Vos victorious in Leuven

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World champion Marianne Vos (Nederland Bloeit) won her last race of the year in style. The Dutch woman once again had a huge margin over the first chasers at the last of the Fidea Classics in Leuven, Belgium. European champion Daphny van den Brand (AA Drink-Leontien.nl) was best of the rest at 2:05 behind the winner. Sophie de Boer (Telenet-Fidea) completed the clean sweep for the Dutch women in Leuven.

"It wasn't super exciting for the spectators but I certainly enjoyed it," Vos told tv-channel VT4 after her ninth win of the season.

During the first lap only Van den Brand seemed to be able to offer Vos some opposition. She followed the world champion at a few meters but began to lose ground. In the technical sections Vos got stuck twice and Van den Brand profited to move up and over her compatriot. Shortly after her mishap Vos set things straight by powering back into the lead. From there Van den Brand settled for second place.

The battle for third place offered the most excitement in the second half of the race. Early on four riders trailed the duo in front: De Boer, Pavla Havlikova (Telenet-Fidea), Belgian champion Sanne Cant (Boxx-Veldritacademie) and in-form Gabriella Day (Renner-Raleigh). The two Telenet-Fidea women left the two other women behind and together they tried to make up ground on Van den Brand. They came close and in the last part of the course De Boer went in search of Van den Brand on her own but she fell just five seconds short of catching the AA Drink-Leontien.nl rider. Havlikova, Cant and Day completed the top-6 in Leuven.

On Sunday the women all head to Baal, Belgium for the next round of the Gazet van Antwerpen Trophy where co-leaders Van den Brand and Nikki Harris (Telenet-Fidea), both with 55 points, will vie for series supremacy.