Road World Cup 2008

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Marianne Vos (DSB Bank) made the most of a strong finish on the Mur de Huy to take round 5 of the World Cup at Fleche Wallone. The Dutch, multiple-discipline, World Champion and reigning World Cup Champion timed her effort to perfection and was able to take time to take a victory salute at the finish. 

The warm, dry day which the riders enjoyed for the race complemented a parcours which heated up in the latter stages. The climbs were mainly in the second half of the course. As expected, the race stayed together until the efforts of the brutal ascents. With narrow roads and steep hills, to remain competitive, riders needed to maintain their position near to the front of the peloton.  

Although attempts by Team USA and Cervélo-Lifeforce riders were jumped on as soon as they began to look dangerous, the most promising move of the race came from three-times former winner, Fabiana Luperini (Menikini Selle Italia). She attacked on the Cote de Boisseau and accelerated away to a comfortable lead. Her maximum gap on the bunch was just over one minute, but the bunch were aware of the potential danger and had pulled her back to within site by the time they climbed the penultimate cote just after Ben-Ahin.  

The penultimate climb of the day proved to be the launching pad for the finale. As they climbed the lower slopes, Nicole Cooke (Great Britain) attacked and caused the race to split. With Cooke were Marta Bastianelli (Italy) and Judith Arndt (High Road), as well as Marianne Vos, Amber Neben Team Flexpoint) and other contenders.

By the time they reached to foot of the Mur de Huy and the final kilometre, the front group had formed. The severity of the Mur showed for another year, though, as riders were lost from the back of the group. At the point with 250 metres to go, where the road impossibly kicks-up again, Arndt and Cooke were battling at the front, with Vos and Neben trailing. There was daylight between these four and the chasers. However, the Mur ‘bites’ quickly and when a rider runs out of energy, there are no second chances, no respite. In the closing 200 metres of the race, Vos overtook Arndt  and Cooke with a late surge. She continued to the finish line, checking over her shoulders as she approached to make sure there were no others with the legs to overtake.  

Victory assured, Vos punched the air with both hands in a victory salute, crossed the line and then coasted to the side of the road. She finished one second ahead of Marta Bastianelli (Italy), the reigning World Champion and then another second later, Judith Arndt.

Alex Wrubleski (Canada) has been showing good form recently and rode past several riders during the closing metres to finish fourth. Amber Neben (Team Flexpoint) was fifth and Trofeo Binda (World Cup, round 2) winner, Emma Pooley (GRB) finished sixth. The rider wearing the Leader’s jersey, Suzanne De Goede (Equipe Nurnberger) conceded her hold on the series, finishing sixteenth (37 seconds) and gaining only a handful of points. It was not enough to hold off Vos, who took over the World Cup series lead, rising from fourth after the previous round in Drenthe, with a 19 point lead over her compatriot.  

Vos has 152 points, compared to De Goede’s 133. Third place is held by Judith Arndt, who slipped to third and now has 117 points.  The largest jump in the rankings goes to Marta Bastianelli, who now lies fifth, moving up from sixteenth at the beginning of the day.