Great Britain’s Cat Ferguson won the junior road race in challenging conditions at the UCI Road and para-Road Cycling World Championships.
The 18-year-old beat Paula Ostiz of Spain in Switzerland’s capital Zurich to claim the gold medal and coveted rainbow jersey.
“Paula is super good, but I felt I had the edge on her,” said Ferguson after crossing the line.
“I’m an only child, it’s just me and my mum and dad. They’ve been there through everything. They’re the first people I see when I cross the finish line – it made me cry.”
Slovakia’s Viktoria Chladonova was third with Britain’s Imogen Wolff sixth, one minute 26 seconds behind Ferguson following an earlier crash.
Ferguson is highly rated in the growing Women’s World Tour and rides for one of the sport biggest team’s in Spain’s Movistar.
She added: “The road race is the one I’ve always wanted – 100% my favourite discipline. I was second at Glasgow and it really hurt. It’s so nice to wear the jersey now.
“It was a very tactical race; I made sure on the climbs I was always in a position to get in the moves. I knew when the three of us got away on the final climb it would go all the way to the finish.”
Elsewhere GB’s Archie Atkinson is competing in the men’s para-cycling C4-5 road race, and Fin Graham and Ben Watson are in the men’s para C3 event.
Oliver Dawson, Seb Grindley and Elliot Rowe are hoping for success in the men’s junior road race.
