Bronzini wins second consecutive road world championship title

Giorgia Bronzini (Italy) retained her title in the UCI World Championships with a perfectly timed sprint in the women's road race. The Italian beat Marianne Vos (Netherlands) and Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (Germany) to the line. Great Britain's Nicole Cooke finished fourth. For Vos, it was another Worlds disappointment. In previous years, she has won once and finished second five times.

As she crossed the line Vos couldn't hide her frustration and threw her arms down, while Bronzini raised hers in celebration. In truth, both women rode the perfect race - hiding from the wind all day and using their teammates to chase down any danger up ahead.

Both riders had leadout trains lining up around the final corner, and it looked as though Vos would pull on the road race rainbow jersey for the first time since 2006 as they headed into the final 300 meters. However, Vos appeared to pick the wrong wheel and was forced to swerve around Teutenberg. It cost her all her momentum and despite a late push for the line, she was unable to overhaul Bronzini.

"In the finale, I had Baccaille, and I asked her to start the sprint early and strong," the Italian said.

"I believed in the race and the podium, but I thought the jersey was impossible because my season had been low, but maybe when I wear the Italian jersey, I feel something, like I have more energy."

The exciting finale was a contrast to the majority of the race. So far, each of the road races in this Words have provided excitement and attacking action from the gun, but the women's event took a lot longer to wake up in brisk Copenhagen conditions.

There were a number of minor attacks but each one was neutralised. Emma Pooley (Great Britain) played both animator and defender on several occasions. Her attacks supported her claims that she would ride in aid of her teammates after taking bronze in the time trial earlier in the week but the shallow climbs were never going to be hard enough for her to force a selection, especially with so many fresh legs. Yet she hovered around the front of the bunch for over half the race, chasing moves so that her teammates could rest.

Several uneventful laps passed as the favourites continued to watch each other. New Zealand's Linda Villumsen was the first to test the waters but her move was simply a probe for later in the race.

With three laps to go, Sweden moved to the front, clearly in a bid to anticipate any important splits, before Russia followed suit.

But while the pace increased, the level of activity off the front was still lacking. That changed when Amber Neben (United States Of America) took two seconds on the bunch. Her move was quickly neutralised, but the next one was a little harder to wipe out.

After a strong performance in the women's time trial that not many had predicted, Clara Hughes (Canada) decided to challenge on the sprinter-friendly road race course. In a brave attack, she gained 44 seconds with two laps to go.

At one stage, the bunch narrowed the lead to Hughes to just over 10 seconds as Linda Villumsen (New Zealand) made a more serious effort, also off the front of the bunch. The New Zealander was marked by one of Bronzini's teammates but the time trial silver medallist continued to press on, knowing that like so many riders, a sprint finish would ultimately end her hopes.

Once Villumsen was reeled in by a German- and Dutch-led peloton, the pack began to ease up.

Hughes of course pressed on and managed to drag her advantage back up to approaching 40 seconds, with just one lap to go.

All of sudden, it looked as the though the only true meaningful attack of the race would win Canada its first medal of the championships but as Hughes began to weaken, the sprinters' teams finally began to organise themselves.

Great Britain moved up, but smartly allowed the Dutch to put in the greatest amount of work. With Hughes finally caught inside the final 3km, Vos had her team press on, determined to make amends for her near misses.

A crash before the final, ruled out Villumsen as Vos, who still had three teammates left to help her, made her way around the final bend and toward the line.

And all looked to plan until Bronzini, with a perfect lead-out from Monia Baccaille fired for the line.

"Giorgia is a fantastic sprinter, she won in a great way. Of course you think back about whether you made a mistake in the sprint, but I didn’t. She was the best," said Vos.

Full Results

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Elite women
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Giorgia Bronzini (Italy)3:21:28
2Marianne Vos (Netherlands)Row 1 - Cell 2
3Ina Teutenberg (Germany)Row 2 - Cell 2
4Nicole Cooke (Great Britain)Row 3 - Cell 2
5Julia Martisova (Russian Federation)Row 4 - Cell 2
6Chloe Hosking (Australia)Row 5 - Cell 2
7Elizabeth Armitstead (Great Britain)Row 6 - Cell 2
8Ludivine Henrion (Belgium)Row 7 - Cell 2
9Rasa Leleivyte (Lithuania)Row 8 - Cell 2
10Aude Biannic (France)Row 9 - Cell 2
11Svetlana Bubnenkova (Russian Federation)Row 10 - Cell 2
12Joelle Numainville (Canada)Row 11 - Cell 2
13Lise Nöstvold (Norway)Row 12 - Cell 2
14Emma Johansson (Sweden)Row 13 - Cell 2
15Grace Verbeke (Belgium)Row 14 - Cell 2
16Oxana Kozonchuk (Russian Federation)Row 15 - Cell 2
17Leah Kirchmann (Canada)Row 16 - Cell 2
18Theresa Cliff-Ryan (United States Of America)Row 17 - Cell 2
19Paulina Brzezna (Poland)Row 18 - Cell 2
20Emilia Fahlin (Sweden)Row 19 - Cell 2
21Liesbet De Vocht (Belgium)Row 20 - Cell 2
22Shelley Olds (United States Of America)Row 21 - Cell 2
23Ashleigh Moolman (South Africa)Row 22 - Cell 2
24Annemiek Van Vleuten (Netherlands)Row 23 - Cell 2
25Eneritz Iturriagaechevarria Mazaga (Spain)Row 24 - Cell 2
26Sylwia Kapusta (Poland)Row 25 - Cell 2
27Alena Amialiusik (Belarus)Row 26 - Cell 2
28Vicki Whitelaw (Australia)Row 27 - Cell 2
29Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (France)Row 28 - Cell 2
30Grete Treier (Estonia)Row 29 - Cell 2
31Olga Zabelinskaya (Russian Federation)Row 30 - Cell 2
32Joanna Van De Winkel (South Africa)Row 31 - Cell 2
33Erinne Willock (Canada)Row 32 - Cell 2
34Cherise Taylor (South Africa)Row 33 - Cell 2
35Pia Sundstedt (Finland)Row 34 - Cell 2
36Rhae-Christie Shaw (Canada)Row 35 - Cell 2
37Sofie De Vuyst (Belgium)Row 36 - Cell 2
38Charlotte Becker (Germany)Row 37 - Cell 2
39Monia Baccaille (Italy)Row 38 - Cell 2
40Alessandra D`Ettorre (Italy)Row 39 - Cell 2
41Polona Batagelj (Slovenia)Row 40 - Cell 2
42Nathalie Lamborelle (Luxembourg)Row 41 - Cell 2
43Eivgenia Vysotska (Ukraine)Row 42 - Cell 2
44Melodie Lesueur (France)0:00:08
45Maaike Polspoel (Belgium)Row 44 - Cell 2
46Paola Munoz (Chile)0:00:11
47Lucy Martin (Great Britain)Row 46 - Cell 2
48Flavia Oliveira (Brazil)Row 47 - Cell 2
49Aleksandra Sosenko (Lithuania)Row 48 - Cell 2
50Mayuko Hagiwara (Japan)Row 49 - Cell 2
51Nontasin Chanpeng (Thailand)Row 50 - Cell 2
52Rochelle Gilmore (Australia)Row 51 - Cell 2
53Malgorzta Jasinska (Poland)Row 52 - Cell 2
54Jennifer Hohl (Switzerland)Row 53 - Cell 2
55Denise Ramsden (Canada)Row 54 - Cell 2
56Sarah Düster (Germany)Row 55 - Cell 2
57Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy)0:00:17
58Katarzyna Sosna (Lithuania)Row 57 - Cell 2
59Judith Arndt (Germany)Row 58 - Cell 2
60Lilibeth Chacon Garcia (Venezuela)Row 59 - Cell 2
61Patricia Schwager (Switzerland)0:00:21
62Tetyana Riabchenko (Ukraine)Row 61 - Cell 2
63Noemi Cantele (Italy)Row 62 - Cell 2
64Trixi Worrack (Germany)0:00:27
65Katie Colclough (Great Britain)0:00:29
66Julie Leth (Denmark)0:00:32
67Verónica Leal Balderas (Mexico)0:00:39
68Angie Sabrina Gonzalez (Venezuela)0:00:40
69Emma Pooley (Great Britain)Row 68 - Cell 2
70Martina Thomasson (Sweden)0:00:41
71Emilie Aubry (Switzerland)Row 70 - Cell 2
72Evelyn Stevens (United States Of America)Row 71 - Cell 2
73Amber Neben (United States Of America)Row 72 - Cell 2
74Martine Bras (Netherlands)Row 73 - Cell 2
75Danielys Garcia (Venezuela)Row 74 - Cell 2
76Anna Sanchis Chafer (Spain)Row 75 - Cell 2
77Inga Cilvinaite (Lithuania)Row 76 - Cell 2
78Pascale Schnider (Switzerland)Row 77 - Cell 2
79Fabienne Schauss (Luxembourg)Row 78 - Cell 2
80Alenka Novak (Slovenia)Row 79 - Cell 2
81Sharon Laws (Great Britain)Row 80 - Cell 2
82Catherine Hare Willianson (Great Britain)Row 81 - Cell 2
83Carla Ryan (Australia)Row 82 - Cell 2
84Marie Lindberg (Sweden)Row 83 - Cell 2
85Claudia Häusler (Germany)Row 84 - Cell 2
86Madeleine Olsson (Sweden)Row 85 - Cell 2
87Audrey Cordon (France)Row 86 - Cell 2
88Tara Whitten (Canada)Row 87 - Cell 2
89Shara Gillow (Australia)0:00:47
90Amanda Miller (United States Of America)Row 89 - Cell 2
91Lisa Brennauer (Germany)Row 90 - Cell 2
92Alona Andruk (Ukraine)0:00:49
93Sara Mustonen (Sweden)0:00:50
94Julie Krasniak (France)0:00:57
95Loes Gunnewijk (Netherlands)0:01:04
96Tatiana Antoshina (Russian Federation)0:01:08
97Valentina Scandolara (Italy)0:01:11
98Chantal Blaak (Netherlands)0:01:17
99Kirsten Wild (Netherlands)Row 98 - Cell 2
100Robyn De Groot (South Africa)0:01:19
101Robin Farina (United States Of America)Row 100 - Cell 2
102Dorte Lohse Rasmussen (Denmark)0:01:24
103Clara Hughes (Canada)0:01:38
104Edita Janeliunaite (Lithuania)0:02:05
105Magdalena De Saint (France)Row 104 - Cell 2
106Alexandra Burchenkova (Russian Federation)0:02:13
107Emilie Moberg (Norway)0:02:16
108Tatiana Guderzo (Italy)0:02:23
109Elena Cecchini (Italy)Row 108 - Cell 2
110Amanda Spratt (Australia)0:02:37
111Linda Melanie Villumsen (New Zealand)Row 110 - Cell 2
112Belen Lopez Morales (Spain)Row 111 - Cell 2
113Urte Juodvalkyte (Lithuania)0:02:40
114Daniela Pintarelli (Austria)0:03:31
115Jessie Maclean (Australia)0:04:23
116Evelyn Arys (Belgium)Row 115 - Cell 2
117Jacqueline Hahn (Austria)Row 116 - Cell 2
118Rutar Tjasa (Slovenia)0:07:22
119Monrudee Chapookham (Thailand)0:07:43
120Thea Thorsen (Norway)0:08:52
DNFLucinda Brand (Netherlands)Row 120 - Cell 2
DNFMichelle Lauge (Denmark)Row 121 - Cell 2
DNFLiisi Rist (Estonia)Row 122 - Cell 2
DNFIsabelle Söderberg (Sweden)Row 123 - Cell 2
DNFMei Yu Hsiao (Chinese Taipei)Row 124 - Cell 2
DNFSiobhan Horgan (Ireland)Row 125 - Cell 2
DNFOlena Pavlukhina (Ukraine)Row 126 - Cell 2
DNFHo Hsun Huang (Chinese Taipei)Row 127 - Cell 2
DNFAlena Sitsko (Belarus)Row 128 - Cell 2
DNFMarcia Fernandes Silva (Brazil)Row 129 - Cell 2
DNFKathryn Bertine (Saint Kitts and Nevis)Row 130 - Cell 2
DNFChantal Hoffmann (Luxembourg)Row 131 - Cell 2
DNFValeria Muller (Argentina)Row 132 - Cell 2
DNFDinah Chan (Singapore)Row 133 - Cell 2
DNFMia Radotic (Croatia)Row 134 - Cell 2
DNFLucienne Ferreira Da Silva (Brazil)Row 135 - Cell 2
DNFAnita Rita Kenyo (Hungary)Row 136 - Cell 2
DNFJutatip Maneephan (Thailand)Row 137 - Cell 2
DNFHsiao Chia Tseng (Chinese Taipei)Row 138 - Cell 2
DNFMartina Ruzickova (Czech Republic)Row 139 - Cell 2
DNFAndrea Graus (Austria)Row 140 - Cell 2
DNFClaire Fraser (Guyana)Row 141 - Cell 2
DNFMaja Marukic (Croatia)Row 142 - Cell 2
DNFMarina Bodulak (Croatia)Row 143 - Cell 2
DNFSeba Alraai (Syrian Arab Republic)Row 144 - Cell 2
DNFRoba Helane (Syrian Arab Republic)Row 145 - Cell 2

 

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Daniel Benson

Daniel Benson was the Editor in Chief at Cyclingnews.com between 2008 and 2022. Based in the UK, he joined the Cyclingnews team in 2008 as the site's first UK-based Managing Editor. In that time, he reported on over a dozen editions of the Tour de France, several World Championships, the Tour Down Under, Spring Classics, and the London 2012 Olympic Games. With the help of the excellent editorial team, he ran the coverage on Cyclingnews and has interviewed leading figures in the sport including UCI Presidents and Tour de France winners.

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