Race Report
An exiciting race, which was illuminated by Iris Slappendel (Rabo Women), was played out in Vargarda on Sunday. The Dutchwoman, who has never won a World Cup road race before, was delighted with her victory, which was truly deserved after her constant attacking throughout the 12 lap, 132 kilometre race. For her own part, Marianne Vos rode a tactically brilliant race and has already sealed the 2012 World Cup series, despite one round remaining.
Slappendel created the initial break on the third lap. Six riders, including Hanka Kupfernagel (Rusvelo) went with her. The gap to the bunch rose quickly and, perhaps realising the danger, a lap later on the main climb, Marianne Vos (Rabo Women) chased across the gap to join the leaders. She had seen that her next-best competitor in the World Cup standings, Judith Arndt, was missing from the break and decided to go across, perhaps to gain some extra World Cup points if the break stayed away to the end. From there, the bunch did not see these riders again.
Slappendel attacked again and made a solo break with 3 laps to go which split the leading group. Although she gained 28 seconds and stayed away for about 8 kilometres, she could not hold off a counterattack by Linda Villumsen, which was covered by Slappendel’s team-mate, Marianne Vos. The leaders then raced a fast lap, with attack after attack, each of which failed. At last, with 13 kilometres left in the race, Slappendel attacked again and was covered only by Hanka Kupfernagel. The pair battled out the final lap, with the pace taken out of the legs of the chasers by the distance already covered, the repetition of the draining climb and the fact that Marianne Vos had no reason to chase.
Coming into the finishing straight, Kupfernagel put up a brave fight, but Slappendel led from the front and crossed the line a couple of bike lengths ahead of the German. Marianne Vos won the small group sprint one minute, ten seconds later and with it, took enough points to win the World Cup 2012 overall.
Victor, Iris Slappendel, was a little stuck for words, ““Nice! Amazing! I can’t believe it!”, she commented about her win, adding “When we had 40 seconds. I thought, Ok, they will look to each other and to Marianne [Vos], maybe I can make it. I felt so good all day.”
Olympic Champion and now World Cup winner, Vos, said afterwards that “It was not our main goal to win the World Cup today, we wanted to go for the win here in Vargarda but of course it is great to already have the win and to go next week to Plouay with some confidence and with the jersey already.”
Jeroen Blijlevens (Directeur Sportif, Rabo Women) was very happy with the victory, “I am very happy, it is not only Marianne who is winning in our team, but also the other riders. If you play the game well, you can win with the other riders. It is a double victory, because Marianne won the World Cup for sure today.”
The final round of the World Cup 2012 is the GP de Plouay in Bretagne, France next week, 24th August.
