Canada’s Rafaelle Carrier earns 16th in junior world ‘cross championship

Quebec rider fights hard after difficult opening lap in Czechia

Rob Sturney February 3, 2024

Canadian Junior Rafaelle Carrier came 16th in the first individual race of the 2024 UCI Cyclocross World Championships in Tabor, Czechia on Saturday. She had to overcome problems on Lap 1 of three that saw her as far down as 23rd. France’s Celia Gery, third last year, took the rainbow jersey in a battle with the other two pre-race favourites on a heavy, muddy course.

The favorites were the three junior women who posted the best lap times in Friday’s team relay: France’s Celia Gery, this season’s Junior World Cup victor and third last year; Brit Cat Ferguson and Slovakian Viktoria Chladonova.

The Canadian contingent consisted of Carrier, Lily Rose Marois, Nico Knoll, Aislin Hallahan and Dorothee Perron, five out of 53 athletes.

Carrier in action in Friday’s team relay.

Carrier started on the second row. Chladonova led up the first ramp on Lap 1. Carrier was eighth and Marois 19th early on the opening circuit. Straight away the pre-race favourites were the riders vying for the title, with Chladonova’s teammate Sofia Ungerova driving the long string. Carrier ran into some kind of difficulty that dropped her down to 23rd and she had to fight upstream after that. Chladonova, Ferguson and Gery completed the first 3.45-km lap in 12:20, 9 seconds clear of Czech Katerina Douderova. Carrier was 20th and Marois 24th.

It was Gery, Ferguson and Chladonova all day long.

Chladonova, Gery and Ferguson carried on together on Lap 2 of 3. By the midway point Dutch rider Puck Lagenbarg was their closest pursuer 27 seconds in arrears. The Slovakian had to close a gap in the lap’s latter half. After the second circuit, Carrier was 15th and Marios 30th.

Chladonova pried open a gap at the beginning of the bell lap, but Gery and Cat pulled her back. Ferguson was the only rider in the trio not to take a fresh bike for the race’s conclusion. Gery pushed hard at the 35-minute mark and Chladonova was the one who suffered the most. The French rider kept clear of Ferguson to hoist the gold.

2024 UCI Cyclocross World Championships, Jr. Women
Gold) Celia Gery (France) 37:01
Silver) Cat Ferguson (Great Britain) +0:05
Bronze) Viktoria Chladonova (Slovakia) +0:14
16) Rafaelle Carrier (Canada) +3:08
31) Lily Rose Marois (Canada) +4:18
44) Aislin Hallahan (Canada) +6:00
46) Nico Knoll (Canada) +6:19
51) Dorothee Perron (Canada) +8:52