Swiss woman Marlen Reusser wins her second consecutive title in the time trial at the world cycling championships

Reporting by Le Monde (FR)Read the original at lemonde.fr

Executive Summary

Marlen Reusser celebrated her 35th birthday by participating in the women's time trial at the World Cycling Championships in Montreal on September 20th, where she won a present. The event took place while she held the title won the previous year in Kigali at age 34. Reusser previously achieved a double at the World Championships in Rwanda in 2025, securing 2nd in 2021 and 3rd in 2022. During the last Tour de France, she won the time trial for stage 4 and maintained the yellow jersey for three days before experiencing a fall on the heights of Nice. Following this, Reusser undertook an unusually long race where she expressed uncertainty about the strategy due to the duration. A younger competitor, Zoe Bäckstedt, was noted as having the potential to succeed Reusser in 2025.

Facts Only

* Marlen Reusser celebrated her 35th birthday on Sunday, September 20th.
* The celebration occurred at the finish line of the women's time trial at the World Cycling Championships in Montreal.
* Reusser retained the title won in Kigali at age 34.
* In Rwanda in 2025, she achieved 2nd place in 2021 and 3rd place in 2022 at the World Championships.
* The double in Rwanda involved covering 39.2 kilometers in 50 minutes and 24 seconds.
* During the last Tour de France, Reusser won the time trial for stage 4 and kept the yellow jersey for three days.
* She fell on the heights of Nice on the last day of the Tour de France.
* The participant expressed uncertainty about the strategy during a subsequent long race.
* Zoe Bäckstedt is identified as the world champion expected to be her successor in 2025.

Full Take

The narrative traces a trajectory from achieved success—retaining a unique status as the "queen of the clock"—to the uncertainty inherent in extending that dominance over longer, less competitive endeavors. The focus shifts from singular achievements to the strategic management of legacy and succession, highlighted by the context of Reusser's previous decision regarding the 2023 time trial. The tension resides between established, undisputed status and the palpable anxiety surrounding potential change, encapsulated by the uncertainty expressed about race strategy. This points to a pattern where objective success is immediately followed by self-imposed pressure in prolonged contexts. The implication for agency concerns how an established position resists fluidity, and whether the weight of past victories dictates present strategic choices rather than open exploration of new possibilities.
What does the sustained focus on "untouchable" status reveal about the psychological cost of maintaining peak performance versus embracing dynamic evolution? How is the narrative constructing a binary between static achievement and fluid adaptation in elite competition?

From the original · Le Monde (FR)

Could Marlen Reusser dream of a better gift on her birthday? For her 35th birthday, the Swiss woman gave herself a lovely present on Sunday, September 20th, at the finish line of the women's time trial of the world cycling championships, which are taking place in Montreal.

Read the full story at lemonde.fr

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