Gunnewijk sprints to women's win
By Cycling News
Teammate Van Vleuten finishes in second, ahead of Bronzini
Loes Gunnewijk (Nederland Bloeit) won the women's World Cup after attacking a lead group that included 12 other riders with one kilometre to go. Gunnewijk's team-mate Annemiek van Vleuten gave Holland two place on the podium, taking second ahead of Italian Giorgia Bronzini (Gauss RDZ Ormu).
Gunnewijk finished runner up at the event last year, giving her confidence heading into today’s race. "That felt like a victory because it ended a period of misfortune at that time. But really, the win is even more beautiful," she said.
The winner attacked when things started to get quiet among the race's leaders, just before the final sprint would have begun. After her attack she was encouraged by her team manager Jeroen Blijlevens.
"He shouted in my ear that I had a gap and had to keep going,” she said. “That I succeeded is a dream come true. I have been, for a number of years, often close to a victory in a World Cup, but now I've got one."
Gunnewijk's teammate Marianne Vos retained her lead in the World Cup standings.
Cervelo Test Team’s Egon van Kessel seemed less than pleased with the race’s outcome, having done much of the work throughout the race. The team’s top rider was Charlotte Becker in fourth place.
“Halfway through the race, in the cobblestone section, we launched a good attack and that tactic resulted in a break of 30 riders with six of our own riders in the break,” said van Kessel. “There was one team with six riders and two teams with four, but what really happened was our team had to do a lot of the work, and the Leontien team had to do a lot of work.
“Finally they all came together with eleven riders in the front including three of our girls Charlotte, Iris and Sarah,” he added. “At the end we lost the race and Loes Gunnewijk from Nederland Bloeit won the race. The team that didn’t do so much work won the race – it can happen.”
The event was a learning experience for the USA’s Team Tibco, with the squad managing to land Brooke Miller in sixth overall. Despite making the winning break’s selection, Miller described it as a challenging day.
“It was a great day for the team, but also a frustrating one as we had more bad luck today,” Miller said. “But everyone raced really well. With each race we’re learning how to race smarter and be in good position. Today gave us a lot of confidence for the next couple races.”
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) Nederland Bloeit | 3:33:56 |
2 | Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned) Nederland Bloeit | 0:00:01 |
3 | Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Gauss RDZ Ormu | |
4 | Charlotte Becker (Ger) Cervelo Test Team | |
5 | Chantal Blaak (Ned) Leontien.nl | |
6 | Brooke Miller (USA) Tibco | |
7 | Adrie Visser (Ned) HTC Columbia Women | |
8 | Carla Swart (RSA) MTN | |
9 | Marie Lindberg (Swe) Redsun Cycling Team | |
10 | Iris Slappendel (Ned) Cervelo Test Team | |
11 | Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Australian National Team | 0:00:05 |
12 | Sarah Düster (Ger) Cervelo Test Team | |
13 | Noemi Cantele (Ita) HTC Columbia Women | 0:00:07 |
14 | Kirsten Wild (Ned) Cervelo Test Team | 0:01:13 |
15 | Marianne Vos (Ned) Nederland Bloeit | |
16 | Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) Lotto Ladies Team | |
17 | Nicole Cooke (GBr) British National Team | |
18 | Ina Teutenberg (Ger) HTC Columbia Women | |
19 | Barbara Guarischi (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox | |
20 | Emma Johansson (Swe) Redsun Cycling Team | |
21 | Eleonora Van Dijk (Ned) HTC Columbia Women | |
22 | Monique Van De Ree (Ned) Leontien.nl | |
23 | Julia Martisova (Rus) Gauss RDZ Ormu | |
24 | Grace Verbeke (Bel) Lotto Ladies Team | |
25 | Giulia Lazzerini (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox | |
26 | Janneke Kanis (Ned) Nederland Bloeit | |
27 | Regina Bruins (Ned) Cervelo Test Team | |
28 | Roxane Knetemann (Ned) Dutch National Team | |
29 | Sophie Creux (Fra) Esgl 93 - Gsd Gestion | |
30 | Lucy Martin (GBr) British National Team | |
31 | Monia Baccaille (Ita) Team Valdarno | |
32 | Sara Mustonen (Swe) Hitec Products Uck | |
33 | Lauren Tamayo (USA) United States National Team | |
34 | Irina Molicheva (Rus) Fenixs - Petrogradets | |
35 | Gloria Presti (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo - Ghezzi | |
36 | Hannah Mayho (GBr) British National Team | |
37 | Denise Ramsden (Can) Canadian National Team | |
38 | Andrea Bosman (Ned) Leontien.nl | |
39 | Mascha Pijnenborg (Ned) Redsun Cycling Team | |
40 | Lucinda Brand (Ned) Leontien.nl | |
41 | Kirsty Broun (Aus) Australian National Team | |
42 | Karin Aune (Swe) Fenixs - Petrogradets | |
43 | Isabelle Söderberg (Swe) Hitec Products Uck | |
44 | Suzanne De Goede (Ned) Nederland Bloeit | |
45 | Emma Mackie (Aus) Tibco | |
46 | Joanne Kiesanowski (NZl) Tibco | |
47 | Inge Klep (Ned) Redsun Cycling Team | |
48 | Corine Hierckens (Bel) Fenixs - Petrogradets | |
49 | Kimberly Anderson (USA) HTC Columbia Women | |
50 | Anne De Wildt (Ned) Leontien.nl | |
51 | Mirjam Melchers-Van Poppel (Ned) Cervelo Test Team | |
52 | Martine Bras (Ned) Gauss RDZ Ormu | |
53 | Marta Vila Josana Andreu (Spa) Team Valdarno | |
54 | Amy Pieters (Ned) Dutch National Team | |
55 | Anne Arnouts (Bel) Redsun Cycling Team | |
56 | Angela Hennig (Ger) Noris Cycling | |
57 | Trixi Worrack (Ger) Noris Cycling | |
58 | Alice Marmorini (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox | |
59 | Dorleta Zorrilla Braceras (Spa) Bizkaia - Durango | |
60 | Katie Colclough (GBr) British National Team | |
61 | Alexis Rhodes (Aus) Australian National Team | |
62 | Fröydis Waerstad (Nor) Hitec Products Uck | |
63 | Sinead Miller (USA) USA | 0:01:25 |
64 | Josien Van Wingerden (Ned) Leontien.nl | |
65 | Anne Eversdijk (Ned) Dutch National Team | |
66 | Linda Melanie Villumsen (NZl) HTC Columbia Women | 0:01:28 |
67 | Andrea Dvorak (USA) United States National Team | |
68 | Bridie O'donnell (Aus) Team Valdarno | |
69 | Veronica Andreasson (Swe) Lotto Ladies Team | 0:03:51 |
70 | Stephanie Pohl (Ger) Noris Cycling | 0:06:03 |
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