September 22/12 8:29 am - Road World Championships: Elite Women's Road Race UPDATES

Posted by Editoress on 09/22/12
 

The Elite women are now on course for their 128.8 km (8 laps) race through the Dutch countryside which includes 8 trips up the Cauberg, just 2 km before the finishline.

 

The 132 starters include 5 Canadians: Lex Albrecht, Karol-Ann Canuel, Leah Kirchmann, Veronique Labonte and Joelle Numainville

 

Defending Champion is Giorgia Bronzini (Italy) has 7 teammates hoping to put her first across the line in what would be her 3rd consecutive win at Worlds. Olympic gold medalist Marianne Vos (Netherlands), also with 7 teammates, will be looking for redemption after finishing 2nd for the last 5 times at Worlds.

 

Lap 1  8:54 am

Team USA is sticking close to the front and as they cross the line to start lap 2, the bunch is all together, looking like they are out for a weekend tour.

 

Lap completed in 24:38

Isabelle Soderberg (Sweden) 1st across.  Kirchmann 19th, Canuel 33rd, Numainville 82nd, Labonte 83rd, Albrecht 121st

 

Lap 2 

The front bunch is keeping the pace brisk, but there's not much action.  Many of the roads are narrow, so not much chance to move up from the back.

 

There are 5 former Road World Champions in this race - Bronzini ('11 & '10), Guderzo ('09), Cooke ('08), Vos ('06) and Arndt ('04)

 

Lap 3

Big crash just before the finish straight taking down a LOT of riders.  A Czech rider in the front middle of the bunch touched wheels with an Italian who waved, the Czech rider crashed taking down latter 1/2 the bunch...s they went down all across the road.

 

Numainville, Labonte and Kirchman through ok, but Albrecht and Canuel are now 30 sec back

60 riders through but the rest are 18+ sec back

Notable riders:  Emma Pooley, Shelly Olds, Eleonora van Dijk, Noemi Cantele, Amber Neben

 

 

9:30 am

 

1/2 way throught the 3rd lap and there is an attack with 6 away

Megan Guarnier (United States), Rossella Ratto (Italy), Jessie Maclean (Australia), Jessica Kihlbom (Sweden), Lucinda Brand (Netherlands) and Charlotte Becker (Germany)

 

They have 3 sec on Nicole Cooke chasing

 

9:36 am

All together

 

But there are still a large number of riders chasing hard to get back on after that crash

 

Lead bunch up the Cauberg for the 3rd time.  The Dutch at the front setting the pace.  A lot of the riders in the crash are making it back into the group.

 

Germany applying pressure at the front and the peloton is well strung out as they head to start the 4th lap.  Ina Teutenberg (Germany) has been having a mechanical issue and it seems her team is unaware of it.

 

Lap 4 start  9:44 am

Bunch is 96 riders now with all the Canadian's there.  Kirchman keeping up near the front.

 

9:46 am 

A Dutch rider, Loes Gunnewijk, having a dig now, and has opened a gap.  Germany's Wild chases her down.

 

Attacks are starting now.  The Dutch and Germans are particularly active.  The pelton is getting well strung out

 

A US rider and Emma Pooley at the front now

 

A stiff headwind is making  success difficult.

 

9:56 am

56.3 km done and they seem to have settled down again.

 

Another Dutch rider, Lucinda Brand,  goes over the 1st climb and the Italians and Germans are now chasing

 

Teutenberg and Worrack make the catch and Adrie Visser (Netherlands) goes

 

10am

A US, German and Dutch rider now have a small gap

 

They have been joined by 3 more and the gap is increasing,  Pooley at the front of the bunch, but not getting much help

Noemi Cantele (Italy), Kristin McGrath (United States), Larisa Pankova (Russia), Charlotte Becker (Germany), Sharon Laws (Great Britain)Annemiek van Vleuten (Netherlands)

 

10:08 am

Front group now 10  but look about to be caught? as they head out onto Lap 5.  Pack at just 7 sec

Numainvile, Kirchman and Canuel in the chase group

 

Labonte in 2nd  group at 15 sec and Albrecht at 26 sec

 

Lap 5  10:10 am

 

10:14 am

Looks like they are all together now.  Brits at the front Cooke, Pooley and Harris.

Attacks are continuing

 

10:18 am

Australian rider jumps off the front and stretches out the pelton as they chase

 

10:20 am

All together on the 1st, Bemelerberg, climb

 

10:24 am

5 riders away over the top:  Amber Neben (USA), Rachel Neylan (Australia), Anna van der Breggen (Netherlands), Charlotte Becker (Germany), Rossella Ratto (Italy)

 

gap is 15+ seconds and pelton not chasing.

 

10:27 am

Gap up to 25 sec

 

10:30 am

Break on the Cauberg

 

Neben doing a lot of the work in the lead group

 

10:33 am,

Lap 6 start, with 3 to go,     time 2:03:32

Gap at 27 sec

 

10:36 am

Gap over 30 sec

 

10:38 am

Gap 38 sec.  Neben is pushing the pace with 44 km to go

 

10:46 am

Gap 41 sec

27 riders have retired: including 2 of the Dutch team, 2 of the British team, Shelly Olds (USA),

 

10:55

 

Up the Cauberg now and it apears?  that the gap to the leaders are getting smaller

 

Vos attacks up the climb and is heading across to the lead bunch

 

Lap 7 start

 

Lead bunch now 7 with the addition of Marianne Vos (Netherlands) who attacked and went across on the Cauberg and Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy) has crossed as well

 

The gap as they head out on the 2nd last lap is 15 sec to a small chase group of 7: Johansson, Pooley, de Vocht, Van Vleuten, Bronzini and Kozonchuk

and 22 sec to another bunch of 23

Numainville and Canuel in 2nd chase group:

Kirchman at 26 sec

Labonte at 43 sec

Albrecht over 3 min back

 

11:05 am

Leaders have now stretched out the gap to over 1 min to a chasing Larisa Pankova (Russia)

 

Peloton is at 1:27

 

11:12 am

Pooley is now leading a small chase group trying to close the gap

 

11:16 am

19.5 km to go gap to peloton 2:08

 

Attack on the Cauberg:  Ratto, Neylan and Vos

 

 

Neben who did a lot of work earlier is forced to chase with Van der Breggen on her wheel

 

Front group down to 5 now?, 2 Dutch, Aussie, American, Italian

 

Starting last lap

 

Leaders now 5:  Longo Borghini, Neben, Neylen, Vos, Van der Breggen

Ratto has been dropped  at 22 sec,  Becker at 44 sec

 

11:26 am

Van der Breggen and Vos at the front driving the break.  Neben sitting on the back, struggling after doing so much work early on?

 

11:30 am

9.3 km to go

 

A lot of PRESSURE on Vos today. 2012 Olympic champ and 5 times 2nd place at World Champs since her last win in 2006

 

11:32 am

1/2 way through the final lap, Vos at the front with Longo Borghini on her wheel.

Former break member Ratto at 1:55

Becker at 2:36

Peloton at 4:25

 

11:38 am

The Dutch are starting to play games.  van der Breggen jumps and forces the other 3 to chase as Vos sits on

 

3.8 km to go

 

11:41 am

Neylen attacks on Cauberg, Vos jumps on ther wheel and Longo Borghini

 

Vos goes!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Course Profile

Course

 

 

 

 

 

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