Helensburgh welcomes women's elite race

Today the UCI Road World Championships came to Helensburgh!

Check out Saturday's photos of the start of the Women's Elite Road Race.

All photos: Lachy Starling/Silly Studios

An incredible win

Dutch rider Annemiek van Vleuten overcame a broken elbow to win the women’s elite road race at the UCI 2022 Road World Championships in Wollongong.

Van Vleuten fractured her right elbow in a crash during the opening stage of Wednesday’s mixed relay team time trial and since then there have been doubts over whether she’d even be able to compete in the 164.3km road race.

In the end, she was simply too good an athlete and held off a five-rider move in the final minutes of the race to take the victory.

Belgium’s Lotte Kopecky was second, while Silvia Persico of Italy finished in third place.

On September 25, the final day of competition, the much-anticipated men’s elite road race will start in Helensburgh and finish in Marine Drive, Wollongong.

The 266.9km total race distance will include one Mount Keira loop, and 12 loops of the Wollongong City Circuit.

The event will bring to a close the UCI 2022 Road World Championships.

Find the race schedule here, a spectator guide here and road closure maps here.