Despite being the youngest rider in the under-23 category at not yet 19, Viktória Chladoňová (Slovakia) came away with the most medals in her age group at the Road World Championships, finishing second in both the time trial and road race.
Chladoňová, who races for Visma-Lease a Bike on the road, only graduated from the junior category last year – she also took double medals at the 2024 World Championships – and has impressed immensely, capping off the year with two silver medals in Kigali.
The Slovakian was the only rider to podium in both events, and one of only two riders to finish in the top 10 in both, the other being Alena Ivanchenko (Independent Neutral Athletes).
Chladoňová may not have taken a pro win in her first year like her former junior rival Cat Ferguson, but the 18-year-old stepped up to the under-23 category to enormous success, despite being up against riders three or four years older than her, who have had multiple seasons in the WorldTour.
"If you believe in yourself, everything is possible," she said was the lesson she would take home from these World Championships after finishing second in the road race.
"I'm super happy with two silver medals, because I'm first time in the under-23 category, and to go home with two silver medals from this World Championships is something amazing and I can't believe it."
Much of the women's under-23 road race was a tactical standoff, with riders relying on the hard parcours to whittle things down instead of attacking, but Chladoňová was attacking and active until the end, despite having to come back from a crash.
"In the last 500 metres I tried to take advantage in the uphill part and I started sprinting early, but maybe I should have started later, but I tried to do my best," she said of the finale. "Also, in the last two laps on the first climb, I tried to attack and make the bunch smaller. So I think I gave everything and I'm super happy with this silver medal."
Despite coming from one of the smaller teams in the race, Chladoňova did not hold back from being active against the bigger teams, and in the end, she took advantage of the French two-up attack to secure the silver.
"I think the French team had a really good tactic, and when Marion [Bunel] attacked I tried to follow, and Célia [Gery] was behind me and we had a gap, so I was happy that we had a gap," she explained. "In the last few hundred metres, I think Marion from the French team gave everything for Celia. I'm also super happy that I was in the situation because it secured me a medal."
Whilst other riders suffered in the heat and altitude on Thursday – only 35 riders finished from 81 starters – Chladoňová said the hard conditions played into her advantage.
"With the heat, it wasn't that bad because the sun at one point wasn't shining so much. With the altitude, I don't have a problem with the altitude at all, so I think it was to my advantage. Also, last year in Andorra I was at altitude, and I felt really good, so I think that also helped that it was at altitude," she said.
Chladoňova may have been the youngest rider on the under-23 startlists, and maybe a name that flew under some radars, but with two silver medals to her name, she's certainly going to be a rider to remember from this Championships.
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