'My bike broke yesterday': Worlds TT opener raced on her team manager’s ageing bike

The 2026 UCI Road World Championships commenced with Zimbabwe's Skye Davidson embarking on the women's elite time trial. However, this race was not conducted on her usual high-tech bicycle, but rather on a 2015 Cervélo P3 borrowed from her team manager, Nathan van Vuuren. Davidson's original bike had a snapped derailleur hanger and a broken jockey wheel, issues that had occurred three times in just a week.

Despite the less-than-sleek setup, Davidson was able to compete in the race, which was her first in years. She explained that not having the pressure of racing immediately after the top competitors was a relief. The race began with Davidson riding aggressively, but she managed to find her rhythm and finished the challenging course in 40th place. She concluded that she was quite content with her performance, considering the circumstances.