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Games of the 30th Olympiad, London 2012 

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Preview

London 2012

Preview

London 2012 140km

The women’s road race is set to be one of the closet fought races in the modern history of professional women’s racing. The course in unlikely to trouble to top riders and the fast run into the finish should be set for a spectacle of women’s sprinting.

Barring any mechanical issues and any breaks controlled, you can expect to see the lead out trains of no less than seven on the top sprinters teams.

If a break goes, it is likely to go on the first ascent of Box Hill. If the break is not successful, it will serve to break up the peloton and remove the lesser riders.  If all goes to plan for the top teams, you can expect a full charge to the line from 3km out.  With the advantage of 4 riders, Great Britain, Germany, Netherlands, USA and Italy have the better chances of a medal.

The most experienced team for leading out a rider has to be Germany. They will be hoping, that  Ina-Yoko Teutenberg can add  a missing medal to her tally. Teutenberg, on her best day is the Cavendish of the women’s peloton. Both trained by Eric Zabel, when they were with HTC Highroad. She knows how to position herself and time her sprint perfectly.  The team has one of the quickest women, in Judith Arndt (2012 World Time Trial champion) for their lead out, along side, her is Charlotte Becker and Trixi Worrack. Until this season they have all ridden together on the same professional team for many years.

The German team do have a secondary sprint card to play. As shown last week in the tough Thuringen Rundfahrt, Worrack won the bunch sprint having been led out by Teutenberg.

No one can discount a win from the Dutch team. They also have a number of cards to play. The obvious top contender for a medal is Marianne Vos. At 25, is one of the few riders who has beaten Teutenberg in a sprint this year. Vos wants an Olypmic medal on the road to match her gold medal from Beijing in the points race.

Vos has one of the best tactical minds in the peloton and she knows how to win. She is not afraid to go it alone. She can climb, although Box Hill is not an Italian mountain. She knows how to leverage her team to out-smart the best riders. If it isn’t the right day for Vos, every member of the team knows how to win. 2011 World Cup winner Annemiek van Vleuton, despite crashing and breaking her collar bone in the recent Giro Donne, is strong and in the best form of her career. Dutch time trial champion Eleonora van Dijk and Omloop Het Nieuwsblad winner Loes Gunnewijk.

Reigning world champion Giorgia Bronzini (Italy) can never be discounted.  This season has not been her best.  She has suffered several crashes and injuries, but the Italian team, know how to prepare for a major race. Bronzini has the support of a strong team with former world road champion, Tatiana Guderzo, Noemi Cantele and Monia Baccaille  are all options, each one capable of getting in a break and putting themselves in with a chance of a win.

The British team will be under immense pressure. Defending Olympic champion Nicole Cooke has not shown any real winning. Although, Cooke knows how to prepare for a major race (2008 World road champion after Beijing), she has not raced since the Giro Donne in late June/July. The expectation is that she will form the second option for Team GB behind Lizzie Armitstead.  At 23, Armitstead  is supported by lead-out rider Lucy Martin from her professional team.  The final member of the team is Armitstead’s other team mate, Emma Pooley.  Although Pooley is focussed on the individual time trial, she can attack solo. So Team GB do have back up options.

Despite only having 3 in the team, Sweden’s, Emma Johansson can’t be discounted. Johansson’s taken out ample victories over the last four years since Beijing, where she took silver behind Cooke.  Johansson is joined by Emilia Fahlin and Isabelle Soderberg.

There are a couple of other teams that have potential winners.

Australian Chloe Hosking at 21, could if she gets in the right position upset things. The whole team, Hosking, Shara Gillow and Amanda Spratt are at their first Olympics.  Hosking has been learning from the sprint queen, Tutenberg for 3 years, turning down an opportunity with the Australian professional team Orica-AIS this year to continue to work with the German sprint ace and learn from her.

Finally, USA have the relatively unknown Shelly Olds in their mix. Olds, started on the track before moving full time to the road in 2009.  Olds has grown in confidence this year. An early season crash forced her to rethink her plans but recent good form in the Giro  Donne showed she can mix it with the best.  Olds has a strong team, Kirsten Armstrong, Amber Neben and Evelyn Stevens can all take opportunities to attack.

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