Vos claims overall World Cup with Vargarda victory

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Overcoming recent back problems and a puncture on the final lap, the world champion Marianne Vos (Rabo-LivGiant) showed her mettle by taking a tenacious victory in the Vårgårda World Cup in Sweden.

With her sprint victory over Emma Johansson (Orica-AIS), Vos has sealed her overall title as World Cup champion for the second consecutive year, and the fifth time of her career.

Any Pieters (Argos-Shimano) was third of the six-rider breakaway, which also contained Elenora van Dijk and Evelyn Stevens (Specialized-lululemon) and Amy van der Breggen (Sengers).

Vos punctured at a critical moment halfway through the last of 12 11km laps, but with a quick wheel change and a fast chase back to the leading group, the Dutch woman was able to recover her energies enough to sprint to the victory.

“I was pretty scared about Emma – she’s fast to the line too, so that’s why I wanted to take a fast last corner and sprint as hard as I could," Vos said, thanking her competitors for their sportsmanship when she had to stop for a puncture on the last lap. “I was quite lucky and happy that the others didn’t attack me, I have to say thanks for that.”

The race began with what should have been a non-threatening breakaway, containing Loes Gunnewijk (Orica-AIS), Lisa Brennauer (Specialized-lululemon), Nina Kessler (Boels-Dolamns), Dani King (Wiggle Honda), Roxanne Knetemann (Rabobank-Liv/Giant), Rosella Ratto (Hitec Products UCK), Claudia Häusler (Team TIBCO) and Esra Tromp (Argos-Shimano).

But a counter-attack by Evie Stevens (Specialized-lululemon), Pauline Ferrand Prevot and Lucille Brand (Rabobank-Liv Giant) and Lizzie Armitstead (Boels-Dolmans) threatened Orica-AIS, which missed the second move and they chased it back.

With the World Cup still in the sights of Emma Johansson, her teammate Loes Gunnewijk (Orica-AIS) marked a move by Vos's teammate Roxanne Knetemann. The pair built up a 1:30 advantage until Specialized-lululemon reduced the gap and attacks formed a 10-rider split that stayed away from the rest of the field.

That move contained Vos and Knetemann, Johansson and Gunnewijk, Pieters, Ellen van Dijk and Evelyn Stevens (Specialized-Lululemon), Anna van der Breggen (Sengers), Rossella Ratto (Hitec Products UCK) and Giorgia Bronzini (Wiggle Honda).

The leaders built up a huge advantage over the field as the winds picked up, clocking nine minutes by the time the race was over.

On the penultimate lap, and attack on the climb by Gunnewijk was countered by Vos, and distanced Bronzini from the group, a necessity for the world champion as the Italian sprinter had recently dominated the bunch kicks and breakaways at the Route de France.

The move broke the leading group into two, with only Vos, Johansson, Pieters, Van Dijk, van der Breggen and Stevens remaining. The six entered the final lap together, and after the return of Vos from her puncture, Stevens went for broke with an all-out attack. She was brought back and countered by Johansson, but neither move could distance Vos.

The World Cup leader attacked as the group approached the finish and held on for the victory over Johansson.

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