GB's Ferguson wins junior road race & Graham C3 title

Ferguson (left) is considered one of the world's brightest young cycling talents while Graham is a Paralympic champion

Great Britain's Cat Ferguson won the junior road race in challenging conditions at the UCI Road and Para-Road Cycling World Championships.

There was further success for Britain when Fin Graham won the Para C3 road race ahead of team-mate Ben Watson.

Eighteen-year-old Ferguson beat Paula Ostiz of Spain in Zurich, Switzerland, to claim the gold medal and coveted rainbow jersey.

"Paula is super good, but I felt I had the edge on her," said Ferguson after crossing the line.

"I'm an only child, it's just me and my mum and dad. They've been there through everything. They're the first people I see when I cross the finish line - it made me cry."

Slovakia's Viktoria Chladonova was third with Britain's Imogen Wolff sixth, one minute 26 seconds behind Ferguson following an earlier crash.

Graham's win comes after his gold medal at the Paralympics in Paris last month.

"[It's] special to now be Para and world champion," said Graham. "It was classic British conditions and it showed with two British guys up front.

"There was over 1,000 metres of climbing and 70-odd kilometres - that's a lot of climbing. But descending in the wet, we're better than other nations, because we have experience.

"It's class to be able to ride with Ben and for him to get on the podium."

Great Britain's Archie Atkinson finished fifth in the men's Para-cycling C4-5 road race.

Meanwhile, GB's Sebastian Grindley finished second in the men's junior road race, two minutes and five seconds behind Italy's Lorenzo Finn.

A star in the making

Ferguson is highly rated in the growing Women's World Tour and rides for one of the sport biggest team's in Spain's Movistar.

She added: "The road race is the one I've always wanted - 100% my favourite discipline. I was second at Glasgow [in the 2023 World Championships] and it really hurt. It's so nice to wear the jersey now.

"It was a very tactical race; I made sure on the climbs I was always in a position to get in the moves. I knew when the three of us got away on the final climb it would go all the way to the finish."