Round up of UCI World Road World Championships 2011 - Part 1
The 2011 UCI Road World Championships were held during September 19-25 as it was the 78th edition of the race. Race was first held at Nurburgring, Germany in 1927 as the Italian rider Alfredo Binda dominated the Men’s race whereas Jean Aerts of
Belgium won the Men’s amateur event.
From 1927 to 1957 only the Men’s race was held in the World Championships but in 1958 the Women’s road race was introduced in the competition. During the Second World War (1939-1945) UCI Road World Championships were absent from the international scene and
is held every year since its return in 1946.
A total number of 30 medals were up for grabs at the UCI Road World Championships 2011 as Great Britain dominated the list with six medals in the event. British riders secured two medals each for gold, silver and bronze category. Australia was second with
two gold, one silver and two bronze medals with France at third position winning two gold medals and a silver medal.
Germany was impressive at the fourth position with a total number of five medals including two gold and three bronze medals. Denmark held one medal for each category with Italy securing one gold medal to their credit. Both Belgium and New Zealand succeeded
with two silver medals each while Netherlands secured one silver and one bronze medal with Switzerland winning their only bronze medal.
UCI Road World Championships 2011 was divided into ten different races including Junior Women time trial, Under-23 Men time trial, Junior Men time trial, Elite Women time trial, Elite Men time trial, Junior Women road race, Under-23 Men road race, Junior
Men road race, Elite Women road race and finally the Elite Men road race. The event returned to Copenhagen for the fifth time after 1931, 1937, 1949, 1956 and 2011.
The first event of the race was the 13.9 kilometre Junior Women time trial held on the September 19 as Jessica Allen of Australia dominated the race. She won the first gold medal for Australia beating Elinor Barker of Great Britain and Mieke Kroger of Germany
with a lead of 2 and 3 seconds respectively. Jessica was quick enough to wind up the race in 19 minutes and 19 seconds and was the only Australian in the top 17 cyclists. Allison Rice of Australia finished 1 minute and 14 seconds behind her compatriot as she
settled at the 18th position.
Jessica shared her joy after winning the race as she said, “I got the time check at halfway that I was the fastest to the turnaround point and that really lifted me I think. The course was so technical I think that maintaining high speed into the corners
and through the corners was essential.” She further added that the weather conditions suited her perfectly and because of the buildings around the track, wind was not a factor. Urska Kalan of Slovenia, Larissa Bruhwiler of Switzerland and Marina Shmayankova
of Belarus were the last three cyclists as they finished 2:40, 2:45 and 3:14 behind the winner Jessica.
Continued in Part 2
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