<p>The Ronde Van Drenthe will open the 2012 UCI Women World Cup season in the Netherlands on Saturday. The big favourites are last year's winner Marianne Vos and World Champion Giorgia Bronzini.</p>
<p>Winding roads and cobblestone sections add to the spectacular character of this race where gale winds can be expected. The Ronde van Drenthe course, 132,8km long, was marked out in the true spirit of the Northern classics. It includes numerous sprints and primes as well as three short climbs, the last of which is 12.9km from the finish.</p>
