Dutch sprinter completes perfect Swedish weekend for Cervélo TestTeam and puts pressure on the World Cup overall
Kirsten Wild (Cervélo TestTeam) won the Open de Suède Vårgårda World Cup road race in a bunch sprint. The speedy Dutchwoman outsprinted compatriot Adrie Visser (HTC-Columbia) and Swedish champion Emma Johansson (RedSun Cycling) at the end of the 132km race.
“We had more options today and we also had some riders in a break away group. Though there was a lot of action today, our team had control over the race and we always had somebody there,” said Wild after her victory. “When [Marianne] Vos attacked in the final I was a bit afraid but then when our team started the chasing at the front we saw her coming closer. I was really proud of my team today, riding in our train behind such strong girls was really cool; it was like our team trial on Friday. In the last meters Sarah Düster, who was my last lead out person, brought me into position perfectly and I was able to win this race.”
The first attack of the race came from solo breakaway specialist Emma Pooley (Cervélo TestTeam), with Masch Pijnenborg (RedSun Cycling) and Silvia Valsecchi (Top Girls-Fassa Bortolo-Ghezzi) in the first of twelve 11km laps. The British champion soon dropped the other two and managed to get a maximum lead of 1’30”, before being hunted down by the HTC-Columbia led peloton in the middle part of the race.
Once Pooley had been caught Shara Gillow (Australia) counterattacked and was able to get a minute ahead of the peloton; she was soon joined by Ronde van Vlaanderen winner Grace Verbeke (Lotto Ladies). Unfortunately for the Australian, she suffered a puncture and had to get a replacement wheel from the race’s neutral service; this cut her lead to 30 seconds and she was soon reeled in. Verbeke persisted alone, but was caught with five laps to go.
The race then stayed together until the final lap, as numerous riders tried in vain to attack. On the last climb of the Hägrungabacken with around 6km to go World Cup leader Marriane Vos (Nederland Bloeit) attacked. The 23-year-old managed to get a gap of 15 seconds, but the Cervélo TestTeam steadily reeled her in and she was caught with just 250m to go.
Wild and Visser were both led out by their respective teams, but Wild was the stronger and took the victory by a bike length. Johansson, wearing the blue and yellow Swedish champion’s jersey, managed to hold off Annemiek Van Vleuten (Nederland Bloeit) to take the final podium place in her home World Cup race.
Having committed everything to her last lap attack, Vos could only manage 11th, her worst result of the World Cup this year. Consequently, her lead in the season-long competition has been cut to just 18 points over Wild and 46 over Johansson. With just one round remaining, the Grand Prix de Plouay-Bretagne on August 21st, Vos is still favourite to win her second successive World Cup; mathematically though, it’s possible for any of the top-six riders in the rankings to take it from her.
Result Open de Suède Vårgårda
1. Kirsten Wild (Ned) Cervélo TestTeam
2. Adrie Visser (Ned) HTC-Columbia
3. Emma Johansson (Swe) RedSun Cycling Team
4. Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned) Nederland Bloeit
5. Ellen Van Dijk (Ned) HTC-Columbia
6. Grace Verbeke (Bel) Lotto Ladies Team @ 4s
7. Chantal Blaak (Ned) Leontien.nl
8. Charlotte Becker (Ger) Cervélo TestTeam
9. Irene Van Den Broek (Ned) Leontien.nl
10. Megan Dunn (Aus) Australian National Team
World Cup standings after 8 rounds
1. Marianne Vos (Ned) Nederland Bloeit 220pts
2. Kirsten Wild (Ned) Cervélo TestTeam 202
3. Emma Johansson (Swe) RedSun Cycling 174
4. Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned) Nederland Bloeit 160
5. Charlotte Becker (Ger) Cervélo TestTeam 158
6. Grace Verbeke (Bel) Lotto Ladies Team 158
7. Adrie Visser (Ned) HTC-Columbia 142
8. Judith Arndt (Ger) HTC-Columbia 131
9. Nicole Cooke (GBr) Great Britain National Team 112
10 Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) Nederland Bloeit 108