Marianne Vos, riding for the Netherlands national team, got her 2010 road season off to a perfect start with the successful defence of the Trofeo Alfredo Binda-Comune di Cittiglio. The Dutch champion beat compatriot Martine Bras (Gauss-RDZ-Ormu) and last year’s second place Emma Johansson (RedSun Cycling) in a sprint from a select group at the end of the 129.km race.
With the victory Vos take an early lead in her bid to defend the season-long World Cup competition that she won last year.
Under clear sunny skies, in contrast to last year’s cold and rain, attacks began immediately as Silvia Valsecchi (Top Girls-Fassa Bortolo) and Eneritz Iturriagaechevarria (Safi-Pasta Zara) escaped in kilometre one. The duo was allowed its freedom by the peloton and had a lead of over a minute by the small street circuits on the Lago Maggiore town of Luino. Accelerations in the peloton pulled both riders back before the race headed back towards Cittiglio; straight away 2008 winner Emma Pooley (Cervélo TestTeam) attacked, but she was immediately re-caught.
On the approach to the Brizio climb a group of 20 riders escaped, consisting of Iturriagaechevarria, Chantal Blaak (Netherlands), Regina Bruins (Cervélo), Linda Villumsen and Adrie Visser (HTC-Columbia), Ludivine Henrion (RedSun Cycling), Irina Molicheva (Fenixs), Alessandra D’Ettorre (Top Girls-Fassa Bortolo), Armando Spratt (Australia) and Trixi Worrack (Noris Cycling). The group was unable to build up a lead of more than 23 seconds though, and was caught before the summit.
Over the top of the Brinzio summit, sixteen riders escaped the peloton and with most of the race favourites present it looked to be the decisive move.
The group consisted of: Judith Arndt, Noemi Cantele and Villiumsen (all HTC Columbia), Regina Bruins and Emma Pooley (both Cervélo), Olga Zabelinskaya (Russia), Emma Johansson (RedSun), Eleonora Patuzzo (Safi-Pasta Zara), Spratt and Ruth Corset (both Australia), Martine Bras (Gauss), Elena Berlato (Top Girls-Fassa Bortolo), World champion Tatiana Guderzo (Valdarno), Marianne Vos (Netherlands), Nicole Cooke (United Kingdom) and Molicheva.
The group quickly built a lead of over a minute, and was joined by Andrea Bosman (Netherlands), Grace Verbeke (Lotto Ladies), Ludovine Henrion (RedSun Cycling) and Rachel Neylan (Australia). A few kilometres later Gloria Presti (Top Girls-Fassa Bortolo) and Sinead Miller (USA) also managed to bridge across. Most of the main contenders now had teammates in the lead group with them.
On the second of four ascents of the Orino climb Spratt, Henrion, Miller, Villumsen, Presti were dropped, and just after the lead group crossed the line with two 17km finishing circuits to go Bruins, Henrion and Patuzzo were also dropped.
With 25km remaining, on the penultimate ascent of Orino, Zabelinskaya attacked but was only able to gain 10 seconds on the pursuers, a lead that she held as she crossed the line with one lap to go. The Russian was caught before the top of the final Orino climb as local rider Cantele attacked, but the double Worlds medalist was unable to get away.
In the closing kilometres a number of attacks were launched, notably by Bosman, Berlato, Guderzo, Arndt and Bras; then by Pooley, Verbeke and Molicheva. A late move from Zabelinskaya looked like it may succeed though, and she had a lead of 100 metres as she passed the last kilometre banner.
The Russian was reeled in by the group though, and on the uphill finishing straight Vos was the strongest to take her second successive victory in the event.
Result 12th Trofeo Alfredo Binda-Comune di Cittiglio
1. Marianne Vos (Ned) Netherlands National Team
2. Martine Bras (Ned) Gauss-RDZ-Ormu
3. Emma Johansson (Swe) RedSun Cycling
4. Ruth Corset (Aus) Australian National Team
5. Noemi Cantele (Ita) HTC-Columbia
6. Nicole Cooke (GBr) Great Britain National Team
7. Elena Berlato (Ita) Top Girls-Fassa Bortolo-Ghezzi
8. Judith Arndt (Ger) HTC-Columbia
9. Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) Team Valdarno
10. Olga Zabelinskaya (Rus) Russian National Team @ 5s
World Cup standings after round 1
1. Marianne Vos (Ned) Nederland Bloeit 75pts
2. Martine Bras (Ned) Gauss-RDZ-Ormu 50
3. Emma Johansson (Swe) RedSun Cycling 35
4. Ruth Corset (Aus) Team Tibco 30
5. Noemi Cantele (Ita) HTC-Columbia 27