Marta Bastianelli wins Postnord Vargarda WestSweden Road Race

Marta Bastianelli (Team Virtu Cycling) won the Postnord Vårgårda WestSweden Road Race. After an active race with lots of attacks, things came down to the sprint of a reduced peloton. The Italian champion came through the final corner in the slipstream of Marianne Vos (CCC-Liv) and came past Vos on the final metres, winning the race with just a few centimetres. Lorena Wiebes (Parkhotel Valkenburg) sprinted to third place.

Vos dived into the last right turn with 300m to race, hoping to repeat her victory of 2018. She had speed and kicked hard but Bastianelli was on her wheel and then came past her at the line to win and quickly begin celebrating. It was her sixth victory of the 2019 season and her first since winning the Italian national title in late July. She is the first Italian rider to ever win the Postnord Vårgårda WestSweden Road Race.

"I am very happy to win this race today," said Bastianelli in the post-race interview. "I had some injury problems with my knee before the Giro Rosa. Today, it was very important to have team support, especially Barbara Guarischi helped me in the final. I was in the breakaway at the start of the race, and my legs felt a bit weak after that.

"I know it's important to get through the last corner in second position. I took Marianne's wheel, and she did a very long sprint. I followed her and came around for the finish, it was very close, but I won. I am happy to win in my new [Italian] champion's jersey and happy for the team and my sports director Carmen Small."

Vos ensured she was perfectly placed going into and out of the fast turn but could not get rid of Bastianelli and then mistakenly took the longest line to the finish. "I was actually quite a good lead out from Ale Cipollini and Virtu," Vos said. "I think Marta was on my wheel and it was just a little too long and I didn't have the legs."

How it happened

The race consisted of one long loop south and east of Vårgårda followed by three shorter laps including the Hägrungabakken hill and three finishing laps that took in a new gravel section ending only three kilometres from the finish in addition to the hill. 28.6 kilometres of the 145.3-kilometre race were on eight gravel sections. Although rain was forecast, it stayed dry throughout the race.

The first important move came after 35km when an attack on the uphill third gravel section led to a group of fourteen riders with, among others, Anna van der Breggen, Amy Pieters (both Boels Dolmans), Lisa Klein (Canyon-SRAM), Coryn Rivera, Lucinda Brand, Juliette Labous (all Team Sunweb), Demi Vollering (Parkhotel Valkenburg), Romy Kasper (Alé Cipollini), Ruth Winder (Trek-Segafredo), and Bastianelli getting away.

This strong breakaway had an advantage of more than a minute with 100km to go. Trek-Segafredo and CCC-Liv chased hard in the peloton to reduce the gap, but the break was only brought back on the second short laps when Vos and Lizzie Deignan (Trek-Segafredo) counterattacked on the Hägrunga hill, resetting the race with 62km to go.

After several short-lived attacks, Roxane Knetemann (Parkhotel Valkenburg), Eri Yonamine (Alé Cipollini), and Elena Pirrone (Valcar Cylance) went away with 46km left and stayed ahead for one lap, being caught at the start of the penultimate lap.

Again, there were many attempts to get away from the peloton. Moniek Tenniglo (Mitchelton-Scott) succeeded with an acceleration on the gravel section 20km from the finish and started the final lap with an advantage of 22 seconds.

Deignan and Floortje Mackaij (Team Sunweb) tried to bridge to Tenniglo the final time up Hägrungabakken but could not get away. Mackaij tried again on the final gravel section, and Tenniglo was caught just after.

Brand, Vos, and Sarah Roy (Mitchelton-Scott) were among the riders who tried to anticipate a sprint with a late attack, but things quickly came back together for the sprint finish where Vos just saw herself beaten by Bastianelli.

Despite not participating in the Vårgårda race weekend, Annemiek van Vleuten (Mitchelton-Scott) continues to lead the UCI Women's WorldTour. Marta Cavalli (Valcar Cylance) finished in sixth place to defend her lead in the Women's WorldTour U23 ranking.

Full Results

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#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Marta Bastianelli (Ita) Team Virtu Cycling3:37:43
2Marianne Vos (Ned) Ccc - LivRow 1 - Cell 2
3Lorena Wiebes (Ned) Parkhotel ValkenburgRow 2 - Cell 2
4Chloe Hosking (Aus) Ale CipolliniRow 3 - Cell 2
5Amy Pieters (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam0:00:01
6Marta Cavalli (Ita) Valcar Cylance Cycling0:00:02
7Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Ita) Valcar Cylance Cycling0:00:03
8Ruth Winder (USA) Trek - SegafredoRow 7 - Cell 2
9Stine Borgli (Nor) Fdj Nouvelle - Aquitaine FuturoscopeRow 8 - Cell 2
10Leah Kirchmann (Can) Team SunwebRow 9 - Cell 2
11Roxane Fournier (Fra) Movistar Team WomenRow 10 - Cell 2
12Sarah Roy (Aus) Mitchelton ScottRow 11 - Cell 2
13Floortje Mackaij (Ned) Team Sunweb0:00:04
14Eugenia Bujak (Slo) Btc City LjubljanaRow 13 - Cell 2
15Lisa Brennauer (Ger) Wnt Rotor Pro Cycling TeamRow 14 - Cell 2
16Hannah Barnes (GBr) Canyon / /Sram RacingRow 15 - Cell 2
17Vita Heine (Nor) Norway0:00:05
18Lisa Klein (Ger) Canyon / /Sram RacingRow 17 - Cell 2
19Chiara Consonni (Ita) Valcar Cylance Cycling0:00:06
20Anastasiia Chursina (Rus) Btc City LjubljanaRow 19 - Cell 2
21Karlijn Swinkels (Ned) Ale CipolliniRow 20 - Cell 2
22Aude Biannic (Fra) Movistar Team WomenRow 21 - Cell 2
23Anouska Koster (Ned) Team Virtu Cycling0:00:07
24Juliette Labous (Fra) Team SunwebRow 23 - Cell 2
25Demi Vollering (Ned) Parkhotel ValkenburgRow 24 - Cell 2
26Romy Kasper (Ger) Ale Cipollini0:00:08
27Shara Gillow (Aus) Fdj Nouvelle - Aquitaine FuturoscopeRow 26 - Cell 2
28Amalie Dideriksen (Den) Boels Dolmans CyclingteamRow 27 - Cell 2
29Riejanne Markus (Ned) Ccc - LivRow 28 - Cell 2
30Ellen Van Dijk (Ned) Trek - SegafredoRow 29 - Cell 2
31Valerie Demey (Bel) Ccc - Liv0:00:09
32Grace Brown (Aus) Mitchelton ScottRow 31 - Cell 2
33Georgia Williams (NZl) Mitchelton ScottRow 32 - Cell 2
34Alena Amialiusik (Blr) Canyon / /Sram Racing0:00:10
35Margarita Victo Garcia Cañellas (Spa) Movistar Team WomenRow 34 - Cell 2
36Clara Koppenburg (Ger) Wnt Rotor Pro Cycling TeamRow 35 - Cell 2
37Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam0:00:19
38Barbara Guarischi (Ita) Team Virtu Cycling0:00:20
39Soraya Paladin (Ita) Ale Cipollini0:00:21
40Lucinda Brand (Ned) Team Sunweb0:00:41
41Anna Van Der Breggen (Ned) Boels Dolmans CyclingteamRow 40 - Cell 2
42Lisa Nordén (Swe) Sweden0:00:42
43Urska Pintar (Slo) Btc City Ljubljana0:00:47
44Moniek Tenniglo (Ned) Mitchelton ScottRow 43 - Cell 2
45Nina Buijsman (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg0:00:51
46Elizabeth Deignan (GBr) Trek - Segafredo0:01:22
47Jeanne Korevaar (Ned) Ccc - Liv0:02:27
48Elena Pirrone (Ita) Valcar Cylance CyclingRow 47 - Cell 2
49Coryn Rivera (USA) Team SunwebRow 48 - Cell 2
50Femke Markus (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg0:05:18
50Sara Penton (Swe) Team Virtu CyclingRow 50 - Cell 2
52Jip Van Den Bos (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam0:05:19
53Roxane Knetemann (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg0:05:23
54Diana Carolina Peñuela Martinez (Col) Ale CipolliniRow 53 - Cell 2
55Sheyla Gutierrez Ruiz (Spa) Movistar Team Women0:05:24
56Eri Yonamine (Jpn) Ale Cipollini0:09:09
57Sara Hedberg (Swe) Sweden0:10:02
58Vibeke Lystad (Nor) Norway0:10:03
59Agnieszka Skalniak (Pol) Ccc - Liv0:10:42
60Marta Lach (Pol) Ccc - LivRow 59 - Cell 2
61Shannon Malseed (Aus) Team Tibco - Silicon Valley BankRow 60 - Cell 2
62Birgitte Ravndal (Nor) NorwayRow 61 - Cell 2
63Maëlle Grossetete (Fra) Fdj Nouvelle - Aquitaine FuturoscopeRow 62 - Cell 2
64Jessica Allen (Aus) Mitchelton ScottRow 63 - Cell 2
65Marit Raaijmakers (Ned) Parkhotel ValkenburgRow 64 - Cell 2
66Alison Jackson (Can) Team Tibco - Silicon Valley BankRow 65 - Cell 2
67Christine Majerus (Lux) Boels Dolmans CyclingteamRow 66 - Cell 2
68Franziska Brauße (Ger) Wnt Rotor Pro Cycling Team0:10:43
69Alice Barnes (GBr) Canyon / /Sram RacingRow 68 - Cell 2
70Greta Richioud (Fra) Fdj Nouvelle - Aquitaine FuturoscopeRow 69 - Cell 2
71Sharlotte Lucas (NZl) Team Tibco - Silicon Valley BankRow 70 - Cell 2
72Vittoria Guazzini (Ita) Valcar Cylance CyclingRow 71 - Cell 2
73Alessia Vigilia (Ita) Valcar Cylance CyclingRow 72 - Cell 2
74Sara Olsson (Swe) SwedenRow 73 - Cell 2
75Audrey Cordon Ragot (Fra) Trek - SegafredoRow 74 - Cell 2
76Gloria Rodriguez Sanchez (Spa) Movistar Team Women0:10:44
DNFGracie Elvin (Aus) Mitchelton ScottRow 76 - Cell 2
DNFElisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Trek - SegafredoRow 77 - Cell 2
DNFTrixi Worrack (Ger) Trek - SegafredoRow 78 - Cell 2
DNFElena Cecchini (Ita) Canyon / /Sram RacingRow 79 - Cell 2
DNFPernille Mathiesen (Den) Team SunwebRow 80 - Cell 2
DNFSarah Rijkes (Aut) Wnt Rotor Pro Cycling TeamRow 81 - Cell 2
DNFKatarzyna Pawlowska (Pol) Team Virtu CyclingRow 82 - Cell 2
DNFMieke Kröger (Ger) Team Virtu CyclingRow 83 - Cell 2
DNFLourdes Oyarbide Jimenez (Spa) Movistar Team WomenRow 84 - Cell 2
DNFLeah Dixon (GBr) Team Tibco - Silicon Valley BankRow 85 - Cell 2
DNFCharlotte Becker (Ger) Fdj Nouvelle - Aquitaine FuturoscopeRow 86 - Cell 2
DNFLauren Kitchen (Aus) Fdj Nouvelle - Aquitaine FuturoscopeRow 87 - Cell 2
DNFMaaike Boogaard (Ned) Btc City LjubljanaRow 88 - Cell 2
DNFHayley Simmonds (GBr) Btc City LjubljanaRow 89 - Cell 2
DNFHanna Nilsson (Swe) Btc City LjubljanaRow 90 - Cell 2
DNFSara Mustonen (Swe) SwedenRow 91 - Cell 2
DNFClara Lundmark (Swe) SwedenRow 92 - Cell 2
DNFNathalie Eklund (Swe) SwedenRow 93 - Cell 2
DNFEmelie Røe Utvik (Nor) NorwayRow 94 - Cell 2
DNFThale Sofie Kielland Bjerk (Nor) NorwayRow 95 - Cell 2
DNFMie Bjørndal Ottestad (Nor) NorwayRow 96 - Cell 2

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Lukas Knöfler started working in cycling communications in 2013 and has seen the inside of the scene from many angles. Having worked as press officer for teams and races and written for several online and print publications, he has been Cyclingnews’ Women’s WorldTour correspondent since 2018.

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