Reusser Sends a Warning Shot: Gatineau TT Win Puts the World on Notice

Four days out from the biggest time trial of the year, Marlen Reusser did not coast into taper mode. She raced. And she won — convincingly — at the Chrono Féminin de Gatineau on Wednesday, September 16, making it abundantly clear that the defending world time trial champion arrives in Montréal in the form of her life.

The Swiss Movistar rider beat Felicity Wilson-Haffenden and Lauretta Hanson over the 22.2 km UCI 1.1 course in Gatineau, Quebec, sending a sharp signal to every rider lining up against her on Sunday September 20. For anyone hoping Reusser might show up to Worlds slightly off the boil, the Gatineau result is unwelcome news.

What the Gatineau Course Tells Us (And What It Doesn't)

Gatineau and the Worlds TT course in Montréal are very different animals, and it's important not to simply map one result onto the other. The Gatineau course runs 22.2 km and is considerably more rolling, with repeated gradient changes that reward punchy accelerations as much as pure sustained power. The Montréal elite women's course is nearly double the distance at 39.2 km, with only 220 metres of elevation gain — a largely flat, aerodynamically demanding effort that rewards riders who can settle into a locked aero position and maintain speed over a long duration.

In other words, Gatineau is a fantastic dress rehearsal for feel, equipment, and race sharpness — but it is not a perfect predictor of the finishing order on Sunday. What it does offer is real competitive data in conditions that matter: on Canadian roads, under pressure, on race day.

Reusser's 2026 Season in Numbers

The Gatineau win is the latest data point in what has been a dominant year against the clock for Reusser. She has won six of the last seven individual time trials she has entered, with her only defeat coming in a predominantly uphill effort. The highlights:

• Tour de Suisse Women (June): Won the 23.7 km Stage 4 TT in Aarburg, beating Zoe Bäckstedt by 11 seconds and every other rider by more than 50 seconds — a performance that moved her into yellow and laid the foundation for her third overall GC victory.
• Tour de France Femmes (August): Won the 21 km Stage 4 TT from Gevrey-Chambertin to Dijon, beating Demi Vollering by 18 seconds and Bäckstedt by 20 seconds, pulling on yellow jersey for three days.
• Chrono Féminin de Gatineau (September 16): Another victory, adding competitive sharpness at the perfect moment.

For context, the 2025 Worlds TT was held in Kigali, Rwanda — a climbing-heavy course where Reusser still managed to outpace Anna van der Breggen and Vollering to take gold. Montréal's flat, fast profile should suit her even better.

Who Can Actually Challenge Her?

For all the numbers pointing toward Reusser, the Montréal race is not a formality. Three riders stand between her and back-to-back rainbow jerseys.

Zoe Bäckstedt is the most intriguing threat. The 21-year-old British champion has won three of five time trials this season and finished second to Reusser at Tour de Suisse. She is powerful, improving rapidly, and has the raw speed to be dangerous. The big question is whether she can sustain her numbers over the full 39.2 km — a substantially longer effort than most of the races where she has already excelled. If she reaches the final 10 km still producing the same power as the opening half, she has genuine podium potential.

Demi Vollering is not the archetypal time trialist, but her TT record makes her impossible to discount. She finished third at the TdFF time trial and third at the 2025 Worlds. She is also the overwhelming favourite for the elite women's road race the following weekend, so expect her team to manage the balance — but Vollering at a World Championships is never truly off the pace.

Lieke Nooijen has spent the second half of 2026 focusing almost exclusively on time trialling, finished second to Reusser at the TdFF TT, and is arguably the dark horse of the field. She will not be distracted by road race ambitions.

The Montréal Course: Key Technical Details

• Start: Avenue du Parc, Montréal
• Finish: Parc Jeanne-Mance, Montréal
• Distance: 39.2 km
• Elevation gain: 220 metres
• Start time: 09:00 local / 14:00 BST, Sunday September 20

The course passes through the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve section — a flat, wide, fast stretch where aerodynamics and position will be decisive. There are long uninterrupted segments where pure power matters less than the ability to stay narrow, stay smooth, and bleed zero speed through the turns. Reusser's capacity to hold an elite aero position for extended periods is well established. That is a significant structural advantage on this specific layout.

What This Means for Your Riding

If you're a time triallist or anyone trying to go fast against the clock, Reusser's season is a masterclass in compounding specificity: she has not just trained for time trialling — she has raced TTs, repeatedly, at the highest level, right up to the edge of the target event. The Gatineau race was not a risk; it was a final calibration.

For the enthusiast rider, the practical takeaway is straightforward. Before your next A-event TT or time-crunched gran fondo, consider whether a short, race-sharp effort in the days prior — not a rest week of easy spinning — might leave you more dialled in than over-tapered. Reusser's results suggest that staying sharp beats going stale. Sunday in Montréal will show whether the form she's carried all season holds under the ultimate pressure.