Josie Knight lined out with the best in the world today. And while crash injuries forced her out but she'll be back, and has this summer marked herself out as a young rider who should become a priority rider for Cycling Ireland (Photo by Sirotti, homepage photo by Sean Rowe)
By Brian Canty
Ireland’s Josie Knight was forced to withdraw from this morning’s junior women’s road race at the World Championships in Ponferrada, Spain, because of the injuries she sustained in a crash during Monday’s time trial.
It was bitterly disappointing for the O’Leary’s Stone Kanturk CC rider who was clearly in difficulty on the opening lap as she struggled to keep pace on the hills.
Knight, still a first year junior, battled on gamely as best she could but eventually she would call it a day on the second of four laps.
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It’s a real pity for her because she had come into these championships in superb form, having won a silver medal in the pursuit at the European Track Championships during the summer.
And only for her crash on Monday, when she went down hard on her right side after slipping in dreadful conditions, she could have given a much better account of herself.
She was 37th; just over a minute and a half behind winner Macy Stewart of Australia.
Knight said afterwards she felt a top 15 or even top 10 would have been possible as she ceded over a minute when she crashed and was then forced to stop again.
Amalie Dideriksen takes her second world junior title in a row on a sunny morning in Spain (Photo: Sirotti)
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Given the amount of road rash she sustained, being fully fit for this morning’s road race was perhaps never realistic.
And though she lined up, the pace of the opening lap had her in real difficulty.
However, while she eventually abandoned today, she has banked invaluable experience. And having already won a medal at a major championships hopefully she will now get the support she deserves to come back next year and have another go while still a junior.
Today’s race came down to a bunch sprint from a reduced group of around 20 riders – something that could well happen in Sunday’s elite men’s road race.
Danish rider Amalie Dideriksen won gold for the second year running when she beat off the challenges of Italy’s Sofia Bertizzolo and Agnieszka Skalniak of Poland.
The peloton remained largely together for the first three of four laps on the 18.2km loop, but then came the fireworks when the Italian team drove a furious pace up the final climb to try and distance some of the big favourites.
Bertizzolo went clear with her teammate Sofia Beggin but Dideriksen stayed cool and bridged across. Mainly with the help of team mate Pernille Mathiesen, who was second in Monday’s TT.
The two Italians hesitated – when perhaps they should have driven it at the front – and the race regrouped going down the climb, paving the way for a group sprint.
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