11th Women's Flèche Wallonne - CDM
Belgium, April 23, 2008
Main Page Results
World Cup standings
Vos is the Boss in Huy again
By Ben Atkins in Huy
Marianne Vos (DSB Bank)
Photo ©: AFP
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Marianne Vos (DSB Bank) has won her second successive edition of La Flèche
Wallone for women with another devastating display on the Mur de Huy. In a closer-than-usual
finish the former world champion defeated the current holder of the rainbow
jersey, Marta Bastianelli of the Italian National Team, by a single second and
Judith Arndt by another.
The race was controlled by the big teams, and very few attacks managed to succeed in escaping a rapid peloton in the early stages. A powerful move by Fabiana Luperini (Menikini-Selle Italia) on the Côte de Bohissau, at just over 30 kilometres to go, saw the three-time winner open up a gap of just over a minute, but she was reeled in by the peloton as it accelerated towards the finish.
Vos' expected battle with last year's second place finisher Nicole Cooke (Great Britain National Team) was fought out on the lower slopes of the climb, as the Welshwoman attacked first to force a selection. Vos managed to overpower her, though, and Cooke eventually came in eighth, seventeen seconds down and two places behind her team-mate Emma Pooley.
"I think sweeter!" Vos told Cyclingnews after the finish when asked how this year's win compared to her victory 12 months ago. Despite the fact that the single-second victory over Bastianelli was considerably closer than last year's four seconds over Cooke, she denied that it was as tight as it looked. "I had enough space in the end," she proclaimed confidently.
"Of course, it was a little bit stressy [sic] before the finish because it was hard and there are a lot of climbs," continued the Dutch wunderkind, "and then a whole bunch came back and I was too far back at the beginning of the climb. I could manage it to [get up to] the wheel of Nicole [Cooke] and Judith Arndt; then I knew I had a chance and I felt good. But everybody is in pain on the last climb. It was hard!"
Marta Bastianelli (Italian National Team)
Photo ©: Ben Atkins
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Concerned by the attack of Nicole Cooke on the bottom part of the final climb
of the Mur, Vos was nevertheless confident of her own ability to bring her back:
"I was quite near her so I knew I had a chance," said Vos, "but it was hard
from the bottom to the top!"
"I'm happy with the result today," said world champion Marta Bastianelli of
her second place. "It was my first time at Flèche Wallonne and I didn't
know the course at all. Le Mur de Huy is terrible but fantastic – I like this
kind of arrival; but unfortunately, Marianne was stronger than me. I hope to
finish first another time soon..."
"I was involved in a fall at 60 kilometres to go, but it was okay," la Campionessa continued – in fact she was left to chase back alone for a while. "I was feeling good during the race and I knew that I could do something at the end. When Cooke started the Mur so strong I decided not to follow her immediately, so I waited till the last 300 metres." Bastianelli timed her acceleration so well in fact that she managed to overtake Judith Arndt in the final metres as the German faded.
Despite finishing only two seconds behind Vos in third place – much closer
than the seven-second deficit of last year – Arndt was philosophical about her
latest defeat to Vos on the Mur de Huy, and her second consecutive third place.
"I don't think it was close," the German winner of the Ronde Van Vlaanderen
told Cyclingnews. "She was far better."
Podium (L-R): Judith Arndt (High Road),
Marianne Vos (Team DSB Bank),
Photo ©: WomensCycling.net
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Asked if she thought it was possible to beat Vos on a course that finished
on such a hard climb, she remained positive, however. "It's possible of course,
you just have to make her tired before. You can't just bring her to the last
kilometre, because she's going to win. But we tried, we had also a little bit
[of bad] luck because we got a puncture with five kilometres to go."
The usual High Road tactic of breaking up the race and forcing the selection early that has proved so devastating in the World Cup's earlier rounds failed to materialise. "We wanted to be aggressive and attack, but somehow it didn't happen," shrugged Arndt.
"It was pretty quiet in the beginning, but once the climbs started it was pretty aggressive, actually; it was hard. It was always hard here because: left, right, left, right. You have to be in the front and I was not really good in [my] positioning today and the team had to work a lot to bring me up."
In fact, rather than High Road getting the upper hand, as has been so common this season, the plans of Vos' DSB Bank team were the ones that proved the most successful. "Yeah, the plan worked, you saw it!" Vos' team-mate Andrea Bosman told Cyclingnews. "It was a hard race, but there were not so many attacks, because the speed was high. Then of course in the end Luperini attacked and we wanted to close it of course."
Emma Pooley (Great Britain National Team)
rode well
Photo ©: WomensCycling.net
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"Hard again," sixth-placed Emma Pooley (Great Britain National Team) and winner
of the Trofeo Alfredo Binda – the World Cup's second round – told Cyclingnews
immediately after the finish. "I never thought I could suffer so much in an
uphill finish."
Ever self-effacing, Pooley commented on the Great Britain team's strategy: to escort team captain Cooke to the base of the Mur, then to launch her towards victory. "The plan was to lead her [Cooke] out at the bottom of the hill and I don't think I did it very well!" The fact that Pooley finished ahead of Cooke is probably more to do with either woman's current race condition, though, than any apparent failure in tactics. The former has been in winning form, and the latter deliberately delaying until Beijing.
With this victory, Vos also takes the World Cup leaders jersey from her compatriot Suzanne De Goede (Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung) who finished in sixteenth place, 37 seconds back. Despite gaining the lead in the competition that she won last year, with Beijing on the horizon it is unlikely that Vos will try to defend it. "It's difficult to do al the World Cups and have your main goal in August with the Olympics, but I'm glad I have it," she told Cyclingnews.
The next round of the World Cup will be the Berner-Rundfahrt (Tour de Berne) in Switzerland on May 4.
How it unfolded
The bunch takes a corner
Photo ©: Ben Atkins
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146 riders from 25 teams took the start at the top of the Mur de Huy – where
the race would finish 103.5 kilometres later – just after midday. Despite many
forecasters predicting heavy showers, the women rolled off under almost unblemished
blue skies and in warm temperatures.
The first kilometres were covered with the peloton all together, as the big teams vigilantly prevented anybody from escaping their clutches. The only riders to leave the peloton over the first two climbs were those dropping off the back.
After around 45 kilometres World champion Marta Bastianelli (Italian National Team) was involved in a small crash, and was forced to chase back alone for a while before quickly rejoining the peloton.
On the climb of the côte de Bonneville with 42 kilometres remainig Noemi Cantele (Bigla Cycling Team) managed to finally escape the peloton and pulled out a gap of a few seconds. It was to no avail, though, and she was quickly reeled in just after the summit.
...Sarah Düster and Christiane Soeder,
Photo ©: Ben Atkins
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The peloton was still seventy riders strong as it approached the côte
de Bohisseau – the fifth of the day's seven climbs. On the descent into the
Town of Andenne Alison Powers (USA National Team) attacked and managed to get
a gap of ten seconds.
As they approached the climb, Powers was joined by Christiane Soeder (Cervelo Lifeforce) and the pair tried to consolidate their advantage. The bunch was in no mood to allow an escape here, though, and they were recaptured soon after.
At this point, both of the race's three-time winners – Nicole Cooke (Great Britian National Team) and Fabiana Luperini (Menikini-Selle Italia) – were moving forward, and just before the côte de Boisseau Luperini accelerated and escaped in a solo break.
By the top of the climb, Luperini had pulled out 55 seconds, and with 25 kilometres remaining she had managed to extend this to over a minute, but once again the strong teams in the peloton reacted and by the foot of the côte d'Ahin – the penultimate climb – it was cut to just 18 seconds.
Marianne Vos (DSB) looks behind
Photo ©: WomensCycling.net
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On the approach to the climb, Cooke accelerated, causing a group of thirty
riders to detach from the front of the peloton. Within this group was a long
list of favourites, including Marianne Vos (DSB Bank), Judith Arndt (High Road)
and Marta Bastianelli.
As the bunch attacked the lower slopes of the Mur de Huy on the final kilometre of the race, many riders were jettisoned from the back of the group of favourites.
Vos and Arndt attacked at the same time, with Bastianelli not far behind and the three women were together with 500 metres to go.
At 200m, Vos accelerated again and although the other two both responded, neither was able to match the Dutchwoman's speed and Vos finished clear ahead of the others, to take her second consecutive victory.
In the final metres Bastianelli managed to overhaul a fading Arndt and condemn her to a second consecutive third place, but she couldn't catch Vos.
Canada's Alex Wrubleski managed to escape the rest to take fourth place, ahead of American Amber Neben (Team Flexpoint).
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by
AFP Photo
Images by
Ben Atkins/Cyclingnews.com
Images by
WomensCycling.net
Images by
Dion Kerckhoffs/www.wielerfotos.web-log.nl
Images by
Niels De Wit/www.nielsdewit.be
Results
1 Marianne Vos (Ned) Team DSB Bank 2.46.42
2 Marta Bastianelli (Ita) Italian National Team 0.01
3 Judith Arndt (Ger) Team High Road Women 0.02
4 Alex Wrubleski (Can) Canadian National Team 0.09
5 Amber Neben (USA) Team Flexpoint 0.13
6 Emma Pooley (GBr) Great Britain National Team 0.17
7 Nicole Brändli (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team
8 Nicole Cooke (GBr) Great Britain National Team
9 Sofie Goor (Bel) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam 0.20
10 Lieselot Decroix (Bel) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam 0.22
11 Grete Treier (Est) Gauss RDZ Ormu 0.25
12 Emma Johansson (Swe) AA-Drink Cycling Team
13 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 0.28
14 Christiane Soeder (Aut) Cervelo Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 0.33
15 Tatiana Stiajkina (Ukr) USC Chirio Forno d'Asolo 0.35
16 Suzanne De Goede (Ned) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 0.37
17 Monika Schachl (Aut) Austrian National Team 0.41
18 Regina Bruins (Ned) Dutch National Team 0.45
19 Jolanta Polikeviciute (Ltu) USC Chirio Forno d'Asolo
20 Priska Doppmann (Swi) Cervelo Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team
21 Irene Van Den Broek (Ned) AA-Drink Cycling Team 0.48
22 Julia Martisova (Rus) Gauss RDZ Ormu
23 Grace Verbeke (Bel) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam
24 Lorian Graham (Aus) Vrienden Van Het Platteland
25 Anne Samplonius (Can) Canadian National Team 0.54
26 Eva Lutz (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 0.57
27 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Menikini - Selle Italia 0.58
28 Daiva Tuslaite (Ltu) Lithuanian National Team
29 An Van Rie (Bel) Vrienden Van Het Platteland
30 Noemi Cantele (Ita) Bigla Cycling Team 1.02
31 Sharon Laws (GBr) Great Britain National Team
32 Oenone Wood (Aus) Team High Road Women 1.08
33 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 1.11
34 Kristin Armstrong (USA) Cervelo Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 1.14
35 Anita Valen De Vries (Nor) Team Flexpoint 1.25
36 Nikki Egyed (Aus) Vrienden Van Het Platteland
37 Sara Carrigan (Aus) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam 1.26
38 Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) German National Team 1.36
39 Paulina Brzezna (Pol) AA-Drink Cycling Team 1.40
40 Mirjam Melchers-Van Poppel (Ned) Team Flexpoint 1.41
41 Christine Thorburn (USA) USA National Team 1.45
42 Andrea Bosman (Ned) Team DSB Bank 1.48
43 Andrea Grauss (Aut) Bigla Cycling Team
44 Silvia Parietti (Ita) Gauss RDZ Ormu 1.49
45 Diana Ziliute (Ltu) Lithuanian National Team 1.50
46 Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Italian National Team 1.53
47 Jennifer Hohl (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team
48 Kori Kelley Seehafer (USA) Menikini - Selle Italia
49 Bianca Knoepfle (Ger) Team Flexpoint
50 Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) Team Flexpoint 1.56
51 Kirsten Wild (Ned) AA-Drink Cycling Team
52 Kimberly Anderson (USA) Team High Road Women
53 Liesbeth De Vocht (Bel) Vrienden Van Het Platteland
54 Loes Sels (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen Thompson Ladies Team 2.02
55 Chantal Beltman (Ned) Team High Road Women 2.08
56 Luise Keller (Ger) Team High Road Women 2.27
57 Zulfiya Zabirova (Kaz) Bigla Cycling Team 2.38
58 Claudia Häusler (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 3.32
59 Katharine Carroll (USA) USA National Team 3.33
60 Tina Liebig (Ger) Team DSB Bank 3.34
61 Oxana Kozonchuk (Rus) Menikini - Selle Italia 3.36
62 Linda Villumsen Serup (Den) Team High Road Women 3.38
63 Erika Vilunaite (Ltu) Lithuanian National Team
64 Leigh Hobson (Can) Canadian National Team
65 Erinne Willock (Can) Canadian National Team 3.42
66 Marta Vila Josana Andreu (Spa) Spanish National Team 3.49
67 Felicia Greer (Can) Canadian National Team 3.53
68 Catherine Delfosse (Bel) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam 3.56
69 Sanne Van Paassen (Ned) Dutch National Team 3.58
70 Rasa Leleivyte (Ltu) Lithuanian National Team 4.00
71 Sophie Creux (Fra) French National Team
72 Karin Thürig (Swi) Cervelo Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team
73 Suzanne Van Veen (Ned) Team Flexpoint
74 Laure Werner (Bel) AA-Drink Cycling Team 4.08
75 Maryline Salvetat (Fra) French National Team 4.15
76 Marina Jaunatre (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 4.21
77 Sharon Van Essen (Ned) Team DSB Bank 7.13
78 Modesta Vzesniauskaite (Ltu) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 8.10
DNF Francesca Tognali (Ita) Italian National Team
DNF Alice Donadoni (Ita) Italian National Team
DNF Alessandra D’Ettorre (Ita) Italian National Team
DNF Sjoukje Dufoer (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen Thompson Ladies Team
DNF Katrien Van Looy (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen Thompson Ladies Team
DNF Karen Steurs (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen Thompson Ladies Team
DNF Tine Ghyselinck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen Thompson Ladies Team
DNF Kelly Druyts (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen Thompson Ladies Team
DNF Kathryn Watt (Aus) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam
DNF Ausrine Trebaite (Ltu) Lithuanian National Team
DNF Silvia Tirado Marquez (Spa) Spanish National Team
DNF Rosario Rodriguez Gomez (Spa) Spanish National Team
DNF Patricia Perez Jimenez (Spa) Spanish National Team
DNF Maribel Moreno Allue (Spa) Spanish National Team
DNF Eneritz Iturriagaechevarria Mazaga (Spa) Spanish National Team
DNF Audrey Cordon (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope
DNF Emmanuelle Merlot (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope
DNF Nathalie Jeuland (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope
DNF Corine Hierckens (Bel) Vienne Futuroscope
DNF Karine Gautard (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope
DNF Rasa Polikeviciute (Ltu) USC Chirio Forno d'Asolo
DNF Uenia Fernandes Da Souza (Bra) USC Chirio Forno d'Asolo
DNF Clemilda Fernandes Silva (Bra) USC Chirio Forno d'Asolo
DNF Alona Andruk (Ukr) USC Chirio Forno d'Asolo
DNF Sissy Van Alebeek (Ned) Dutch National Team
DNF Judith Helmink (Ned) Dutch National Team
DNF Arenda Grimberg (Ned) Dutch National Team
DNF Veronica Andreasson (Swe) Bigla Cycling Team
DNF Béatrice Thomas (Fra) French National Team
DNF Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra) French National Team
DNF Mélanie Bravard (Fra) French National Team
DNF Stéphanie Baud (Fra) French National Team
DNF Marit Huisman (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland
DNF Martine Bras (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland
DNF Betina Hold (Can) Canadian National Team
DNF Ludivine Henrion (Bel) AA-Drink Cycling Team
DNF Bernadette Schober (Aut) Austrian National Team
DNF Daniela Pintarelli (Aut) Austrian National Team
DNF Karin Pekovits (Aut) Austrian National Team
DNF Corinna Kreidl (Aut) Austrian National Team
DNF Manuela Grünzwell (Aut) Austrian National Team
DNF Marlen Jöhrend (Ger) German National Team
DNF Corinna Thumm (Ger) German National Team
DNF Romy Kasper (Ger) German National Team
DNF Virginia Hennig (Ger) German National Team
DNF Elke Gebhardt (Ger) German National Team
DNF Emma Rickards (Aus) Cervelo Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team
DNF Sarah Düster (Ger) Cervelo Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team
DNF Marina Romoli (Ita) Menikini - Selle Italia
DNF Miho Oki (Jpn) Menikini - Selle Italia
DNF Nathalie Bates (Aus) Menikini - Selle Italia
DNF Hannah Verhaeghe (Bel) Belgian National Team
DNF Annick Van Leuven (Bel) Belgian National Team
DNF Mieke Declercq (Bel) Belgian National Team
DNF Lien Beyen (Bel) Belgian National Team
DNF Ine Beyen (Bel) Belgian National Team
DNF Anne Arnouts (Bel) Belgian National Team
DNF Elodie Touffet (Fra) Gauss RDZ Ormu
DNF Verónica Leal Balderas (Mex) Gauss RDZ Ormu
DNF Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) Gauss RDZ Ormu
DNF Carmen McNellis (USA) USA National Team
DNF Alison Powers (USA) USA National Team
DNF Lauren Franges (USA) USA National Team
DNF Katheryn Curi (USA) USA National Team
DNF Catherine Hare (GBr) Great Britain National Team
DNF Jessica Allen (GBr) Great Britain National Team
DNF Adrie Visser (Ned) Team DSB Bank
DNF Noortje Tabak (Ned) Team DSB Bank
World Cup standings
Individual
1 Marianne Vos (Ned) Team DSB Bank 152 pts
2 Suzanne De Goede (Ned) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 133
3 Judith Arndt (Ger) Team High Road Women 117
4 Emma Pooley (GBr) Team Specialized Designs For Women 99
5 Marta Bastianelli (Ita) Safi - Pasta Zara Manhattan 86
6 Chantal Beltman (Ned) Team High Road Women 81
7 Katheryn Curi Mattis (USA) Webcor Builders Cycling Team 75
8 Ina Teutenberg (Ger) Team High Road Women 70
9 Kristin Armstrong (USA) Cervelo Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 61
10 Oenone Wood (Aus) Team High Road Women 61
11 Julia Martisova (Rus) Gauss RDZ Ormu 60
12 Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) Menikini - Selle Italia 57
13 Alex Wrubleski (Can) Webcor Builders Cycling Team 54
14 Emma Rickards (Aus) Cervelo Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 53
15 Kirsten Wild (Ned) AA-Drink Cycling Team 53
16 Emma Johansson (Swe) AA-Drink Cycling Team 45
17 Miho Oki (Jpn) Menikini - Selle Italia 40
18 Nicole Brndli (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team 40
19 Diana Ziliute (Ltu) Safi - Pasta Zara Manhattan 35
20 Amber Neben (USA) Team Flexpoint 27
21 Regina Schleicher (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 27
22 Nicole Cooke (GBr) Team Halfords Bikehut 24
23 Liesbeth De Vocht (Bel) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 21
24 Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Australian National Team 21
25 Grete Treier (Est) Gauss RDZ Ormu 20
26 Charlotte Becker (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 18
27 Christiane Soeder (Aut) Cervelo Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 18
28 Sarah Dster (Ger) Cervelo Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 18
29 Sofie Goor (Bel) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam 17
30 Noemi Cantele (Ita) Bigla Cycling Team 17
31 Regina Bruins (Ned) Dutch National Team 17
32 Lorian Graham (Aus) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 15
33 Gina Grain (Can) Webcor Builders Cycling Team 15
34 Angela Brodtka (Ger) Team DSB Bank 13
35 Priska Doppmann (Swi) Cervelo Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 13
36 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 12
37 Lieselot Decroix (Bel) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam 11
38 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 11
39 Jolanta Polikeviciute (Ltu) USC Chirio Forno d'Asolo 10
40 Sophie Creux (Fra) French National Team 9
41 Joanne Kiesanowski (NZl) Cervelo Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 9
42 Peta Mullens (Aus) Australian National Team 9
43 Carly Hibberd (Aus) 8
44 Tatiana Stiajkina (Ukr) USC Chirio Forno d'Asolo 6
45 Anita Valen De Vries (Nor) Team Flexpoint 6
46 Vicki Whitelaw (Aus) 6
47 Linda Villumsen Serup (Den) Team High Road Women 5
48 Alison Powers (USA) USA National Team 5
49 Lang Meng (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling 5
50 Monika Schachl (Aut) Team Uniqa 4
51 Monica Holler (Swe) Bigla Cycling Team 4
52 Carissa Wilkes (NZl) New Zealand National Team 4
53 Carlee Taylor (Aus) 3
54 Tina Mayolo Pic (USA) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 2
55 Oxana Kozonchuk (Rus) Menikini - Selle Italia 1
56 Martine Bras (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 1
57 Yong Li Liu (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling 1
Teams
1 Team High Road Women 330 pts
2 Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 201
3 Cervelo Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 172
4 Team DSB Bank 165
5 AA-Drink Cycling Team 98
6 Menikini - Selle Italia 98
7 Webcor Builders Cycling Team 90
8 Gauss RDZ Ormu 80
9 Team Specialized Designs For Women 75
10 Italy 68
11 Bigla Cycling Team 61
12 Canada 54
13 Safi - Pasta Zara Manhattan 53
14 Great Britain 42
15 Vrienden Van Het Platteland 39
16 Team Flexpoint 33
17 Australia 30
18 Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam 28
19 Netherlands 17
20 Usc Chirio Forno d'Asolo 16
21 France 9
22 Giant Pro Cycling 6
23 Team Halfords Bikehut 6
24 United States Of America 5
25 New Zealand 4
26 Austria 4
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