Brilliant Bronzini snatches gold for Italy

Giorgia Bronzini took victory for Italy in the women’s road race thanks to a thrilling sprint that saw her pip Marianne Vos (Netherlands) and Emma Johansson (Sweden) at the line. It was a win fraught with emotion and one that Bronzini dedicated to her seriously injured teammate Marina Romoli and to the memory of former men’s national team manager Franco Ballerini.

Bronzini claimed the rainbow jersey after an escape by Nicole Cooke (Great Britain) and Judith Arndt (Germany) faltered in the final 500 metres. As they were caught, the Italian launched an aggressive sprint that saw her best Marianne Vos and Emma Johannson on the uphill surge to the line. It was yet another agonising near miss for Vos, who took her fourth consecutive silver medal in the event.

“I knew that there was only one possibility of beating Vos and that was to wait, wait, wait,” Bronzini said afterwards. “It was the most beautiful sprint of my life. The girls believed in me right to the end even though I suffered a lot on the climb, and I repaid them. We’re great group. We are the best.”

In the closing kilometres, Cooke and Arndt juggled an 11 second lead over a 30-strong chase group but as the duo entered the final uphill straight they realised that they couldn’t wait to launch their sprints against one another inside the final 200 metres. Instead Arndt laid her last card on the table and started sprinting a massive 500 metres from the finish line.

Cooke went immediately after but Johannson, Vos and Bronzini were closing in fast. After being passed Cooke found one last effort and looked to be closing in on the trio, but the race was already Bronzini’s and the race favourite was left to settle for fourth place ahead of Arndt.

The remnants of the peloton finished about five metres behind, where Grace Verbeke (Belgium) took sixth from Trixi Worrack (Germany).

“I asked my teammates to pull back [Cooke and Arndt], but they did not have so much power left,” Bronzini explained at the finish. “So I waited and hoped that someone would start a long sprint and so it turned out."

How it unfolded

The eight lap women's race started conservatively, with the first serious attack coming from American Katheryn Curi Mattis on lap four. Anne Samplonius (Canada) and Valentina Carretta (Italy) set off in pursuit, but were brought back within a lap. Meanwhile, Mattis was steadily opening a significant lead on the peloton, reaching nearly three minutes by the start of lap six.

However, the British and Dutch teams had decided that it was time to up the pace, and the lead began to shrink quickly, with Mattis caught on lap seven. The pace was also shredding the peloton, with only 41 riders left in the main group.

Time trial champion Emma Pooley attacked as Curi Mattis was being reeled in, splitting the field. Defending champion Tatiana Guderzo (Italy) started chasing Pooley, followed by Vos, Arndt and Johansson. The peloton gradually regrouped, but multiple attacks continued to string out the field.

As the race began the last lap, there were fewer than 30 riders remaining at the front, with most of the favourites still in contention. Italy had three riders, the Dutch two, Canada two, Great Britain four and the United States two. Vos lost her last team mate, Van Vleuten, at a critical moment, just as Nicole Cooke attacked.

Cooke was quickly joined by Arndt, and the pair gained ten seconds on a chase group of ten, including Pooley, Tara Whitten (Canada), Guderzo and Johansson. With three kilometres to go the duo were still dangling off the front as the chase group swelled to 20, as riders caught back on after the last climb.

Whitten's team mate Erinne Willock went to the front and drove the chase in the final kilometres, bringing the group back to within 30 metres of the leaders as they entered the final kilometre. Onto the finishing straight Arndt and Cooke were desperately trying to stay clear, but Vos jumped at 250 metres to go, followed by Johansson and Bronzini.

The trio went by Arndt and Cooke with less than 100 metres to the line, with Vos out in front until the final 40 metres, when Bronzini came through on her left to take the victory. Johansson looked to be squeezed into the barrier by Vos, and actually hit her head on a spectator's extended arm that was leaning out to take a photo. Officials reviewed the sprint repeatedly before deciding that Vos had not deviated
from her line but in any case, Bronzini’s superiority was never up for discussion.

“It’s a victory for all the girls on the Italian team,” Bronzini said. “And it’s also a victory for Franco Ballerini and our own Marina Romoli, who is battling to walk again.”

Results

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#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Giorgia Bronzini (Italy)3:32:01
2Marianne Vos (Netherlands)Row 1 - Cell 2
3Emma Johansson (Sweden)Row 2 - Cell 2
4Nicole Cooke (Great Britain)Row 3 - Cell 2
5Judith Arndt (Germany)0:00:01
6Grace Verbeke (Belgium)0:00:03
7Trixi Worrack (Germany)Row 6 - Cell 2
8Rasa Leleivyte (Lithuania)Row 7 - Cell 2
9Elizabeth Armitstead (Great Britain)Row 8 - Cell 2
10Carla Swart (South Africa)Row 9 - Cell 2
11Catherine Cheatley (New Zealand)Row 10 - Cell 2
12Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli (France)Row 11 - Cell 2
13Olga Zabelinskaya (Russian Federation)Row 12 - Cell 2
14Andrea Graus (Austria)Row 13 - Cell 2
15Tara Whitten (Canada)Row 14 - Cell 2
16Sharon Laws (Great Britain)Row 15 - Cell 2
17Amber Neben (United States Of America)Row 16 - Cell 2
18Edwige Pitel (France)Row 17 - Cell 2
19Linda Villumsen (New Zealand)Row 18 - Cell 2
20Emma Pooley (Great Britain)Row 19 - Cell 2
21Evelyn Stevens (United States Of America)0:00:08
22Noemi Cantele (Italy)Row 21 - Cell 2
23Erinne Willock (Canada)0:00:21
24Tatiana Guderzo (Italy)0:00:32
25Annemiek Van Vleuten (Netherlands)0:01:42
26Ruth Corset (Australia)Row 25 - Cell 2
27Regina Bruins (Netherlands)Row 26 - Cell 2
28Vicki Whitelaw (Australia)Row 27 - Cell 2
29Catherine Williamson (Great Britain)Row 28 - Cell 2
30Tatiana Antoshina (Russian Federation)Row 29 - Cell 2
31Loes Gunnewijk (Netherlands)Row 30 - Cell 2
32Noortje Tabak (Netherlands)Row 31 - Cell 2
33Edita Pucinskaite (Lithuania)Row 32 - Cell 2
34Natalya Boyarskaya (Russian Federation)0:01:47
35Elena Berlato (Italy)0:02:02
36Luisa Tamanini (Italy)Row 35 - Cell 2
37Grete Treier (Estonia)0:07:38
38Mayuko Hagiwara (Japan)0:07:40
39Oxana Kozonchuk (Russian Federation)Row 38 - Cell 2
40Yulia Martisova (Russian Federation)Row 39 - Cell 2
41Robyn De Groot (South Africa)Row 40 - Cell 2
42Marissa Van Der Merwe (South Africa)0:07:45
43Anne Samplonius (Canada)0:07:48
44Polona Batagelj (Slovenia)0:09:39
45Sara Mustonen (Sweden)Row 44 - Cell 2
46Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (France)Row 45 - Cell 2
47Fröydis Waerstad (Norway)Row 46 - Cell 2
48Sophie Creux (France)Row 47 - Cell 2
49Liesbet De Vocht (Belgium)Row 48 - Cell 2
50Veronica Leal Balderas (Mexico)Row 49 - Cell 2
51Lieselot Decroix (Belgium)Row 50 - Cell 2
52Marie Lindberg (Sweden)0:11:36
53Lise Nöstvold (Norway)Row 52 - Cell 2
54Emilia Fahlin (Sweden)Row 53 - Cell 2
55Sofie De Vuyst (Belgium)Row 54 - Cell 2
56Anriette Schoeman (South Africa)Row 55 - Cell 2
57Martina Ruzickova (Czech Republic)Row 56 - Cell 2
58Christine Majerus (Luxembourg)0:11:52
59Emilie Aubry (Switzerland)Row 58 - Cell 2
60Natalya Stefanskaya (Kazakhstan)Row 59 - Cell 2
61Luise Keller (Germany)0:11:54
62Serena Sheridan (New Zealand)Row 61 - Cell 2
63Jennifer Hohl (Switzerland)Row 62 - Cell 2
64Marcia Fernandes Silva (Brazil)Row 63 - Cell 2
65Carmen Small (United States Of America)Row 64 - Cell 2
66Alona Andruk (Ukraine)Row 65 - Cell 2
67Valentina Carretta (Italy)Row 66 - Cell 2
68Theresa Cliff-Ryan (United States Of America)Row 67 - Cell 2
69Joelle Numainville (Canada)Row 68 - Cell 2
70Toni Bradshaw (New Zealand)Row 69 - Cell 2
71Nathalie Lamborelle (Luxembourg)0:16:39
72Edita Janeliunaite (Lithuania)Row 71 - Cell 2
73Inga Cilvinaite (Lithuania)Row 72 - Cell 2
74Tatiana Panina (Belarus)0:18:06
75Ariadna Tudel Cuberes (Andorra)0:18:33
76Belen Lopez Morales (Spain)0:19:35
DNFEmilie Moberg (Norway)Row 76 - Cell 2
DNFKatheryn Curi Mattis (United States Of America)Row 77 - Cell 2
DNFChantal Blaak (Netherlands)Row 78 - Cell 2
DNFAdrie Visser (Netherlands)Row 79 - Cell 2
DNFIna Teutenberg (Germany)Row 80 - Cell 2
DNFKirsten Wild (Netherlands)Row 81 - Cell 2
DNFCharlotte Becker (Germany)Row 82 - Cell 2
DNFRossella Callovi (Italy)Row 83 - Cell 2
DNFChanpeng Nontasin (Thailand)Row 84 - Cell 2
DNFCarla Ryan (Australia)Row 85 - Cell 2
DNFAmanda Miller (United States Of America)Row 86 - Cell 2
DNFShelley Olds (United States Of America)Row 87 - Cell 2
DNFTiffany Cromwell (Australia)Row 88 - Cell 2
DNFElena Kuchinskaya (Russian Federation)Row 89 - Cell 2
DNFEleonora Patuzzo (Italy)Row 90 - Cell 2
DNFLucy Martin (Great Britain)Row 91 - Cell 2
DNFKatie Colclough (Great Britain)Row 92 - Cell 2
DNFModesta Vzesniauskaite (Lithuania)Row 93 - Cell 2
DNFShara Gillow (Australia)Row 94 - Cell 2
DNFSvitlana Galyuk (Ukraine)Row 95 - Cell 2
DNFEmma Crum (New Zealand)Row 96 - Cell 2
DNFMaja Marukic (Croatia)Row 97 - Cell 2
DNFMonrudee Chapookam (Thailand)Row 98 - Cell 2
DNFLudivine Henrion (Belgium)Row 99 - Cell 2
DNFKarol-Ann Canuel (Canada)Row 100 - Cell 2
DNFAmanda Spratt (Australia)Row 101 - Cell 2
DNFBridie O`Donnell (Australia)Row 102 - Cell 2
DNFAna Belen Garcia Antequera (Spain)Row 103 - Cell 2
DNFLesya Kalitovska (Ukraine)Row 104 - Cell 2
DNFKatazina Sosna (Lithuania)Row 105 - Cell 2
DNFMariana Mohammad (Malaysia)Row 106 - Cell 2
DNFKimberley Yap (Malaysia)Row 107 - Cell 2
DNFCherise Taylor (South Africa)Row 108 - Cell 2
DNFRosa Maria Bravo Soba (Spain)Row 109 - Cell 2
DNFSerene Lee (Singapore)Row 110 - Cell 2
DNFNoor Azian Alias (Malaysia)Row 111 - Cell 2
DNFKathryn Bertine (Saint Kitts and Nevis)Row 112 - Cell 2
DNFCourteney Lowe (New Zealand)Row 113 - Cell 2
DNFDoris Schweizer (Switzerland)Row 114 - Cell 2
DNFPatricia Schwager (Switzerland)Row 115 - Cell 2
DNFAna Teresa Casas (Mexico)Row 116 - Cell 2
DNFValeria Teresita Muller (Argentina)Row 117 - Cell 2
DNFDinah Chan (Singapore)Row 118 - Cell 2
DNFSofia Arreola (Mexico)Row 119 - Cell 2
DNFDenise Ramsden (Canada)Row 120 - Cell 2
DNFColleen Ang (Singapore)Row 121 - Cell 2
DNSNina Ovcharenko (Ukraine)Row 122 - Cell 2

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