Write-up

Kirstin Wild (Cervelo Test Team) sprinted to victory ahead of Giorgia Bronzini (Gauss) and Monica Baccaille (Valdarno)

Many of the competitors from the Tour of Flanders World Cup race travelled the short distance to Dottignies on Monday. The race took place on a cold, but dry, day on relatively flat roads. A 50km loop around the area was followed by 7 laps of a 10.24km circuit. On the circuit, the race had to contend with narrow lanes, shouldered by deep ditches and a small climb that had been added this year, the Cote Du Boeuf. 

Emma Pooley (Cervelo Test Team) attacked up the fist climb at 25 km the Plateau dos Dane. He move did not last long, the team of Red Sun Cycling closed the attack. Another attack from Wild, Pooley, Emma Johansson (Red Sun) and Annemiek van Vleuten (Nederland Bloeit) managed to gain a small advantage over the chasing bunch of 30 riders. By the time they reached 30km of the race completed, a leading group of 45 riders had formed. 

The tricky conditions and minor spills did enough to disrupt the pace of the peloton. By the time the leading group reached the start finish area to start the seven laps the leading group had 38 seconds on the rest of the bunch. An early accident involving one of the moto officials resulted in Martina Corazza (Valdarno) being taken to hospital with injuries to her right side. 

The first time up the Cote Du Boeuf, Sharon Laws (Cervelo Test Team) attacked and she quickly gained 10 seconds on the bunch. Van Vlueten was the only rider to bridge across and the pair secured a strong advantage over the leading bunch. 

The leading riders had a maximum advantage of around 1 minute 17 seconds for much of the time. With 65.9 km of the race completed the chasing peloton were happy to let the break go. 

A crash on one of the narrow roads included Giorgia Bronzini (Gauzz), Vicki Whitelaw (Lotto) and delayed the World Champion Tatiana Guderzo (Valdarno). Those involved in the accident had to chase back hard to rejoin the race.  the race was on the large circuit, through the climbs. As the race came back onto the smaller circuit, with its narrow lanes and flatter roads, the race came back together with 20km to go.. 

Amber Neben (USA) tried to attack the leading group as they started 2 laps to go but she was quickly reeled in by Cervelo Test Team and Red Sun Cycling. In the later stages of the race, Belgian, Lieselot Decroix (Cervelo Test Team) attacked and managed to get a 12 second lead on the bunch. The remaining members of Team Valdarno, the team of the World Champion, Guderzo, moved to the front of the front of the race to chase down Decroix. In the final 2km's the race was together. The teams lined up to get their sprinters in with a chance at the line. Australia, had most of their team ready for Kirsty Broun, Cervelo Test Team were lined up for Wild, Gauss had six riders to lead out Bronzini, Valdaron had the fewest riders to help their sprinter so had to try to benefit from the other teams. Red Sun's Johansson had a few team mates and it was a mad dash to the line.   

With 650m to go Cervelo Test Team were in control of the train and Kirsten Wild (Cervelo Test Team) won the bunch sprint from Bronzini and Monica Baccaille (Valdarno).

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Post Race Comments

Kristin Wild (Cervelo Test Team) was very happy with her win, "I was hoping that Lieselot [Decroix] would stay away, but that did not happen and we had to regroup for the sprint. It felt good to win," said Wild.

Giorgia Bronzini (Gauzz RDZ ORMU) was very pleased to have come second in the sprint. " I had to fight hard to get on a good wheel in the final metres. Cervelo were very strong today. I was held up by a crash and had to chase hard to get back so second is very good for me," said Bronzini.

Monica Baccaille (Valdarno) tried really hard to get third, it required a second look at the photo-finish to determine the placings. Baccaille just edged out Johansson. "I had to switch a couple of times to get the best line. It was hard for us, we lost three riders in the first crash with the moto. So to finish third is very good for the team and the sponsors," Baccaille said.  

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