Orica-Scott Team (Norway) – Dutch champion Annemiek van Vleuten has claimed the gold medal with an impressive ride in the women’s time trial event at the UCI Road Cycling World Championships in Bergen, Norway.

The performance secures the coveted rainbow jersey for Orica-Scott for the first time in history, after confirmation that the 34-year-old has re-signed with the team for the next two years.

Van Vleuten won the event by 12seconds to compatriot Anna van der Breggen with Australian Katrin Garfoot in third to give Orica-Scott two riders on the podium.

“I still cannot believe it,” van Vleuten said after her victory. “This season I keep surprising myself with what I can do. To be world champion in the time trial I never thought I would be able (to do) this. This year I started to believe in it and to finish it off is incredible. It was really hard because it started almost pouring rain on the course. I did my practice in the dry conditions so I had to be really careful and for sure I lost some time there. I still focused on what I needed to do and Loes Gunnewijk, my coach, was coaching me really well. That was special, she was once before my teammate and now she was coaching me. I heard on the climb I was on almost the same time as Anna but in the last five kilometres I heard I was faster so I gave it everything to the finish.”

"It’s been a miraculous turnaround for van Vleuten, who just over 12months ago took a heavy fall whilst leading at the Olympic Games in Rio", shared Orica-Scott. The Orica-Scott rider said the experience has made her stronger.

“To have up and downs, and sometimes some real downs, makes the ups even more beautiful,” Annemiek said. “This is beautiful without a crash in Rio, but that makes the story really, really special.”

UCI Road Cycling World Championship – Women’s TT Results:

1. Annemiek van Vleuten (Netherlands/ORICA-SCOTT) 28:50.35
2. Anna van der Breggen (Netherlands/Boels Dolmans) +12.16
3. Katrin Garfoot (Australia/ORICA-SCOTT) +37.95