Armitstead wins women's World Championship road race

Elizabeth Armitstead (Great Britain) claimed a well-deserved title in the women’s elite race at the World Championships in Richmond, beating Anna van der Breggen (Netherlands) into second and Megan Guarnier (United States of America) in third.

"It's all you dream about as a cyclist, and it's so strange that it's mine," she said. "I won't realise it until tomorrow morning for sure."

Armitstead had gone on the attack on 23rd Street and Governor Street but was unable to force a decisive gap. Coming into the finishing straight she was forced to lead out, but she used her track experience to allow Van der Breggen to move up before coming around the Dutch rider to take her first world title on the road.

"I knew that the sprint was going to be difficult," she said. "I knew I had to lead it out in that situation, so I took it to one side of the road and dictated the sprint. I knew that if I was on one side of the road, they would have to attack me from the other.

"That was a perfect lead-out, so thank you to Anna."

At one point in the race an Armitstead victory looked far from likely with a dangerous move including several top nations a minute clear with two laps to go.

It was Germany and the Netherlands who closed the gap on the last lap, however, despite both nations having riders in the main break.

Armitstead's first attack on 23rd Street came alongside Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Poland), but the pair were unable distance the main field. On the lower slopes of Governor – the final climb of the race – Armitstead kicked again, but once more Armitstead was foiled by her rivals.

"My plan was always to attack on Governor Street," Armitstead said. "Probably people thought I should wait for the sprint, but I knew I needed to get rid of Bronzini and Shelley [Olds], and that's what I did. I stuck to my plan."

There would be no mistakes in the sprint though as the leading group of less than 10 riders came onto the finishing straight. Armistead was on the front but was surrounded by a number of powerful sprinters, most of whom hadn’t been as aggressive in the race.

Van der Breggen was the first to flinch, while Guarnier came from too far back to contest for the rainbow jersey. Armitstead made no mistake, banishing her demons from last year with a sprint worthy of wining the world title. 

How it unfolded

The 129.6km race took place under threatening skies in Virginia’s capitol city, but the precipitation never really materialised and riders were spared the carnage that took place at the end of the men’s U23 race the day before.

The women circled the 16km course eight times, traversing the cobbled climbs of Libby Hill and 23rd Street each lap as they pounded up the cobbles and battled the attrition that was sure to take place.

The US squad suffered serious setbacks when Lauren Stephens withdrew from the race and Shelley Olds was involved in a crash. The diminutive sprinter was unable to regain contact and abandoned several laps later.

Multiple attacks went up the road in the early going, as the bunch seemed hesitant to give anyone too much leash on the tricky, technical course. Poland’s Monika Zur eventually sneaked away and stuck a move, but the Germans eventually came to the front and put an end to her move.

With four laps down Russia’s Svetlana Vasilieva got away next for a short-lived attack, followed by a solo move from Netherlands’ Chantal Blaak. The Dutch rider pressured the bunch with a 28 second gap with less than 40km to go. A concerted chase from US rider Evelyn Stevens eventually brought her back with about two laps remaining, and the deck was shuffled once more.

Stevens’ effort split the field, and a select group of half a dozen riders started to form that included her teammate Coryn Rivera. The move didn’t stick, but counter attacks created another move that would animate the race until the final four kilometres.

In the new group were Rivera, Audrey Cordon (France), Lauren Kitchen and Rachel Neylan (Australia), Emilia Fahlin (Sweden), Valentina Scandolara (Italy), Amy Pieters (Netherlands), Romy Kasper (Germany) and Malgorzata Jasinska (Poland).

The gap moved out to over a minute, and the group looked like it might be in with a chance to go to the line, but Jasinska jumped away on the final lap and created a gap. The leaders worked together to pull back the Polish rider, prompting Scandolara and Kitchen to jump away. The duo worked well together, but the favourites caught their former breakaway companions and soon had them in their sights.

They made the catch at the bottom of the hill, and the final surge to the line was on. 

Scandolara said she really believed her move would work, but the aggression in the chase doomed their chances.

"I tried to stay on the wheels, but we were too tired to keep up. I'm really happy with my race. My teammate was third until the last meters then got fourth. It was a good race for Italy."

Italy's Giorgia Bronzini was in the mix in the end, but a broken bike cost her a chance for third title.

"It's a shame Giorgia broke her bike," Scandolara said. "It could have been much better for us, but that's bike racing."

Full Results

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#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Elizabeth Armitstead (Great Britain)3:23:56
2Anna Van Der Breggen (Netherlands)Row 1 - Cell 2
3Megan Guarnier (United States Of America)Row 2 - Cell 2
4Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy)Row 3 - Cell 2
5Emma Johansson (Sweden)Row 4 - Cell 2
6Pauline Ferrand Prevot (France)Row 5 - Cell 2
7Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Poland)Row 6 - Cell 2
8Alena Amialiusik (Belarus)Row 7 - Cell 2
9Jolanda Neff (Switzerland)Row 8 - Cell 2
10Ellen Van Dijk (Netherlands)0:00:09
11Joelle Numainville (Canada)Row 10 - Cell 2
12Trixi Worrack (Germany)Row 11 - Cell 2
13Karol-Ann Canuel (Canada)Row 12 - Cell 2
14Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (South Africa)Row 13 - Cell 2
15Christine Majerus (Luxembourg)Row 14 - Cell 2
16Lucinda Brand (Netherlands)Row 15 - Cell 2
17Tiffany Cromwell (Australia)Row 16 - Cell 2
18Elena Cecchini (Italy)0:00:17
19Rachel Neylan (Australia)Row 18 - Cell 2
20Lizzie Williams (Australia)Row 19 - Cell 2
21Malgorzata Jasinska (Poland)Row 20 - Cell 2
22Linda Melanie Villumsen (New Zealand)Row 21 - Cell 2
23Valentina Scandolara (Italy)0:00:19
24Evelyn Stevens (United States Of America)Row 23 - Cell 2
25Amalie Dideriksen (Denmark)0:00:31
26Emilia Fahlin (Sweden)Row 25 - Cell 2
27Giorgia Bronzini (Italy)0:00:36
28Lauren Kitchen (Australia)0:00:46
29Katrin Garfoot (Australia)Row 28 - Cell 2
30Lisa Brennauer (Germany)0:00:49
31Romy Kasper (Germany)0:00:51
32Leah Kirchmann (Canada)0:00:52
33Ganna Solovei (Ukraine)Row 32 - Cell 2
34Daiva Tuslaite (Lithuania)Row 33 - Cell 2
35Rasa Leleivyte (Lithuania)Row 34 - Cell 2
36Alison Jackson (Canada)Row 35 - Cell 2
37Emilie Moberg (Norway)Row 36 - Cell 2
38Diana Penuela (Colombia)Row 37 - Cell 2
39Coryn Rivera (United States Of America)Row 38 - Cell 2
40Lotta Lepisto (Finland)Row 39 - Cell 2
41Elena Kuchinskaya (Russian Federation)Row 40 - Cell 2
42Eugenia Bujak (Poland)Row 41 - Cell 2
43Ingrid Drexel (Mexico)Row 42 - Cell 2
44Tatiana Antoshina (Russian Federation)Row 43 - Cell 2
45Aude Biannic (France)Row 44 - Cell 2
46Amy Pieters (Netherlands)Row 45 - Cell 2
47An-Li Kachelhoffer (South Africa)Row 46 - Cell 2
48Amanda Spratt (Australia)Row 47 - Cell 2
49Jolien D'hoore (Belgium)Row 48 - Cell 2
50Loren Rowney (Australia)Row 49 - Cell 2
51Ane Santesteban Gonzalez (Spain)Row 50 - Cell 2
52Anna Plichta (Poland)Row 51 - Cell 2
53Audrey Cordon (France)Row 52 - Cell 2
54Rossella Ratto (Italy)Row 53 - Cell 2
55Lenore Pipes (Guam)Row 54 - Cell 2
56Olga Shekel (Ukraine)0:01:11
57Polona Batagelj (Slovenia)0:01:16
58Anna Potokina (Russian Federation)0:01:25
59Oksana Kozonchuk (Russian Federation)Row 58 - Cell 2
60Gracie Elvin (Australia)Row 59 - Cell 2
61Chantal Blaak (Netherlands)0:01:37
62Tatiana Guderzo (Italy)0:02:33
63Eri Yonamine (Japan)0:03:33
64Jelena Eric (Serbia)0:04:52
65Monika Zur (Poland)0:05:41
66Ursa Pintar (Slovenia)Row 65 - Cell 2
67Iris Slappendel (Netherlands)Row 66 - Cell 2
68Laura Camila Lozano Ramirez (Colombia)Row 67 - Cell 2
69Anisha Vekemans (Belgium)Row 68 - Cell 2
70Monika Brzezna (Poland)Row 69 - Cell 2
71Olivia Dillon (Ireland)Row 70 - Cell 2
72Joanne Kiesanowski (New Zealand)Row 71 - Cell 2
73Serika Guluma Ortiz (Colombia)Row 72 - Cell 2
74Hanna Nilsson (Sweden)Row 73 - Cell 2
75Camilla Mollebro (Denmark)Row 74 - Cell 2
76Marta Bastianelli (Italy)Row 75 - Cell 2
77Tayler Wiles (United States Of America)Row 76 - Cell 2
78Rushlee Buchanan (New Zealand)Row 77 - Cell 2
79Hayley Simmonds (Great Britain)Row 78 - Cell 2
80Doris Schweizer (Switzerland)Row 79 - Cell 2
81Roxane Knetemann (Netherlands)0:07:34
82Svetlana Vasilieva (Russian Federation)0:10:11
83Daniela Reis (Portugal)Row 82 - Cell 2
84Varela Erika (Mexico)Row 83 - Cell 2
85Paola Munoz (Chile)Row 84 - Cell 2
86Lauren Komanski (United States Of America)Row 85 - Cell 2
87Jeanne D'arc Girubuntu (Rwanda)0:11:37
88Sheyla Gutierrez Ruiz (Spain)0:14:00
DNFClaudia Lichtenberg (Germany)Row 88 - Cell 2
DNFSara Mustonen-Lichan (Sweden)Row 89 - Cell 2
DNFAlice Barnes (Great Britain)Row 90 - Cell 2
DNFIngrid Lorvik (Norway)Row 91 - Cell 2
DNFMartina Ritter (Austria)Row 92 - Cell 2
DNFAnna Sanchis Chafer (Spain)Row 93 - Cell 2
DNFAmélie Rivat (France)Row 94 - Cell 2
DNFStephanie Pohl (Germany)Row 95 - Cell 2
DNFLucy Garner (Great Britain)Row 96 - Cell 2
DNFEnkhjargal Tuvshinjargal (Mongolia)Row 97 - Cell 2
DNFLija Laizane (Latvia)Row 98 - Cell 2
DNFPaz Bash (Israel)Row 99 - Cell 2
DNFMiryan Nunez (Ecuador)Row 100 - Cell 2
DNFCecilie Gotaas Johnsen (Norway)Row 101 - Cell 2
DNFCharlotte Becker (Germany)Row 102 - Cell 2
DNFTetiana Riabchenko (Ukraine)Row 103 - Cell 2
DNFKathrin Hammes (Germany)Row 104 - Cell 2
DNFShelley Olds (United States Of America)Row 105 - Cell 2
DNFAnnelies Dom (Belgium)Row 106 - Cell 2
DNFPascale Jeuland (France)Row 107 - Cell 2
DNFRoxane Fournier (France)Row 108 - Cell 2
DNFNatalya Saifutdinova (Kazakhstan)Row 109 - Cell 2
DNFZuzana Neckarova (Czech Republic)Row 110 - Cell 2
DNFCherise Stander (South Africa)Row 111 - Cell 2
DNFElise Delzenne (France)Row 112 - Cell 2
DNFJessie Daams (Belgium)Row 113 - Cell 2
DNFKaat Hannes (Belgium)Row 114 - Cell 2
DNFJessie Walker (Great Britain)Row 115 - Cell 2
DNFLauren Stephens (United States Of America)Row 116 - Cell 2
DNFNicole Hanselmann (Switzerland)Row 117 - Cell 2
DNFKathryn Bertine (Saint Kitts and Nevis)Row 118 - Cell 2
DNFNontasin Chanpeng (Thailand)Row 119 - Cell 2
DNFSofie De Vuyst (Belgium)Row 120 - Cell 2
DNFDenise Ramsden (Canada)Row 121 - Cell 2
DNFMolly Weaver (Great Britain)Row 122 - Cell 2
DNFTereza Medvedova (Slovakia)Row 123 - Cell 2
DNFDaria Egorova (Russian Federation)Row 124 - Cell 2
DNFYennifer Cesar (Venezuela)Row 125 - Cell 2
DNFMilagro Mena (Costa Rica)Row 126 - Cell 2
DNFKatarzyna Wilkos (Poland)Row 127 - Cell 2
DNFFiona Meade (Ireland)Row 128 - Cell 2
DNFOlena Demydova (Ukraine)Row 129 - Cell 2
DNFMiriam Bjornsrud (Norway)Row 130 - Cell 2
DNFSarah Rijkes (Austria)Row 131 - Cell 2
DNFJutatip Maneephan (Thailand)Row 132 - Cell 2
DNFSolymar Rivera (Puerto Rico)Row 133 - Cell 2
DNSLaura Vainionpaa (Finland)Row 134 - Cell 2

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