Wet and cold conditions made for a challenging day for junior female and male riders at the UCI road world championships in Zurich, Switzerland today.

The New Zealand riders finished mid-field in both the junior women’s race over 74kms with over 900n of climbing and junior men’s race of 127km with 1.8km climbing, working from the start in Uster for both races, onto the Zurich city loops.

The conditions made for a demanding test of survival with a break with 47km to go proving the major move in the junior women, with the kiwi contingent caught with the move. They rode strongly but could not bridge up to the leaders with Great Britain’s Cat Ferguson winning the three-way sprint finish to claim the road title after winning the time trial earlier this week.

National champion Kirsty Watts (Christchurch) led the way 5:27 down on the winner along with Auckland’s Ava Maddison, both riding for the Black Magic team on campaign in Europe. Alex Rawlinson Elena Worrall from Counties Manukau and Alex Rawlinson from Tauranga were in successive groups to finish further back.

Conditions had not improved for the junior men, who raced a similar junction from Uster to the city circuit, with 1800m of climbing in the significantly challenging conditions.

The race split into smaller groups in the slippery and wet conditions on the street circuit where Italy’s Lorenzo Finn prevailed in a solo attack to win by more than two minutes.

Best of the kiwis was Hamilton’s Josh Cavanagh who produced an outstanding ride to finish in the third select group 11:13 down on the winner in 36th with national champion Reef Roberts in the following group in 50th.

The race was split into several small groups and a significant number failing to finish.

Tomorrow is the under-23 men’s road race over 173kms with Lewis Bower, the Groupama-FDJ professional, the sole kiwi rider, as is Cambridge-based Eltje Malzbender, chasing another Par Cycling medal in the T1 women’s road race.

Results:

Junior women road race (74km): Cat Ferguson (GBR) 1:54.48, 1; Paula Ostiz Taco (ESP( same time, 2; Victoria Chladonova (SVK) same time, 3. NZ riders: Kirsty Watts at 5:27, 42; Ava Maddison same time, 54; Alex Rawlinson at 7:45, 61; Elena Worrall at 13:25, 94.

Junior men road race (127km): Lorenzo Finn (ITA) 2:57.05, 1; Sebastian Grindley (GBR) at 2:05, 2; Senna Remijn (NED) at 3:06, 3. NZ Riders: Josh Cavanagh at 11:13, 36; Reef Roberts at 14:18, 50;