UCI World C’Ships: Switzerland defends team mixed relay title

The Swiss team’s combined winning time over a twisting circuit in the centre of Glasgow, totalling a distance of 40.30 km was 54min 16.20sec.

Riders from Switzerland celebrate winning gold in the Team Time Trial Mixed Relay road race during the UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland on August 8, 2023. | Photo Credit: AFP

Switzerland overcame a crash to defend its team time-trial mixed relay gold at the cycling world championships in Glasgow on Tuesday.

Marlen Reusser took a spill on a corner but got back on her bike unscathed to help the Swiss to gold by seven seconds from long-time leader France.

Germany, 51 seconds adrift, took bronze, knocking fourth-placed Great Britain off the podium by 12 seconds.

The triumphant Swiss sextet comprised Stefan Bissegger, Stefan Kung and Mauro Schmid for the men and Elise Chabbey, Nicole Koller and Reusser for the women.

After recovering from giving her team a scare crash-victim Reusser said: “I’m good. I’m sorry for my team that I frightened them a bit. I hope for every spectator I made it a bit more interesting to watch.”

She added: “It’s one thing to win once. Twice shows that we have the strength and the skills. We are a good team.”

The Swiss team’s combined winning time over a twisting circuit in the centre of Glasgow, totalling a distance of 40.30 km was 54min 16.20sec.

The event, first staged at the 2019 world championships in Harrogate, involves three male riders completing one lap, with the women’s team then starting its own lap as soon as it crossed the finish line.

Later, at the Sir Chris Hoy velodrome, Belgium’s Lotte Kopecky captured women’s points race gold.

After 100 laps she prevailed in the final sprint over Australia’s Georgia Baker with Japan’s Tsuyaka Uchino in bronze.

Kopecky had not raced in Monday’s women’s madison after her usual racing partner in the event, Shari Bossuyt, returned a positive test for the banned substance Letrozole in March.

Dutch rider Jeffrey Hoogland made it three men’s 1km time trial golds in a row.

Hoogland posted a time of 58.222sec to deny Australia’s Matthew Glaetzer (58.526).

The final gold of the night came in the men’s madison, and after 195 laps of the velodrome it went for the first time to the Netherlands.

Silver went to Great Britain, with New Zealand completing the podium - with only three points splitting the trio.

At the end of day six Great Britain are atop the medals table with 17 golds, nine silver and 15 bronze.

Wednesday features golds on offer in the women’s sprint and omnium, men’s keirin and points race on the track, and the men’s under-23 individual time trial.