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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