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10th Women's Flèche Wallonne - CDM
Belgium, April 25, 2007
Main Page Results World Cup standings
Vos denies Cooke to win Flèche Wallonne
By Shane Stokes in Huy
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Marianne Vos unleashed a superb sprint to win the world road race title last autumn, and that same kick saw her race to a four second victory in the women's Flèche Wallonne today. She and the main race favourites hit the final climb of the Mur de Huy together, then the prodigious 19 year old DSB Bank rider bided her time on the steep, crowd-thronged wall before kicking for home and becoming the first reigning World Champion to win the event in its ten year history.
Last year's winner Nicole Cooke (Raleigh Lifeforce) just missed out on her goal of becoming the first four-time winner of the race, going early but being overhauled by the Dutchwoman before the line. She finished four seconds back, while T-Mobile's former world champ Judith Arndt was third, a further three seconds down.
Americans Amber Neben (Team Flexipoint) and Kristin Armstrong (USA) were fourth and fifth, with Bigla's Nicole Brandli next home.
"It was a very nice result," she said after the finish. "This was very good. To be first in Flèche Wallonne is a very good feeling. I was close in Vlaanderen and in Drenthe [the Ronde van Vlaanderen and Ronde van Drenthe], taking third twice, and so to get my first win in a World Cup is great.
"This race is special for me. I thought it would be nice with the finish here on Huy and it looks like it is good for me."
She said that it was important to gauge effort accurately on the final climb, especially as it is one of the toughest finishes in cycling. "You have to start in the front on the climb. I was near Arndt and Cooke and Worrack. They are the three riders that I have to watch out for. I stayed calm. Cooke attacked early on the climb but I thought to myself that I have to wait, wait, and then only on the last corner I attacked. I immediately got a few metres and was able to hold it until the line."
Indeed there was no danger of her being caught, Cooke being quickly distanced by the acceleration. She was disappointed not to get a record fourth win in the race, and remains tied with Fabiana Luperini with three wins apiece.
"We were riding for the win but it just didn't work out. Priska [Doppmann] gave me a perfect leadout but Marianne Vos was stronger. I am pleased to be in the World Cup jersey, that is always good, but we were going for the win."
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T-Mobile rider Judith Arndt was second last year, third in 2005 and third again today. Directeur Sportif Anna Wilson described how things worked out for the German. "The riders basically attacked from the bottom. Judith finally managed to catch up to Cooke and Vos with about 250 metres to go, and then she said that Vos just sprinted like it was a flat piece of road. She was already on her limit.
"At the last few races we have been to, Marianne Vos wins whether it is a big bunch sprint or a hill or whatever. So we knew it will be tough to beat her today. We tried to break it up and while the group was small at the bottom of the climb, it was not a small as we would have liked."
World time trial champion Kristin Armstrong was just off the podium in fifth but she said that she was pleased with how things worked out. "The last time I raced here was 2003. I am just coming back off my knee surgery and so I am very happy with my result.
"I had a great team behind me with Rebecca [Larson] and Brooke [Miller] helping to get water bottles. It was a really hot day today. I was really keen to keep hydrated. I think it is a nice showing today from the Americans. We had Amber Neben fourth, and even though she is riding for Flexpoint, she is still American, and I got fifth."
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Like Vos, she said that it was important to meter the finishing effort on the Mur de Huy. "Coming into last kilometre, it is very important to be in the right position so you don't get blocked. I went into the climb probably about tenth position and in the last 300 metres passed a few people and ended up fifth.
"Some people jumped early but I knew what the hill was like. If you go with some of the girls who jump early, you may explode with 500 metres to go. So even though they got in front of me for a little bit, I was okay with that in my head because I knew that you needed something for that last pitch with 300 metres to go."
Like many of the women racing here today, she felt that running the women's race on the same day and course as the men was a big plus. "It is awesome," she enthused. "I love having the women's races here. Women's racing isn't as popular as men's and here we get the fans that the guys have.
"Coming up the last climb with all those people is incredible - it is like a tunnel with all this noise. The encouragement is amazing."
How it unfolded
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The race began at two minutes past twelve and got off to an active start, although the first break of significance did not occur until kilometre 14, when T-Mobile’s Kim Anderson went briefly clear. Shortly afterwards, Swiss rider Dolores Maechler-Rupp led the bunch over the top of the Côte de Pailhe. Another T-Mobile rider, former world junior champion Suzanne de Goede, then went on the attack but she was hauled back.
Svetlana Bubnenkova (Fenixs-HPB), Kristin Armstrong (USA) and Andrea Bosman (Team DSB Bank) were first to the top of the second climb, the Côte de Peu d'Eau. The peloton was all together on the Côte de Haut-Bois, while on the next climb Armstrong showed once more that she was climbing well when she was first over the Côte de Thon. From this point, just 50 kilometres remained in the race and the action began to heat up.
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Eager to land a fourth win, Cooke surged clear with Eva Lutz (Equipe Nurnberger-Versicherung) early on the Mur de Huy. Vos, Neben and Regina Bruins (Netherlands) were able to rejoin, but Cooke went again. Vos was holding back, biding her time, and when she pounced she was able to speed past the treble-champion and write her own name in the history books, as the first reigning world champion to win the Ardennes Classic.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by AFP
- Marianne Vos (Team DSB Bank) wins the women's Fleche Wallone
Images by Erik Van Breugel/www.cyclingmoments.com
- Great Britain's Nicole Cooke (Raleigh Lifeforce) awaits the start.
- Marianne Vos (Team DSB Bank) on the men's podium.
- Nicole Cooke and Marianne Vos sprinting with just 250 metres to go.
- Lithuanian Edita Pucinskaite (Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung) pushes hard on the climb.
- America's Kristin Armstrong (US National Team)
- Women's cycling hero Fabiana Luperini (Menikini - Gysko).
- Sweden's Emma Johansson (Vlaanderen - Capri Sonne - T Interim) out of the saddle.
- Belgian Sofie Goor (Vlaanderen - Capri Sonne - T Interim) rides the 103.9 kilometre home course.
- Eventual winner Marianne Vos (Team DSB Bank) of the Netherlands.
Images by Shane Stokes/Cyclingnews
- Great Britain rider Nicole Cooke has won here three times, but she had to settle for second today.
- Nineteen year-old world champion Marianne Vos was dominant on the Mur de Huy.
- It was Vos' first ever World Cup win.
Images by CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net
- Team USA is presented to the crowd beneath the church at the summit of the Mur de Huy
- Miho Oki (Menikini Gysko)
- Theresa Senff (Getränke Hoffmann) on a shaded section
- The bunch, all together
- Vrienden van het Platteland's Katie Brown rode for Australia at Fleche
- Suzanne De Goede (T-Mobile) leads the bunch just after she was caught on a short breakaway
- Tanja Hennes (Team Bigla) leads the bunch up a climb alongside Svetlana Bubnenkova (Fenixs)
- Through the feed zone under the watch of the commissaire
- Bubnenkova and Kristin Armstrong (USA) in the lead
- American Kim Anderson (T-Mobile) was competing in her first race in Europe this year, she has been racing in the USA so far.
- Sigrid Corneo (Menikini Gysko) on a climb
- Kath Curi (USA) and Miho Oki (Menikini Gysko) tried their luck with a short breakaway with about 50km to go
- Two triple winners of La Fleche Nicole Cooke (Raleigh Lifeforce) and Fabiana Luperini (Menikini Gysko)
- Trixi Worrack (Équipe Nürnberger) was in the final selection
- Cooke and Worrack climb late in the race
- Riders give it everything on the Mur. Andrea Graus (Équipe Nurnberg) had no energy to get beyond the line
- Judith Arndt (T-Mobile) finished third
- Kristin Armstrong (USA) recovers after finishing fifth
- Nicole Cooke (Raleigh Lifeforce) is still in the World Cup lead
- Marianne Vos (DSB Bank) celebrates her win
- Race podium Judith Arndt (T-Mobile), Marianne Vos (DSB Bank), Nicole Cooke ((Raleigh Lifeforce Creation)
Images by Luc Claessen/www.ctm-images.com
- A women's rider knocked-out after the race.
- The top three women.
- Judith Arndt of T-Mobile
- Top Women's finisher Vos
- A tired Vos with her father.
- Vos gets awarded
- Nicole Cooke arrives on the Mur.
Results - 103.9 km
1 Marianne Vos (Ned) Team DSB Bank 2.48.05 (37.124 km/h) 2 Nicole Cooke (GBr) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 0.04 3 Judith Arndt (Ger) T-Mobile Professional Cycling 0.07 4 Amber Neben (USA) Team Flexpoint 0.15 5 Kristin Armstrong (USA) US National Team 0.19 6 Nicole Brändli (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team 0.23 7 Andrea Graus (Aut) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 8 Regina Bruins (Ned) Dutch National Team 0.27 9 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Menikini - Gysko 0.29 10 Eva Lutz (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 0.31 11 Paulina Brzezna (Pol) AA-Drink Cycling Team 0.35 12 Marina Jaunatre (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 0.36 13 Lieselot Decroix (Bel) Lotto - Belisol Ladiesteam 0.37 14 Andrea Bosman (Ned) Team DSB Bank 0.40 15 Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) AA-Drink Cycling Team 16 Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus) Fenixs - HPB 0.46 17 Priska Doppmann (Swi) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 0.50 18 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 0.51 19 Monia Baccaille (Ita) Saccarelli EMU Marsciano 0.54 20 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 21 Edwige Pitel (Fra) Team Uniqa 22 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Team Flexpoint 0.56 23 Nikki Egyed (Aus) Australian National Team 24 Annette Beutler (Swi) Team Flexpoint 25 Birgit Hollmann (Ger) Team Getränke-Hoffmann 0.58 26 Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) German National Team 1.03 27 Lorian Graham (Aus) Australian National Team 1.06 28 Monika Schachl (Aut) Team Uniqa 1.09 29 Georgina Waibl (NZl) New Zealand National Team 30 Sara Carrigan (Aus) Lotto - Belisol Ladiesteam 1.12 31 Karin Thürig (Swi) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 1.14 32 Irene Van Den Broek (Ned) AA-Drink Cycling Team 1.17 33 Noemi Cantele (Ita) Bigla Cycling Team 34 Emma Johansson (Swe) Vlaanderen - Capri Sonne - T Interim 35 Oenone Wood (Aus) T-Mobile Professional Cycling 1.20 36 Maryline Salvetat (Fra) French National Team 1.27 37 Grace Verbeke (Bel) Lotto - Belisol Ladiesteam 1.35 38 Elisa van Rooy-Vink (Ned) Dutch National Team 1.42 39 Madeleine Sandig (Ger) Team Flexpoint 1.47 40 Sofie Goor (Bel) Vlaanderen - Capri Sonne - T Interim 1.50 41 Claudia Häusler (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 1.52 42 Dorte Lohse Rasmussen (Den) Menikini - Gysko 2.04 43 Emma Rickards (Aus) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 2.08 44 Miho Oki (Jpn) Menikini - Gysko 2.09 45 Joanne Kiesanowski (NZl) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 46 Chantal Beltman (Ned) T-Mobile Professional Cycling 2.30 47 Kimberly Anderson (USA) T-Mobile Professional Cycling 48 Ludivine Henrion (Bel) Team DSB Bank 6.30 49 Alison Powers (USA) US National Team 7.09 50 Katheryn Curi (USA) US National Team 8.01 51 Luise Keller (Ger) Team Flexpoint 8.07 52 Daiva Tuslaite (Ltu) Lithuanian National Team 8.10 53 Jocelyn Loane (Aus) Australian National Team 54 Lada Kozlikova (Cze) Team Uniqa 8.12 55 Karine Gautard (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 8.18 56 Suzanne De Goede (Ned) T-Mobile Professional Cycling 57 Angelique Saldana (Fra) French National Team 8.23 DNF Veronika Sprügl (Aut) Team Uniqa DNF Reza Hormes - Ravenstijn * (Ned) Dutch National Team DNF Moniek Rotmensen (Ned) Dutch National Team DNF Monique Van de Ree (Ned) Dutch National Team DNF Daphny van den Brand (Ned) Dutch National Team DNF Liane Bahler (Ger) Fenixs - HPB DNF Natalia Boyarskaya (Rus) Fenixs - HPB DNF Stefanie Gronow (Ger) Fenixs - HPB DNF Oxana Kozonchuk (Rus) Fenixs - HPB DNF Carissa Wilkes (NZl) New Zealand National Team DNF Serena Sheridan (NZl) New Zealand National Team DNF Alexandra Sonteimer (Ger) German National Team DNF Denise Zuckermandel (Ger) German National Team DNF Suzanne van Veen (Ned) Team Flexpoint DNF Loes Sels (Bel) Vlaanderen - Capri Sonne - T Interim DNF Evy Van Damme (Bel) Vlaanderen - Capri Sonne - T Interim DNF Laure Werner (Bel) Vlaanderen - Capri Sonne - T Interim DNF Toni Bradshaw (NZl) New Zealand National Team DNF Michelle Hyland (NZl) New Zealand National Team DNF Lorenza Morfin * (Ita) Fenixs - HPB DNF Sarah Grab (Swi) Swiss National Team DNF Agne Miliskeviciute (Ltu) Lithuanian National Team DNF Edita Unguryte (Ltu) Lithuanian National Team DNF Sonia Bazire (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope DNF Mélanie Bravard (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope DNF Nathalie Jeuland (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope DNF Emmanuelle Merlot (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope DNF Daniela Pintarelli (Aut) Team Uniqa DNF Bernadette Schober (Aut) Team Uniqa DNF Rasa Leleivyte (Ltu) Lithuanian National Team DNF Urte Juodvalkyte (Ltu) Lithuanian National Team DNF Andrea Kuster (Swi) Swiss National Team DNF Dolores Maechler-Rupp (Swi) Swiss National Team DNF Karin Steiner (Swi) Swiss National Team DNF Iris Zwahlen (Swi) Swiss National Team DNF Martine Bras (Ned) Lotto - Belisol Ladiesteam DNF Catherine Delfosse (Bel) Lotto - Belisol Ladiesteam DNF Kim Schoonbaert * (Bel) Lotto - Belisol Ladiesteam DNF Edita Janeliunaite (Ltu) Lithuanian National Team DNF Jana Schemmer (Ger) German National Team DNF Lisa Weissenseel (Ger) German National Team DNF Marlen Johrend (Ger) German National Team DNF Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Menikini - Gysko DNF Eneritz Iturriaga Echevarria Mazag (Spa) Menikini - Gysko DNF Zoulfia Zabirova (Kaz) Bigla Cycling Team DNF Veronica Andreasson (Swe) Bigla Cycling Team DNF Tanja Hennes (Ger) Bigla Cycling Team DNF Andrea Thürig (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team DNF Katie Brown (Aus) Australian National Team DNF Jenny Macpherson (Aus) Australian National Team DNF Hannah Verhaeghe * (Bel) Belgian National Team DNF Carine Potums (Bel) Belgian National Team DNF Adrie Visser (Ned) Team DSB Bank DNF Noortje Tabak (Ned) Team DSB Bank DNF Sanne van Paassen (Ned) Team DSB Bank DNF Alexis Rhodes (Aus) T-Mobile Professional Cycling DNF Ine Beyen (Bel) Belgian National Team DNF Lien Beyen (Bel) Belgian National Team DNF Sofie De Vuyst (Bel) Belgian National Team DNF Melissa Flagotier (Bel) Belgian National Team DNF Amanda Spratt (Aus) Australian National Team DNF Modesta Vzesniauskaite (Ltu) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung DNF Nathalie Bates (Ger) Team Getränke-Hoffmann DNF Angela Brodtka (Ger) Team Getränke-Hoffmann DNF Tina Liebig (Ger) Team Getränke-Hoffmann DNF Stephanie Pohl (Ger) Team Getränke-Hoffmann DNF Marllijn Binnendijk (Ned) AA-Drink Cycling Team DNF Inge Van Den Broeck (Bel) AA-Drink Cycling Team DNF Kirsten Wild * (Ned) AA-Drink Cycling Team DNF Béatrice Thomas (Fra) French National Team DNF Magali Mocquery (Fra) French National Team DNF Lauren Franges (USA) US National Team DNF Rebecca Larson (USA) US National Team DNF Brooke Miller (USA) US National Team DNF Miyoko Karami (Jpn) Saccarelli EMU Marsciano DNF Alice Marmorini (Ita) Saccarelli EMU Marsciano DNF Alessia Quarta (Ita) Saccarelli EMU Marsciano DNF Christelle Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra) French National Team DNF Sonia Huguet (Fra) French National Team DNF Sarah Düster (Ger) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team
World Cup Standings
1 Nicole Cooke (GBr) Raleigh Lifeforce Creation
