LONDON, July 29, 2012 – Dutch cycling sensation Marianne Vos finally
added Olympic road race gold to her impressive collection of titles after
dominating Britain’s Lizzie Armitstead in a two-up sprint on Saturday.
Armitstead finished second at over a bike length behind to take the silver
with Olga Zabelinskaya of Russia winning the bronze after 140 km of road
racing.
Vos, the Olympic champion in the track points in Beijing, came into the
race having won five stages of the women’s Giro d’Italia as well as the
event’s overall title.
And she proved that form had not deserted her with a powerful sprint inside
the final 200 meters that Armitstead simply could not match.
“We gave everything in the breakaway. There were so many people. It was The
Mall. It was like a wall of sound. I just sprinted to the line,” said Vos.
“After Beijing, that was the only thing that was on my mind for four years.
Now that it’s happened, it’s incredible. Now the gold is mine.”
Defending Olympic champion Nicole Cooke of Britain finished with the main
chasing peloton less than 30sec behind the leading trio, who came into the
capital on their own to contest the medals.
With the pressure on Britain to claim a medal after the men’s road race
whitewash on Saturday, the British women made sure there would be no repeat
with both Emma Pooley and Armitstead among the main protagonists.
After a series of attacks and counter attacks by climbing specialist Pooley
on the Box Hill circuit, Armitstead did well to follow Vos when the Dutchwoman
counter-attacked Zabelinskaya with 45 km to go.
American Shelley Olds joined the trio and together the four leaders soon
went on to build a lead of 30sec on the peloton over the next 15 km.
Germany, Italy and Sweden were among the big teams not represented in the
attack and were left in a desperate chase that was made even more difficult
when the rain that had marred the start of the race came on again.
The leaders’ bid to stay away suffered a minor blow when Olds dropped out
after appearing to suffer a puncture. Almost simultaneously, Swede Emma
Johansson suffered the same setback in the chasing peloton.
Vos, Armitstead and Zabelinskaya were not to be outdone, however.
Despite the Americans and Italians moving to the front of the chasing bunch
in a bid to help close the gap, the leaders’ continued collaboration gave them
a lead bordering on 45secs with 18 km remaining.
In the end, it proved enough to secure them the medals.
Olympic women’s cycling road race results on
Sunday:
1. Marianne Vos (NED) 3h35:29.
(Average speed 43.4 km/h)
2. Elizabeth Armitstead (GBR) s.t
3. Olga Zabelinskaya (RUS) at0:02.
4. Ina Teutenberg (GER) 0:27.
5. Giorgia Bronzini (ITA) 0:27.
6. Emma Johansson (SWE) 0:27.
7. Shelley Olds (USA) 0:27.
8. Pauline Ferrand Prevot (FRA) 0:27.
9. Liesbet De Vocht (BEL) 0:27.
10. Aude Biannic (FRA) 0:27.
11. Katarzyna Pawlowska (POL) 0:27.
12. Joelle Numainville (CAN) 0:27.
13. Na Ah Reum (KOR) 0:27.
14. Annemiek Van Vleuten (NED) 0:27.
15. Alena Amialiusik (BLR) 0:27.
16. Ashleigh Moolman (RSA) 0:27.
17. Grete Treier (EST) 0:27.
18. Linda Melanie Villumsen (NZL) 0:27.
19. Emilia Fahlin (SWE) 0:27.
20. Pia Sundstedt (FIN) 0:27.
21. Christine Majerus (LUX) 0:27.
22. Polona Batagelj (SLO) 0:27.
23. Clemilda Fernandes Silva (BRA) 0:27.
24. Evelyn Stevens (USA) 0:27.
25. Tatiana Antoshina (RUS) 0:27.
26. Evelyn Garcia (ESA) 0:27.
27. Denise Ramsden (CAN) 0:27.
28. Joanna Hotchkiss (RSA) 0:27.
29. Maaike Polspoel (BEL) 0:32.
30. Tatiana Guderzo (ITA) 0:32.
31. Nicole Cooke (GBR) 0:32.
32. Clara Hughes (CAN) 0:32.
33. Trixi Worrack (GER) 0:35.
34. Noemi Cantele (ITA) 0:35.
35. Kristin Armstrong (USA) 0:47.
36. Amber Neben (USA) 0:51.
37. Judith Arndt (GER) 0:59.
38. Larisa Pankova (RUS) 1:53.
39. Shara Gillow (AUS) 1:53.
40. Emma Pooley (GBR) 1:57.
Abandons: Elena Tchalykh (AZE), Janildes Fernandes Silva (BRA), Paola
Munoz (CHI), Mayuko Hagiwara (JPN), Aurelie Halbwachs (MRI), Jutatip
Maneephan (THA), Danielys Garcia (VEN)
