Ronde van Drenthe - CDM

Netherlands, April 12, 2008

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net

An van Rie (Platteland) leads the bunch on the first cobbled section.
Brooke Miller (USA) fights the cobbles.
Adrie Visser (DSB Bank) was an aggressive chaser all day.
Regina Schleicher (Equipe Nürnberger) rides tempo to wait for puncture victim, Suzanne De Goede.
Anne Samplonius (Canada) steers her bike over the cobbles.
Canadian Champion Gina Grain doesn't seem to be enjoying the cobbles.
Riders take to the gutter for respite from the cobbles.
Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (High Road) attacks Sarah Duester (Cervelo Lifeforce) as High Road make its move.
A group of chasers in the cobbled woods.
The trees form archways over the wooded tracks
A dry day, with a little dust for the competitors in the Ronde van Drenthe.
Television coverage of the event was live for the last hour.
Fammy van Essum, the Ronde van Drenthe organiser, celebrated her 45th wedding anniversary today with Huub.
Suzanne De Goede (Equipe Nurnberger) retained the World Cup lead by finishing fourth.
The bunch corners near to Tiendeeven.
Chantal Beltman (High Road) leads Sarah Duester (Cervelo) on the Col du Vam.
Marianne Vos (DSB Bank) concentrates on the Col Du Vam.
Nikki Egyed (Platteland) looks strong.
Chantal Beltman (High Road) hung on to her dimishing lead to take the Ronde van Drenthe in her home region.
Chantal Beltman (High Road) gives a relieved and happy victory salute.
Ludivine Henrion (AA Drink) walks her damaged bike back to the team van.
Podium (L-R): Marianne Vos (Team DSB Bank), Chantal Beltman (High Road) and Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (High Road)

Images by DCP/Bert Geerts

Marianne Vos (Team DSB Bank) has been focused on the track this year.
Judith Arndt (Team High Road) rides to the start line.
Australian champion Oenone Wood (Team High Road) prepares for the day's race.
Last year’s winner Adrie Visser (Team DSB Bank) grits her teeth as she pushes up the climb.
Two Bilga team-mates ride together as they cover the tough cobbled section.
Chantal Beltman (Team High Road) rides in the peloton.
Charlotte Becker (Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung) takes a few metres over the peloton on the cobbled section.
Chantal Beltman (Team High Road) rides off the front with two others.
Kirsten Wild (AA Drink) and Marianne Vos (Team DSB Bank) reach the top of the climb.
The peloton crosses the race's main climb.
Mirjam Melchers (Team Flexpoint) leads the main group.
The climb took the wind out of many rider's sails.
Dutch rider Suzanne De Goede (Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung) continues to lead the Women's World Cup standings.

Images by Ben Atkins/Cyclingnews.com

A smiling Marianne Vos (DSB Bank) takes the start. Eventual winner Chantal Beltman (High Road) lurks just behind her and looks relaxed with today's race plan.
Unlike Paris-Roubaix the cobblestones in Drenthe are not regular shaped paving stones but are just as bumpy.
Oenone Wood (High Road) puts the hammer down on the first cobbled sector with Noemi Cantele (Bigla) in tow.
Pressure from High Road and Cervelo Lifeforce splintered the peloton into lots of tiny pieces.
Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung's Suzanne De Goede, wearing the World Cup jersey, used her entire team to regain contact after a puncture. Eva Lutz here was the last one remaining.
Emma Pooley (Specialized Desiogns for Women) is a fantastic climber and time triallist, but is not built for the cobbles and crosswinds of northern Europe.
One of many splintered groups that formed on the cobbles. The peloton reformed again in the latter stages and Rochelle Gilmore (Menikini-Selle Italia) - in third wheel - would finish fifth.
The VAM-berg is a road over the top of a waste landfill site! The flags show how strong the wind was today.
Noemi Cantele (Bigla) leads the peloton over the VAM-berg for the penultimate time.
Chantal Blaak (AA-Drink) tops the VAM-berg with Christiane Soeder in tow.
Chantal Beltman (High Road) gulps in the air as she approaches the final kilometre.
Elodie Touffet (Gauss RDZ Ormu) was second last year and desperately tried to hang on, but was caught inside the last kilometre.