Posted by Editoress on 08/20/12
An exciting race, which was won by Iris Slappendel (Rabobank Women), was played out in Vargarda on Sunday August 19th. The Dutchwoman, who has never won a World Cup road race before, was delighted with her victory, which was truly deserved after her constant attacking throughout the 12 lap, 132 kilometre race. For her own part, Marianne Vos rode a tactically brilliant race and has already sealed the 2012 World Cup series, despite one round remaining.
Slappendel created the initial break on the third lap. Six riders, including Hanka Kupfernagel (Rusvelo) went with her. The gap to the bunch incresed quickly and, perhaps realising the danger, a lap later on the main climb, Marianne Vos (Rabobank Women) bridged across the gap to join the leaders. Vos had observed that her next-best competitor in the World Cup standings, Judith Arndt, was missing from the break and decided to go across, perhaps to gain some extra World Cup points if the break stayed away to the end. From there, the bunch did not see these riders again.
Slappendel attacked again and made a solo break with 3 laps to go which split the leading group. Although she gained 28 seconds and stayed away for about 8 kilometres, she could not hold off a counterattack by Linda Villumsen, which was covered by Slappendel's team-mate, Marianne Vos. The leaders then raced a fast lap, with attack after attack, each of which failed. At last, with 13 kilometres left in the race, Slappendel attacked again and was covered only by Hanka Kupfernagel. The pair battled out the final lap, with the pace taken out of the legs of the chasers by the distance already covered, the repetition of the draining climb and the fact that Marianne Vos had no reason to chase.
Coming into the finishing straight, Kupfernagel put up a brave fight, but Slappendel led from the front and crossed the line a couple of bike lengths ahead of the German. Marianne Vos won the small group sprint one minute, ten seconds later and with it, took enough points to win the World Cup 2012 overall.
Victor, Iris Slappendel, was a little stuck for words, ""Nice! Amazing! I can't believe it!", she commented about her win, adding "When we had 40 seconds. I thought, Ok, they will look to each other and to Marianne [Vos], maybe I can make it. I felt so good all day."
Olympic Champion and now World Cup winner, Vos, said afterwards that "It was not our main goal to win the World Cup today, we wanted to go for the win here in Vargarda but of course it is great to already have the win and to go next week to Plouay with some confidence and with the jersey already."
Jeroen Blijlevens (Directeur Sportif, Rabobank Women) was very happy with the victory, "I am very happy, it is not only Marianne who is winning in our team, but also the other riders. If you play the game well, you can win with the other riders. It is a double victory, because Marianne won the World Cup for sure today."
The final round of the World Cup 2012 is the GP de Plouay in Bretagne, France next week, 24th August.
Report by UCI
After 132 km | |
1 Iris Slappendel (Ned) Stichting Rabo Women Cycling Team | 3:24:47 |
2 Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) Rusvelo | at s.t. |
3 Marianne Vos (Ned) Stichting Rabo Women Cycling Team | 1:10 |
4 Shelley Olds (USA) AA Drink - Leontien.nl Cycling Team | |
5 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Team Specialized - lululemon | |
6 Emma Johansson (Swe) Hitec Products - Mistral Home Cycling Team | all s.t. |
7 Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Orica GreenEDGE | 1:14 |
8 Isabelle Söderberg (Swe) AA Drink - Leontien.nl Cycling Team | 2:08 |
9 Evelyn Stevens (USA) Team Specialized - lululemon | |
10 Linda-Melanie Villumsen (NZl) Orica GreenEDGE | both s.t. |
11 Amy Pieters (Ned) Skil 1T4I | 2:45 |
12 Nina Kessler (Ned) Dolmans - Boels Cyclingteam | 3:25 |
13 Kirsten Wild (Ned) AA Drink - Leontien.nl Cycling Team | 9:33 |
14 Judith Arndt (Ger) Orica GreenEDGE | |
15 Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) Faren Honda Team | |
16 Romy Kasper (Ger) Rusvelo | |
17 Roxane Knetemann (Ned) Stichting Rabo Women Cycling Team | |
18 Sara Mustonen (Swe) Hitec Products - Mistral Home Cycling Team | |
19 Thalita de Jong (Ned) Stichting Rabo Women Cycling Team | |
20 Jessica Kihlbom (Swe) Alriksson Go:Green | |
21 Nina Schultz Nielsen (Den) Danish National Team | |
22 Mascha Pijnenborg (Ned) Dolmans - Boels Cyclingteam | |
23 Monique van de Ree (Ned) Skil 1T4I | |
24 Emilie Moberg (Nor) Hitec Products - Mistral Home Cycling Team | |
25 Julie Leth (Den) DPD - Pakketservice | |
26 Kelly Markus (Ned) Skil 1T4I | |
27 Anouska Koster (Ned) Dolmans - Boels Cyclingteam | |
28 Sari Saarelainen (Fin) Finish National Team | |
29 Hanna Nilsson (Swe) Alriksson Go:Green | |
30 Yulia Blindyuk (Rus) Faren Honda Team | |
31 Lise Nöstvold (Nor) Hitec Products - Mistral Home Cycling Team | |
32 Jessie MacLean (Aus) Orica GreenEDGE | |
33 Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) Orica GreenEDGE | |
34 Ceclie Gotaas Johnsen (Nor) Norwegian National Team | |
35 Cathrine Grage (Den) Danish National Team | |
36 Lucinda Brand (Ned) AA Drink - Leontien.nl Cycling Team | |
37 Jessie Daams (Bel) AA Drink - Leontien.nl Cycling Team | |
38 Claudia Häusler (Ger) Orica GreenEDGE | |
39 Eleonora van Dijk (Ned) Team Specialized - lululemon | |
40 Liesbet de Vocht (Bel) Stichting Rabo Women Cycling Team | |
41 Sharon Laws (GBr) AA Drink - Leontien.nl Cycling Team | |
42 Tatiana Antoshina (Rus) Stichting Rabo Women Cycling Team | |
43 Natalia Boyarskaya (Rus) Rusvelo | |
44 Janneke Kanis (Ned) Skil 1T4I | |
45 Hildegunn Hovdenak (Nor) Norwegian National Team | |
46 Charlotte Becker (Ger) Team Specialized - lululemon | |
47 Malin Rydlund (Swe) Alriksson Go:Green | |
48 Esther Olthuis (Ned) DPD - Pakketservice | |
49 Tina Andreassen (Nor) Norwegian National Team | |
50 Ina Teutenberg (Ger) Team Specialized - lululemon | |
51 Amber Neben (USA) Team Specialized - lululemon | all s.t. |
52 Aafke Eshuis (Ned) DPD - Pakketservice | 10:15 |
53 Britt Lauenborg (Den) Danish National Team | |
54 Natalie Van Gogh (Ned) DPD - Pakketservice | |
55 Eileen Roe (GBr) DPD - Pakketservice | all s.t. |
56 Janneke Ensing (Ned) Dolmans - Boels Cyclingteam | 10:27 |
57 Irina Molicheva (Rus) Rusvelo | 10:29 |
58 Camilla Sørgjerd (Nor) Norwegian National Team | 11:11 |
59 Linn Torp (Nor) Norwegian National Team | |
60 Maija Rossi (Fin) Finish National Team | |
61 Esra Tromp (Ned) Skil 1T4I | all s.t. |
62 Martina Thomasson (Swe) DPD - Pakketservice | 12:44 |
63 Laura Van Der Kamp (Ned) Dolmans - Boels Cyclingteam | 13:40 |
64 Fie Degn Larsen (Den) Danish National Team | 14:17 |
65 Jutta Nieminen (Fin) Finish National Team | 15:53 |
66 Thea Thorsen (Nor) Hitec Products - Mistral Home Cycling Team | s.t. |
DNF Alina Bondarenko (Rus) Rusvelo | |
DNF Mette Fugl Rasmussen (Den) Danish National Team | |
DNF Myfanwy Galloway (Aus) Faren Honda Team | |
DNF Anna Lindström (Fin) Finish National Team | |
DNF Beata Sandström (Swe) Alriksson Go:Green | |
DNF Anne-Katrine Meland (Nor) Norwegian National Team | |
DNF Emma Trott (GBr) Dolmans - Boels Cyclingteam | |
DNF Elena Utrobina (Rus) Faren Honda Team | |
DNF Lotta Lepistö (Fin) Finish National Team | |
DNF Pia Pensaari (Fin) Finish National Team | |
DNF Marie Voreland (Nor) Hitec Products - Mistral Home Cycling Team | |
World Cup standings | |
1 Marianne Vos (Ned) Stichting Rabo Women Cycling Team | 260 pts |
2 Judith Arndt (Ger) Orica GreenEDGE | 176 |
3 Evelyn Stevens (USA) Team Specialized - lululemon | 125 |
4 Shelley Olds (USA) AA Drink - Leontien.nl Cycling Team | 125 |
5 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Team Specialized - lululemon | 124 |
6 Emma Johansson (Swe) Hitec Products - Mistral Home Cycling Team | 110 |
7 Kirsten Wild (Ned) AA Drink - Leontien.nl Cycling Team | 108 |
8 Iris Slappendel (Ned) Stichting Rabo Women Cycling Team | 100 |
9 Linda Melanie Villumsen (NZl) Orica GreenEDGE | 76 |
10 Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) RusVelo | 75 |
15 Kristin Armstrong (USA) Exergy Twenty12 | 50 |
18 Amber Neben (USA) Team Specialized - Lululemon | 42 |
25 Joelle Numainville (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefits | 35 |
35 Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) Vienne Futuroscope | 26 |
44 Megan Guarnier (USA) TIBCO - To The Top | 21 |
48 Clara Hughes (Can) Team Specialized - lululemon | 18 |
89 Carmen Small (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefits | 8 |
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