September 26/09 3:49 am - Road World Championships - Women's Road Race UPDATES

Posted by Editoress on 09/26/09
 

Coverage of the 2009 World Championships made possible with the support of Shimano

The Women are currently on lap 3 of 9.  124.2 km of racing today

After a week of sunshine and warm perfect weather for racing, rain has arrived in Mendrisio.  This is making the course for today's event s somewhat dicey, especially with a large field of 127 with riders of varying abilities.

At the end of the 2nd lap there were already over 30 riders dropped from the peloton.  Testroete and Logan are 5 min back.

On the first 2 laps, Ina Teutenberg (Germany ) made a couple af attempts, and at the end of the 2nd lap had a 5 second gap on the peloton, but she was brought back shortly after the start of the 3rd lap. 

Ther have been a number of crashes and riders that have gone down include defending champion Nicole Cooke

Erinne Willock sitting 55th, Joelle Numainville 60th, Tara Whitten 89th.

4:15am EST

They are about to finish the 3rd lap, and the main bunch is all together after another attempt by Germany's Ina Teutenberg

As they cross the line  it is still a group of 90 together being led by Ina Teutenberg (Germany), Loes Gunnewijk (Netherlands), Liesbet De Vocht (Belgium), Luisa Tamanini (Italy), Tiffany Cromwell (Australia) who have a 7 sec gap on the field. 

Erinne Willock sitting 58th, Joelle Numainville 72nd, Tara Whitten 76th.  Heather Logan 109th at 12:16 back. Julie Beveridge and Alison Testroete appear to have dropped out

Lap times are ~ 23 min

4:25 am EST

Up over the climb for Lap 4 and the bunch is starting to seperate.  There is a group of ~ 20 leading.  In it are German, Swiss, British, Italian riders.  They have ~ 20 seconds on a chase group

4:45 am EST

Now on lap 5.  The weather is deteriorating.  The group at the front is now 40 riders.  with a gap of 23 sec on 3 chasers then another 5 sec to a larger group.

Willock and Whitten are in the lead bunch . As are Longo, Ziliute, Cantele, Worrack, Vos, Villumsen, Martisova, Luperini, Abbott, Armstrong, Pooley, World Cup winner Emma Johansson

Numainville is 73rd at 1:03 back , in a small group with Cooke

The attacks are starting on the climbs, with the Italians being the most aggressive

5am EST

End of lap 5

Willock still with the lead bunch, but Whitten is struggling a bit on the climbs and sliding back to the back of the lead group.

Judith Arndt has joined the front group and immediately goes on the attack up the climb,

The weather has suddenly taken a turn to the .. GOOD.  The sun is now shining, which should make the final laps more exciting.

Alison Testroete, Heather Logan, Julie Beveridge confirmed as DNF

5:15am EST

Now on Lap 6

Arndt's attack shattered the group at the beginning of the lap, but it has slowly come back together, although smaller.

Willock is still in there .  Whitten was dropped, and is at 20 sec with a chase group that will reel them in by lap's end.

Lap 7  5:30 am EST

As they start the 7th lap Longo leads the group of 34 across.  Willock and Whitten are the last 2 across.  In the lead group are: Arndt, Brandli, Luperini, Pite, Johansson, Ziliute, Cantele, Worrack, Abbott, Armstrong, Vos, Martisova, Polley, Pucinskaite,  just to name a few and all are capable of winning

Up the climb again and riders that had caught on at the end of the lap, are again coming off the back. 

Noemi Cantele (Italy) has attacked and gone clear with a 20 sec gap. Poley and Armstrong are leading the chase.  Erinne Willock is in the group, but Whitten has been dropped

Lap 8 - 5:50 am EST

Cantele still away with about a 20 second lead as they hit the line to start the 8th lap.  Chase group is smaller, now about a 2 dozen (?) riders?. 

Willock is still there, as are Abbott, Brändli, Arndt, Ziliute, Johansson, Luperini, Worrack, Pucinskaite,  Pooley, Vos, Villumsen.

Longo has been dropped.  There are now only 56 riders still "racing" although the majority are over 2 min back .  Whitten is 47th, but 2:04 back

2 to go

6 am EDT

Up the climb Cantel's lead dropped to 5 seconds and Villumsen jumped and caught her.  Vos and Nicole Brändli jump to and now there are 4 at the front.

Over the top of the climb and riders crossed to the lead group form the chase group, now ~ 15 leaders. 

Last lap.

Villumsen with a 4 sec gap on the lead group of 17 as they hit the line to start the final lap. Willock is still in there sitting 7th

Villumsen caught on the climb

Lots of attacks, but nothing is sticking.  The sprinters will be sitting on, waiting for their chance.  This is a perfect set up for Vos, who has won 2 World Championships (Road and Cross) by sitting on a wheel and going at the end.

6:20 am

An Italian rider attacks again and has a gap

Armstrong and Vos are chasing.

The Italian is Tatiana Guderzo and her gap to 3 chasers (Armstong, Vos and Cantele) is about 5 sec.  The 2nd chase group has the remainder of the field (including Willock) at about 20 sec.

 6:30 am

At the top of the last climb. Guderzo has INCREASED her gap to the 3 chasers.  It is now 20 sec.  If she can hold off the group, she will take the win.

Final

Unofficial

1 Tatiana Guderzo (Italy )

2 Marianne Vos (Netherlands )

3 Noemi Cantele (Italy )

4 Kristin Armstrong (United States Of America )

7 Erinne Willock (Canada )