Cycling Road World Championships 2024: women’s elite race – live

127km to go: Our leading trio are on the first noteworthy climb of the day, which has a maximum gradient of 18.9%. The rain continues to pour down making the road, which is littered with fallen leaves from nearby trees, seriously greasy.

128km to go: There’s a crash at the back of the peloton and Rwanda’s Jazilla Mwamikazi and Germany’s Hannah Ludwig are among the riders to go down. Ludwig needs a new bike, while Mwamikazi looks to be in pain and is also waving frantically for mechanical assistance.

130km to go: Tiffany Keep (South Africa) is struggling to put much of a dent into the following bunch as she attempts to catch our leading trio. The gap is 1min 42sec.

134km to go: South African rider Tiffany Keep has jumped off the front of the peloton and is trying to bridge across to the breakaway. The gap is 1min 21sec as the riders meander towards the first climb of note.

138km to go: Our lead trio of Caroline Baur (Switzerland), Sara Martin (Spain) and Nina Berton (Luxembourg) extend the gap to 1min 12sec. It’s still pouring rain but a lot of the riders have removed their rain jackets having been out on the road for long enough to warm up.

142km to go: Defending champion Lotte Kopecky is fourth from the front of the main bunch, staying out of any potential trouble by holding a prominent position.

144km to go: The gap between our leading trio and the rest of the field is down to 38 seconds as the peloton negotiates a tight right turn including several bits of street furniture.

149km to go: We have a three-woman breakaway who have opened a gap of a minute on the peloton. They are Caroline Baur (Switzerland), Sara Martin (Spain) and Nina Berton (Luxembourg).

At the back of the field, Afghanistan rider Yulduz Hashimi has hit the deck. The filthiness of the conditions today cannot be overstated. The weather is awful. It’s also worth noting that the competitors in today’s race are not using radios and can’t be fed information from their team cars about what’s going on in front of, or behind them.

The roll-out begins: With rain tipping down on a bitterly cold day in Uster, the flag drops and the riders begin their roll-out. Most are wearing rain jackets with long sleeves as they attempt to manage the adverse conditions. Here’s hoping they all come back safe and sound.

A minute’s silence: Ahead of today’s roll-out, the riders, race officials and spectators gathered at the start have just observed a minute’s silence in memory of Muriel Furrer, the young Swiss cyclist who died yesterday. These world championships are going ahead with the blessing of the 18-year-old’s family.

Brit-watch: There are six British riders starting today’s race, led by Olympic silver medal-winning time-triallist Anna Henderson. The 25-year-old from Hemel Hempstead will be supported by Elinor Barker, Elizabeth Holden, Josie Nelson, Claire Steels and Alice Towers.

Great Britain has sent a 55-strong team of cyclists to this year’s road and para-road events which have been taking place all week and culminate with the women’s and men’s road races today and tomorrow.

Team GB have won 13 medals so far across various categories, with Sarah Storey, Cat Ferguson, Felix Barrow and Fran Brown taking gold. Elinor Barker and Tom Pidcock will be hoping to join them on the top step of the podium over the next couple of days.

Remembering the late Muriel Furrer

Lotte Kopecky and Demi Vollering: The two favourites for today’s race are representing different countries today, but are usually fiercely competitive teammates with SD Worx–Protime.

They have 28 wins between them this season, most recently finishing first (Kopecky) and second (Vollering) in the Tour de Romandie Feminien, a three-stage race which the Belgian won by six seconds.

Women’s road race: Uster to Zurich (154km)