Road World Cup 2008

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Race Writeup

Emma Pooley (Team Specialised Designs) was a very surprised winner of the 2^nd World Cup race in Cittiglio, Italy. Pooley attacked with 40km to go and was not chased down in time by the peloton. The talented British rider managed to stay away to win in style, with plenty of time to celebrate across the line.

At the first of the mountain classifications, a small group attacked. It included Veronica Balderas Leal (Gauss), Fei Wang (Giant Pro Cycling) and Oxana Kozonchuk (Menikini). They managed to get a gap of 1 minute 20m seconds on the chasers but the gap closed on the decent and a group of 15 riders formed. They had a small gap of 5 seconds on a group of 15 riders and the remaining peloton by the time they crossed the start finish area. The remaining peloton were strung out behind the leaders as the pace sat at 37.1 km per hour.

On assent of the mountain for the second time The peloton were all together led by Leal, Kori Seehafer (Menikini) and Kozonchuk. With 57 km completed, Martine Bras (Vrienden Van Het Platteland) tried a solo attack and managed to gain 25 seconds before she was brought back into the peloton by Top Girl Fassa Bortolo Raxy Line and Equipe Nürnberger leading the chase.

The race stayed together until 76km to go when an attack at the foot of the third assent of the Orino climb from Cervelo’s Priska Doppmann, Miho Oki (Menikini-Selle Italia, Pooley split the peloton. Pooley counterattacked immediately and quickly gained valuable seconds. At the top of the climb she had 16 seconds on the chasers who had been swolled up by the bunch. Nicole Brändli (Bigla) and Kristin Armstrong (Cervelo) tried to close the gap to Pooley but could not match the speed of the British rider. With 86 km of the race completed Pooley had a gap of 42 seconds and there was no noticeable response from the peloton.

On the 4^th assent of the Orino climb, Pooley had a gap of 2 minutes 20 seconds ahead of Doppmann who was the only other rider to try to bridge the gap. With 102km of the race completed Doppmann was at 2 minutes 7 seconds and the remaining peloton was at 2 minutes 30 seconds.  Pooley maintained her tempo over the final time over the climb and powered her way down the decent. Leading the peloton over the climb at 2 minutes gap, were the current World Champion Marta Bastianelli (Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan), Nicole Cooke (Team Halfords Bikehut) and Armstrong, they did not manage to close the gap to Pooley.

With no conclusive chase from the peloton, Pooley secured an easy win, 1 minute 7 seconds ahead of the bunch sprint, which was won by Suzanne De Goede (Equipe Nürnberger and Diana Ziliute (Safi-Pasta Zara).

Post Race Comments

Emma Pooley (Team Specialised) was a very happy winner of the Trofeo Binda world cup race. Speaking immediately after the race she said, “I am very surprised to have won”. “When I attacked I was waiting for the chase to come but it didn’t. I knew that if it did, we had good strength in the team to still have a chance but it didn’t come to that” added Pooley. “I would have thought that they could have organized a chase, especially as I am known for attacking like that” said Pooley. “I am a time trialer and able to keep a good tempo so for me it is easy to be out there on my own” she added.

At the press conference after the race, Pooley chatted about this season and her decision to stay with Specialized rather than join the new Halfords/Bike Hut team of Nicole Cooke. “I had already agreed to stay with Specialized before Halfords was formed and to be honest I am really happy with the support that I have been getting from the team. I also have a part time job in Switzerland and I am happy with things as they are, I like the way things are and don’t want to change this just yet. Not that I would not have got great support from the Halfords team, this is better for me” said Pooley.

Pooley had an 8^th place in the time trial and a 10^th place in the road race at the 2007 World Championships She discussed how this ranked in her career “Pretty high up there, in fact probably the best result ever for me” she said.

Pooley will race next week end and prepare for the next World Cup in Flanders.

Suzanne De Goede (Equipe Nürnberger) was very happy with her ride. “The team worked really had today, we were up the front for much of the race and I was well positioned for the sprint and knew that I could do a good one” said De Goede.

Diana Ziliute (Safe-Pasta Zara) jumped off the wheel of De Goede but could not quite take second place on the line. “I tried so hard to get second but could not do it “said Ziliute. “My team worked well today, it is early in the season but we are very happy” she added.