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Race Writeup

World Cup - Trofeo Binda

Marianne Vos ( Netherlands ) wins the first World Cup of the 2009 season. Emma Johansson (Red Sun Cycling Team) was second ahead of Kristin Armstrong (Cervelo Test Team).

Cittiglio near Varese , the location of the 2008, World Championships, in the north of Italy , delivered a very wet start to the first race of the Women's Cycling World Cup 2009.

The riders were cold and wet before they even started the 120.1km circuit of the hills around Cittiglio. 135 riders started the event.

The course was the same as for the 2008 event and followed two laps of a 34.1Km circuit, where the riders climbed up the two hills Brinzio and Orino. After 68.2Km the peloton will move to a smaller circuit and complete three loops that include just the Orino climb. This circuit is much smaller only, 17Km.

The teams decided to shake things up right from the start with a number of riders falling back from the peloton due to the speed. On the first assent of the Brinzio climb at 12km completed, the petite British rider Emma Pooley (Cervelo Test Team) attacked the front of the bunch and quickly gained an advantage. Within 5km, she had a 1 minute 55 second lead over the chasers.

As the leader Pooley reached the top of the second climb, Orino Pooley had a 1 minute 10 second advantage over Modesta Vzseniauskaite (Bigla), who hade Claudia Hausler (Cervelo) on her wheel. The group was close behind.

On the long decent into Cittiglio, Pooley had a 1 minute 31 second advantage over the chasers. The peloton started to etch away at her lead on the decent, after 26km of the race the lead was 1 minute 24 seconds.

As the race progressed the temperature dropped to 5.5 degrees and the rain was extremely heavy making it very difficult for the riders on the decent. Pooley’s advantage had decreased to 1 minute 19 by the time she reached Gemonio, 29.9km of the race completed.

As Pooley crossed the start/finish line for the completion of the first lap, her advantage over the chasing group was 1 minute 14 seconds. The first lap was completed in just 50 minutes of racing.

The pace and terrible conditions in the race created breaks in the peloton, the strongest riders only, managed to maintain their tempo in the front group. As Pooley approached Casalzuigno at 36km completed, her advantage had increased again to 1 minute 30 seconds.

After one hour of racing and 40km completed, the average speed of the peloton was only 36.5 km/hr. Despite the relatively low speed for this quality of field the conditions and pace had splintered the bunch. Pooley’s advantage was 1 minute 28 seconds. At the front of the bunch Cervelo Test team were controlling the pace. Bigla, Selle Italia Ghezzi, Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung and Vision 1 Racing all had riders towards the front including the Olympic and World Champion Cooke.

After 43km, Pooley had reached the base of the climb to Brinzio for the second time and her advantage had increased to 1 minute 40 seconds.

After 46km completed the conditions had not improved and a number of riders abandoned the race, including Nicole Cooke (Vision 1 Racing). This was disappointing for Cooke in her first race sporting the World Champions jersey.

After 50km, on the second assent of the Brinzio climb, the peloton had decided it was time to reel in Pooley. Her lead decreased to 50 seconds.

As Pooley reached the top of the Brinzio climb, she had increased her lead again to 1 minute 30 seconds.

At the end of the second lap, Pooley’s lead had decreased to 50 seconds. Cervelo’s Sarah Duster led the chasing group. The group also included Vzseniauskaite (Bigla), Lusie Keller and Linda Villumsen (Team Columbia) Martina Corazza (Gauss RDZ Ormu Colnago), Eleonora Patuzzo (Safi-Pasta Zara Titanedi), Eva Lutz (Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung), Alice Marmorini (Fenix), Kristin Armstrong and Kirstin Wild (Cervelo Test Team), Nicole Brandli and Noemi Cantele (Bigla), Emma Johannsson (Red Sun CyclingTeam) and Marianne Vos (Netherlands).

On the climb to Orino at 77.5 km completed, Pooley had increased her lead again to 1 minute 12 seconds. Second over the climb was Lutz and Pooley’s lead started to come down on the decent. The smaller peloton were able to react more quickly and close down the gap. Bigla and Team Columbia were chasing on the front.

At 85.5 km, Pooley’s lead had come down to 25 seconds as she crossed the start/finish area to start the last two laps. Chasing at the front of the bunch was local girl Cantele.

On the climb to Orion, Pooley had increased her lead to 40 seconds but this started to come down at 91km completed she had a 36 seconds advantage. By the time Pooley reached half way up the climb the peloton with only 30 riders remaining had caught Pooley.

There was an immediate counter attack on the climb, Johansson and Vos quickly gained a 50m advantage. Pooley and team mate Kristin Armstrong and Lutz responded to the attack. Pooley could not hold on to the group and dropped back slightly.

Over the top Johansson and Vos had a 10 second lead over Armstrong and Lutz, Pooley was at 32 seconds and the remaining bunch at 50 seconds.

With only 20km remaining in the race, Vos and Johansson had an 8.8 second, 100m advantage over the two chasers, Armstrong and Lutz. Pooley was at 55.7 seconds but quickly being caught by the bunch, which were at 1 minute 13 seconds.  

As the final stages of the race unfolded, the leading two riders had gained a 20 second advantage over the two chasers Armstrong and Lutz. The bunch, were at 1 minute 22 seconds.

By the time the leaders reached 106km completed, the chasing bunch had slowed and were 3 minutes behind the four leading riders.

The sprint to the finish started at 150m to go, Vos was too strong for Johansson and crossed the line with ease.

Johansson was the clear second but in the chase for third, Kristin Armstrong and Eva Lutz had a tough battle, Armstrong came off victor by a close margin.

Results - Top 15 - click here to see full result

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Post Race Comments

Marianne Vos (Netherlands) was very happy to have won the World Cup event. "I am very happy to have won. It is my first time at this race, two years ago I rode the Giro d'Italia, so I knew the area and I thought it would be very nice to come here again. The rain helped me today I think, because I have just come out of the cyclo cross season where it is always cold and rainy very often, so I am very happy with this first win," said Vos.

Vos rode this first event in her national team colours and was asked if she will continue to ride the World Cup events in these colours or those of her professional team DSB, Vos added, "I rode this event with the National team but I will continue for the rest of the season with my professional team. I was a shame I could not start here with my pro team but we had a strong team and I am very happy." . 

Emma Johansson (Red Sun Cycling Team) was relieved the race was over. "Oh my god, it was just so cold. It was freezing cold today. I was waiting for the race to come to the end to try my legs. I didn't want to try too early. I have a really strong team now and there were a lot of teams behind chasing. Marianne [Vos] and I worked really well and what can you do, in the sprint she was just too strong. I had to try but she was just too strong and my legs were freezing, but I am happy," said Johansson. This is a new team for Johansson and a great start to the season. "It is a great team and I am very happy. We are having a really nice time. The riders are really nice and they are racing well too, so I am really happy with the team," added Johansson.

Kristin Armstrong (Cervelo Test Team) was absolutely freezing at the finish.  "I could not go with the move of Marianne Vos, I wanted to try to get a podium for the team, we worked hard all race. It was tough conditions and it was a very tight sprint for third at the end. Good job to Eva [Lutz], good job to Emma Johansson and of course well done to Marianne Vos," said Armstrong. 

Eva Lutz (Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung) was so disappointed not to have won third place in the sprint against Armstrong, "It was hard, I thought had it," said Lutz.

Linda Villumsen (Team Columbia Highroad) worked hard to try to close the break to Pooley but could not go with the attack of Johansson. "It was unbelievable today, from the start to the finish, rain, rain, rain. It was really cold. Once we were racing it wasn't too bad but every time we went downhill and the speed was high afterward then it was really cold," said Villumsen.