Charlotte Becker wins GP Ciudad de Valladolid

Charlotte Becker (GER) won the GP Ciudad da Valladolid, the sixth round of the 2010 UCI Women’s World Cup in Spain today. It was Becker’s first World Cup victory and successfully completed the team’s plan to increase their points for their World Cup ranking. Judith Arndt (GER-HTC Columbia Women) placed second, just ahead of Annemiek van Vleuten (NED-Nederland Bloeit).

“With 30 km to go, four riders attacked, and I went with them. Later on two lost contact with our group and then I was with left with Judith Arndt and Annemiek van Vleuten,” explained Charlotte Becker after the race. “The gap was getting bigger and I know that I’ve been fast in the sprints in the last couple of weeks so I was thinking positively. I knew that van Vleuten is really fast, especially since she had not been riding full gas as her teammate Marianne Vos (NED) was in the group behind us. I lead my group into the final and never gave the front position away, I went full gas as well and the two where not able to pass me.”

“I am really happy about my first World Cup win, and that I got the chance from the team to go for my own success today. The plan for us was to have somebody in the final break away and everything went according to plan.”

“At the beginning today, it was not such a hard race. Not too windy, flat and a little bit hilly,” said Egon van Kessel, Sports Director. “But after about 2 hours of racing it got a little windier, not too much but enough to make it harder. Then we had a climb and we attacked there. Then the bunch broke into several parts. But at the end before the final started there was a bunch of 50 to 60 riders and there were several attacks. On the last attack there was a break with three riders with Charlotte Becker from our team, Annemiek van Vleuten and Judith Arndt, and these three riders made it to the end of the race. There was a sprint and Charlotte won her first World Cup race, and our second World Cup win, this year.

“We were fairly happy but also surprised because it’s not that easy to win a World Cup especially when we are not here with our fastest sprinters. But in small groups I know we can win the race and it happened today. It was a very good result and we’re very happy with it.”

GP Ciudad de Valladolid (122.9 km)
1. Charlotte Becker (Ger) Cervélo TestTeam
2. Judith Arndt (Ger) HTC Columbia Women
3. Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned) Nederland Bloeit

Bruins wins Kasseien Omloop, Wild second

Cervélo TestTeam’s Regina Bruins (NED) has won the 2010 edition of the Therme Kasseien Omloop, soloing to a winning finish. Teammate Kirsten Wild (NED), despite bad luck, with two flat tires, finished second well ahead of Marie Lindberg (SWE-Red Sun Ladies Cycling Team).

“The race started easy and it was warm today in the Netherlands. Every body was looking to us but we took it easy on the first stroke and decided to increase the speed on the second stroke,” said Regina Bruins. “At the end of that stroke only my team mate Kirsten Wild and I where left. But that was really, really early in the race with 60 km to go to the finish. Kirsten had a flat, with 20 km to go to the finish, so unfortunately I lost her. I went it alone and giving it full gas and was really happy that I was able to make it. Not being a sprinter it is not always easy to win races, but races like this are hard and selective enough so we are able to try something like this.”

“Twice today I had a flat tire,” explained Kirsten Wild. “The first time it happened I had hoped to come back to Regina because we still had 20 km to go to the finish. But after the second time I just tried to stay in front of the bunch. I am really happy that Regina won this race, she has really done a lot of work for our team this season, so it would have been nice to come together on the finish line. But there’s nothing to complain about, first and second and the win from our teammate Charlotte Becker in Spain, not so bad!”

Therme Kasseien Omloop (126 km)
1. Regina Bruins (Ned) Cervélo TestTeam 3:19:46
2. Kirsten Wild (Ned) Cervélo TestTeam 0:54
3. Marie Lindberg (Swe) Red Sun Ladies Cycling Team 1:19
7. Sarah Düster (Ger) Cervélo TestTeam