds later.
With three intermediate timing points before the finish, the gaps between Reusser, Vollering, Bäckstedt and the other contenders should become clear well before the final riders return towards Parc Jeanne-Mance.
