Dutch champion underlines overwhelming favourite for Copenhagen World championships
Marianne Vos (Nederland Bloeit) put the emphatic seal on her third successive Profile Holland Ladies Tour victory by taking the final stage at the top of the Berg en Terblijt. The Dutch champion escaped with thirteen kilometres to go, after work from her team, on the only hilly stage of the race, to take a solo victory. Behind Vos, the sprint for second place was taken by World champion Giorgia Bronzini (Italy), ahead of Swedish champion Emma Johansson (Hitec Products-UCK).
“Loes Gunnewijk and Annemiek van Vleuten did all the preparatory work and the I was able to accelerate again myself,” explained Vos at the finish. “I could have chosen to ride defensively, as the jersey was already as good as won by then, but I wanted to finish the race in style.”
The main breakaway group of the day saw Loes Gunnewijk (Nederland Bloeit), Lucinda Brand (AA Drink-Leontien.nl) and Erinne Willock (Tibco-To the Top) escape early in the 113.8km stage. The three riders worked well together, building a maximum lead of four minutes over the peloton, which was brought down by a chase from Johansson’s Hitec Products-UCK team.
On the first climb of the Geulhemmerweg with less than thirty kilometres to go, as the peloton approached the finish line with two finishing circuits to go, Vos accelerated and dragged a group of chasers clear.
Along with Vos were Bronzini and Noemi Cantele (Italy), Johansson, van Vleuten, Claudia Häusler (Diarora-Pasta Zara), Chloe Hosking (HTC-Highroad), Megan Guarnier and Joelle Numainville (Tibco-To the Top), Kirsten Wild and Chantal Blaak (AA Drink-Leontien.nl), Andrea Bosman (SRAM-WV Eemland), Roxane Kneteman (Batavus Ladies), Mascha Pijnenborg and Martine Bras (Dolmans Landscaping), Regina Bruins (Skil-Koga), Sofie De Vuyst (Lotto Honda), Maaike Polspoel and Liesbet De Vocht (Topsport Vlaanderen 2012-Ridley) and Elisa Longo Borghini (Top Girls-Fassa Bortolo). Between them they reeled in the three leaders before the end of the lap.
With 13km to go, on the final climb of the Geulhemmerweg, Vos attacked and the rest of the group was unable to react. The Dutch champion soloed to the finish to win 34 seconds of the splintering group that was led home by Bronzini.
Her third stage win of the race means that Vos’ lead in the final overall standings increased to 1’41” over Johansson in second place, with Wild taking third, 1’57” back. The Dutch champion also won the points and sprints jersey, with Chloe Hosking taking the young riders jersey by one second ahead of Chantal Blaak. Vos’ Nederland Bloeit also took the team classification.
While most of the women’s peloton will now head south to the Giro della Toscana, which begins on Tuesday, Vos will it the race out, preferring to stay home and train. After such a dominant season, where the Dutch champion’s victories include the Giro d’Italia and three rounds of the World Cup, Vos will once again be the outstanding favourite for victory in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Result stage 6
1. Marianne Vos (Ned) Nederland Bloeit
2. Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Italian National Team @ 34s
3. Emma Johansson (Swe) Hitec Products-UCK
4. Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned) Nederland Bloeit
5. Claudia Häusler (Ger) Diadora-Pasta Zara
6. Megan Guarnier (USA) Tibco-To the Top @ 37s
7. Kirsten Wild (Ned) AA Drink-Leontien.nl @ 38s
8. Martine Bras (Ned) Dolmans Landscaping Team @ 43s
9. Joelle Numainville (Can) Tibco-To the Top @ 45s
10. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Top Girls-Fassa Bortolo
Final overall standings
1. Marianne Vos (Ned) Nederland Bloeit
2. Emma Johansson (Swe) Hitec Products-UCK @ 1’41”
3. Kirsten Wild (Ned) AA Drink-Leontien.nl @ 1’57”
4. Chloe Hosking (Aus) HTC-Highroad @ 5’20”
5. Chantal Blaak (Ned) AA Drink-Leontien.nl @ 5’21”
6. Joelle Numainville (Can) Tibco-To the Top @ 6’07”
7. Lucinda Brand (Ned) AA Drink-Leontien.nl @ 6’13”
8. Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) Nederland Bloeit @ 6’32”
9. Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned) Nederland Bloeit @ 9’18”
10. Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Italian National Team @ 9’55”