Annemiek van Vleuten double triumphs, winning and clinching the overall World Cup
Following up on an amazing display of teamwork and brute force by her teammate Marianne Vos, Van Vleuten won the WC-finale in convincing style. This was her third World Cup-victory of the year and she was a very deserving winner of the series.
Top 5
1. Annemiek van Vleuten, Nederland Bloeit
2. Evie Stevens, HTC
3. Marianne Vos, Nederland Bloeit
4. Chantal Blaak, AA Drinks
5. Erinne Willock, Tibco
After some early attempts the definitive move was established about halfway into the race with a five rider group of Erinne Willock, Emma Pooley, Annemiek van Vleuten, Chantal Blaak and Evie Stevens getting a solid gap of around a minute on the peloton.
Not content with sitting in the group too long, Pooley soon attacked and got away alone with a little more than 30 km to go. This new situation sparked Marianne Vos to attack from the second chase group and she powered away to close the one minute gap very rapidly. Once she connected she went straight to the front in an effort to pull her teammate Van Vleuten back up to Pooley who was still riding strongly at that point. What followed was basically a drag race between Pooley and Vos, who led the group about 95% of the time.
Going out on the last lap Pooley had a gap of about 30 seconds but Vos chipped away at it very methodically and just before the last big climb 4km from the finish she had closed the gap with the group of four on her wheel. At the back of that group was HTC's Evie Stevens who had been looking like she was struggling to hold on when Vos drove the pace up but on the hill she launched a powerful attack that only Van Vleuten was able to match. Pooley dropped off and Vos, visibly spent from her long chase, settled back in a group with Willock and Blaak.
On the upper part of the hill Stevens pushed hard to ride Van Vleuten off her wheel but the Nederland Bloeit rider fought hard to stay in contact and just managed to stay with Stevens over the top. Then on the run-in Stevens kept at the front to maintain the small gap while Van Vleuten calmly sat on her wheel knowing she had the better sprint. In the end it was never a contest with Annemiek van Vleuten launching a long sprint to arrive solo at the finish.
In the post-race comments the World Cup winner was quick to praise the effort and teamwork of Vos who sacrificed herself completely to set up Van Vleuten but who also had enough to sprint to a third place and complete yet another spectacular day for the dominant Nederland Bloeit team.
Top 20
- Annemiek van Vleuten 03.12.28
- Evelyn Stevens +3 sec
- Marianne Vos +6
- Chantal Blaak +46
- Erinne Willock +49
- Emma Pooley +1.06
- Judith Arndt +5.45
- Joelle Numainville s.t.
- Rasa Leleivyte s.t.
- Emma Johansson s.t.
- Ashleigh Moolman s.t.
- Claudia Häusler s.t.
- Lucinda Brand s.t
- Grace Verbeke s.t.
- Tatiana Antoshina s.t.
- Flavia Oliveira s.t.
- Trixi Worrack s.t.
- Megan Guarnier s.t
- Elisa Longo Borghini s.t
- Tetyana Riabchenko +6.12