Marlen Reusser is considered the top favourite for time trial gold in Glasgow at the World Championships. In the past three years, she has won three silver and one bronze in the race against the clock at three World Championships and the Olympics. In the latter, Anna van der Breggen, Ellen van Dijk and Annemiek van Vleuten proved too strong, but in Glasgow these rivals will not be at the start of the time trial. As a result, Team SD Worx’s La Reusser is now the big favourite. “Time trial gold was actually not immediately among my goals at the beginning of the year. I mainly focused on the classics and stage races. But with the World Championships coming up, I’m dreaming of the rainbow jersey again.”
Marlen Reusser’s first foray into international cycling was in the discipline of the time trial. The Swiss was good for the podium each time at the last four major championships, but the top spot has as yet eluded her. “Glasgow 2023 is quite an interesting course. Between the straights, there are some turns and slightly up-and-down lanes. So there are places where you can make a difference. On the flat stretches you can release your power,” said Reusser, who already sealed gold with Switzerland in the mixed relay on Tuesday.
In 2023, two individual time trials were scheduled in the WorldTour. Twice the Swiss rider won – in the Tour de Suisse and the Tour de France Femmes. “Yet that does not necessarily count as a benchmark. The course in Glasgow cannot be compared to that in Switzerland or in the Tour de France Femmes. There are fewer altimeters in it,” she said. “I have a kind of love-hate relationship with time trial. I never really look forward to it, because you know in advance that it will be gruelling. In 2023, I mainly wanted to get results in classics and stage races. Time trial was slightly lower on my priority list. But the closer the World Championships came, the more I was drawn to it and the more it itches. My season is already super, an individual world title would be the icing on an already very nice cake!”
“Next year, I will make a big goal of time trial. I have the Paris Olympics and also the World Championships at home ticked in red. But if I can win an individual rainbow jersey as early as this week, I won’t pass it up.”
