Vos victorious at Durango-Durango Emakumeen Saria

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World champion Marianne Vos (Rabobank Liv/Giant) triumphed at Durango-Durango Emakumeen Saria for the third time in her career today, winning the hilly Basque Country race from a four-rider breakaway. Emma Johansson (Orica-AIS) finished second in the same time as Vos while Evelyn Stevens (Specialized-lululemon), fresh off of winning the Philly Cycling Classic on Sunday in the United States, completed the podium in third at two seconds. Elisa Longo Borghini (Hitec Products UCK) finished fourth in the same time as Stevens.

The 113km one-day race in Durango features four laps of a shorter circuit followed by a final large lap of 32km to the northwest which includes two steep climbs, the Alto deo Montekalbo and Alto de Muniketagane, usually decisive in determining the event's outcome. The summit of the final climb, the Alto de Muniketagane, is situated just 9.1km from the finish, with the remainder of the race a technical descent back into Durango.

The peloton hit the penultimate climb of the Alto deo Montekalbo together, but the field soon splintered into multiple groups on the ascent. Longo Borghini was the first across the summit, situated 25.1km from the finish, followed by Stevens and Ashleigh Moolman (Lotto Belisol Ladies) in a lead group of approximately 20 riders.

On the descent and run-in to the Alto de Muniketagane the lead group increased in size to approximately 40 riders, but when the parcours tilted upwards the field split once again.

Midway up the day's final climb, what remained of the peloton shattered under the impetus of Stevens with the front of the race eventually whittled down to six riders: Vos, Johansson, Stevens, Longo Borghini, Moolman and Alena Amialiusik (BePink).

Stevens continued to apply pressure and this front group would cross the Alto de Muniketagane one at a time, with Longo Borghini and Johansson following the Specialized-lululemon rider over the summit.

Vos crested the climb 30 seconds down, but on the technical descent the Dutchwoman would bridge to Stevens, Longo Borghini and Johansson at the head of the race with two kilometres remaining. Moolman had been with the leaders, but a slow puncture caused her to lose contact.

Both Longo Borghini and Stevens would launch solo attacks in the run-in to the finish, but both moves were quickly neutralised. Johansson led-out the sprint, but Vos came around the Swedish rider to claim the Durango-Durango Emakumeen Saria title for the third time in four years.

"I knew I could beat Elisa and Evie in a sprint, so I was focused on how I could beat Marianne," said Johansson. "If I let her jump first, I wouldn't be able to match her acceleration, so I had to open the sprint. I went at the 250 metre mark.

"Maybe I went too early, it's hard to say. Looking back, it's the only thing I might have done differently."