Demi Vollering won the women's road race world championship in Montreal, cementing an extraordinary season for the Dutch cyclist. The 29-year-old held off a fierce challenge from Poland's Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney in a thrilling finale to claim the world title, adding it to an already impressive collection of victories from 2024.

Vollering's season includes wins at the Tour de France Femmes, Giro d'Italia Women and a series of prestigious one-day classics such as the Tour of Flanders and Liege-Bastogne-Liege. She launched her decisive attack approximately 40 kilometres from the finish but was initially caught before regaining the advantage to win in four hours 45 minutes and nine seconds. Italy's Elisa Longo Borghini secured bronze. The race was disrupted when 15 riders crashed early on a downhill section, including defending champion Magdeleine Vallieres and British cyclist Flora Perkins, with several forced to withdraw.