Vos back to winning in Zolder World Cup

Marianne Vos (Rabo Liv) sprinted to victory in the Heusden-Zolder women’s World Cup race. The reigning world champion held off a chase by Katerina Nash (Luna Women’s Pro Cycling) and teammate Pauline Ferrand-Prévot to win.

Vos and Prévot escaped early on with the Dutchwoman dropping her French teammate soon after. Nash missed the initial move and was the only member of a chasing group to catch the dropped Prévot. In a dramatic twist, Vos suffered a flat tyre on the penultimate lap, allowing the two to catch her, but she had enough in her reserves to attack one last time on an uphill section and powered to victory.

“I didn’t hope that it was so exciting but in the end it was a very exciting race for the spectators. I had a flat tyre but luckily I was able to change bikes,” Vos said after the race.

“I tried to attack earlier on and then Katerina Nash passed me on the uphill but on the final uphill I wanted to be in front. We came next to each other so we were very close. I was already happy with the second place in Namur but of course it is great to have a win in the World Cup.”

Sanne Cant has extended her lead in the World Cup standings after a bad day for Katie Compton, who failed to finish the race. The European champion is now back into a comfortable 29 points lead over Compton in the World Cup classification.

Vos took charge early in the race, dropping teammate Ferrand-Prévot at the end of the opening lap and started into what looked to be a long solo ride. A chase group with Cant, Eva Lechner (Rusvelo), Sabine Stultiens, Nash and Compton was already trailing by more than half a minute. While Ferrand-Prévot kept losing ground on Vos the rest was staying at more or less the same distance in the second lap.

At the end of the second lap Nash attacked the chase group and powered towards Ferrand-Prévot. Stultiens kept the duo in sight while Cant's chances were lost when she broke a spoke.

The first chasing duo seemed to be battling for second place but suddenly they had Vos back in sight, after the world champion suffered her flat tyre, when hitting the final lap. The three leaders hit the final lap with Stultiens at short distance though the young Dutch rider was never able to close the gap.

Nash wanted to get into the lead position but at a 180 degrees corner Ferrand-Prévot body-checked her onto the ground. "It was my own fault, you should always protect the inside corner. This is the danger when you take the outside of the curve," Nash said. Nevertheless Nash managed to sneak to the front position and put both Vos and Ferrand-Prévot on the defensive.

Just before the final climb Nash slid out when running a section. Vos profited and hit the final climb in front. Nash and Ferrand-Prévot were never able to get back on Vos’ wheel, and she was able to delight in the victory. Nash held off Ferrand-Prévot for second place at a handful of seconds from Vos.

Stultiens was a good fourth at 22 seconds. Lechner rolled in for fifth place at 48 seconds. Ellen Van Loy (Young Telenet-Fidea) continues her good run at the World Cup with a sixth place, moving into third place in the general classification. British riders Nikki Harris (Young Telenet-Fidea) and Helen Wyman (Kona Factory Team) failed to crack the top 10. The final round of the World Cup is held next month in Hoogerheide, Netherlands.

Full results

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#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Marianne Vos (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team0:43:24
2Katerina Nash (Cze) Luna Pro Team0:00:04
3Pauline Ferrand Prevot (Fra) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team0:00:05
4Sabrina Stultiens (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team0:00:22
5Eva Lechner (Ita) Rusvelo0:00:48
6Ellen Van Loy (Bel)0:01:31
7Sanne Cant (Bel)0:01:50
8Sophie De Boer (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team0:01:57
9Lucie Chainel-Lefevre (Fra)Row 8 - Cell 2
10Martina Mikulaskova (Cze)0:02:01
11Nikki Harris (GBr)0:02:20
12Pavla Havlikova (Cze)0:02:27
13Helen Wyman (GBr) Kona Factory TeamRow 12 - Cell 2
14Alice Maria Arzuffi (Ita) Astana Bepink Womens Team0:02:45
15Caroline Mani (Fra)0:03:00
16Sanne Van Paassen (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team0:03:05
17Christine Majerus (Lux) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team0:03:06
18Kaitlin Antonneau (USA)0:03:47
19Arley Kemmerer (USA)0:04:12
20Crystal Anthony (USA)0:04:24
21Aida Nuno (Spa) Lointek0:04:25
22Jolien Verschueren (Bel)0:04:37
23Laura Verdonschot (Bel)Row 22 - Cell 2
24Marlene Petit (Fra)0:04:48
25Githa Michiels (Bel) Trek-Kmc Trade Team0:04:52
26Lizzy Witlox (Ned)0:05:26
27Maud Kaptheijns (Ned)0:05:27
28Milena Landtwing (Swi)0:05:32
29Reza Hormes (Ned)0:05:39
30Lisa Heckmann (Ger)0:05:42
31Elizabeth White (USA)Row 30 - Cell 2
32Audrey Menut (Fra) Creuse Oxygene Scott0:05:44
33Asa Maria Erlandsson (Swe)0:05:47
34Nikola Noskova (Cze)0:06:17
35Nadja Heigl (Aut)0:06:30
36Katrien Thijs (Bel)Row 35 - Cell 2
37Erica Zaveta (USA)0:06:43
38Laura Perry (Fra)0:06:46
39Karen Verhestraeten (Bel)0:06:48
40Hannah Payton (GBr)0:06:55
41Denisa Lukesova (Cze)0:07:11
42Olatz Odriozola Mujika (Spa)0:07:19
43Lise-Marie Henzelin (Swi)0:07:59
44Julie Boucher (Fra)Row 43 - Cell 2
45Courtenay Mcfadden (USA)Row 44 - Cell 2
46Mercedes Pacios Pujado (Spa)Row 45 - Cell 2
47Christine Vardaros (USA)Row 46 - Cell 2
48Suzie Godart (Lux)Row 47 - Cell 2
49Irene Trabazo Bragado (Spa)Row 48 - Cell 2
50Margriet Helena Kloppenburg (Den)Row 49 - Cell 2
51Denisa Minarikova-Svecova (Cze)Row 50 - Cell 2
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Elite Women World Cup standings
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResultHeader Cell - Column 3
1Sanne Cant (Bel)206pts
2Katherine Compton (USA)177Row 1 - Cell 3
3Ellen Van Loy (Bel)176Row 2 - Cell 3
4Sophie De Boer (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team149Row 3 - Cell 3
5Lucie Chainel-Lefevre (Fra)146Row 4 - Cell 3
6Helen Wyman (GBr) Kona Factory Team142Row 5 - Cell 3
7Sabrina Stultiens (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team132Row 6 - Cell 3
8Nikki Harris (GBr)130Row 7 - Cell 3
9Marianne Vos (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team110Row 8 - Cell 3
10Katerina Nash (Cze) Luna Pro Team110Row 9 - Cell 3
11Martina Mikulaskova (Cze)106Row 10 - Cell 3
12Pavla Havlikova (Cze)105Row 11 - Cell 3
13Sanne Van Paassen (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team82Row 12 - Cell 3
14Pauline Ferrand Prevot (Fra) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team80Row 13 - Cell 3
15Jolien Verschueren (Bel)65Row 14 - Cell 3
16Christine Majerus (Lux) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team64Row 15 - Cell 3
17Caroline Mani (Fra)62Row 16 - Cell 3
18Eva Lechner (Ita) Rusvelo61Row 17 - Cell 3
19Githa Michiels (Bel) Trek-Kmc Trade Team60Row 18 - Cell 3
20Kaitlin Antonneau (USA)55Row 19 - Cell 3
21Aida Nuno (Spa) Lointek55Row 20 - Cell 3
22Crystal Anthony (USA)46Row 21 - Cell 3
23Rachel Lloyd (USA)43Row 22 - Cell 3
24Arley Kemmerer (USA)37Row 23 - Cell 3
25Elle Anderson (USA)35Row 24 - Cell 3
26Alice Maria Arzuffi (Ita) Astana Bepink Womens Team34Row 25 - Cell 3
27Gabriella Durrin (GBr)32Row 26 - Cell 3
28Laura Verdonschot (Bel)29Row 27 - Cell 3
29Karen Verhestraeten (Bel)27Row 28 - Cell 3
30Reza Hormes (Ned)25Row 29 - Cell 3
31Marlene Petit (Fra)24Row 30 - Cell 3
32Laura Perry (Fra)23Row 31 - Cell 3
33Loes Sels (Bel)23Row 32 - Cell 3
34Lise-Marie Henzelin (Swi)21Row 33 - Cell 3
35Meredith Miller (USA)19Row 34 - Cell 3
36Lizzy Witlox (Ned)19Row 35 - Cell 3
37Nikola Noskova (Cze)14Row 36 - Cell 3
38Nadja Heigl (Aut)13Row 37 - Cell 3
39Erica Zaveta (USA)11Row 38 - Cell 3
40Stephanie Vaxillaire (Fra)11Row 39 - Cell 3
41Asa Maria Erlandsson (Swe)11Row 40 - Cell 3
42Juliette Labous (Fra)10Row 41 - Cell 3
43Maghalie Rochette (Can) Luna Pro Team10Row 42 - Cell 3
44Katrien Thijs (Bel)9Row 43 - Cell 3
45Jessica Lambracht (Ger)8Row 44 - Cell 3
46Bianca Van Den Hoek (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team7Row 45 - Cell 3
47Lisa Heckmann (Ger)7Row 46 - Cell 3
48Amira Mellor (GBr)7Row 47 - Cell 3
49Elena Valentini (Ita) Btc City Ljubljana6Row 48 - Cell 3
50Maud Kaptheijns (Ned)4Row 49 - Cell 3
51Milena Landtwing (Swi)3Row 50 - Cell 3
52Adela Carter (GBr)3Row 51 - Cell 3
53Vendula Kuntova (Cze) Remerx-Merida Team Kolin3Row 52 - Cell 3
54Hannah Payton (GBr)2Row 53 - Cell 3
55Mercedes Pacios Pujado (Spa)1Row 54 - Cell 3

 

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