19 year-old Dutchwoman Marianne Vos captured her second world title this year, besting her more...
Marianne Vos (Netherlands) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Vos takes her second rainbow in a year
19 year-old Dutchwoman Marianne Vos captured her second world title this year, besting her more experienced peers in the women's road race with a turn of speed that left her bike lengths in front of Trixi Worrack (Germany) and Nicole Cooke (Great Britain). "I was amazed I was in the leading group," Vos told reporters. "For me it wasn't easy, but the sprint was good. To cross the line was amazing!"
In sunny Salzburg, the women set out for their 132.6 km race, and an early break of Anne Samplonius (Canada) and Natalia Boyarskaya (Russian Federation) held a small gap until the closing two laps. On the penultimate lap, Nicole Cooke (Great Britain) put in a furious attack up the steep Gschaiderberg climb that pulled away an elite group including Nicole Brändli, Priska Doppmann and Annette Beutler (Switzerland), Judith Arndt, Theresa Senff and Trixi Worrack (Germany), Andrea Graus and Christiane Soeder(Austria), Russian Svetlana Bubnenkova, Oenone Wood (Australia), Amber Neben (United States) and Vos.
On the last lap, Vos, Cooke and Brändli were the most aggressive, putting in multiple attacks, but the fast run-in saw the race come down to a small bunch sprint, which Vos won easily.
