CYCLING

The Dutchess Flies 'Down Under' at the Deakin University Elite Women's Race

By Cox Marketing

Dutch rider Annemiek van Vleuten ended three-months of racing and training ‘Down Under’ with a stunning win in the Deakin University Elite Women’s Race in Geelong today.
 
The win was overdue fortune for van Vleuten who suffered a horrific crash in the closing kilometres of last year’s Rio Olympic Games women’s road race while leading. She sustained three fractured vertebrae and a concussion.
 
A member of the Australian ORICA-SCOTT team, van Vleuten, 34, won Saturday’s 113.3km race that had 87 starters from 15 teams, by beating four fellow breakaway companions.
 
Second was American Ruth Winder (UnitedHealthCare), while Japan’s Mayuko Hagiwara (Wiggle High5) was third.
 
Fourth and fifth respectively were Australian Lucy Kennedy (High5 Dream Team) and Briton Emma Pooley (Holden).
 
Meanwhile, Italian Susanna Zorzi (Drops) finished sixth at 27 seconds, and Kirsten Wild (Cyclance) of the Netherlands was seventh after winning the bunch sprint at 33 seconds.
 
It was a thrilling finale to the race that was broadcast live and in full on Channel 7 for the first time since the 2010 UCI World Road Championships were held in Geelong.
 
For van Vleuten the outcome was certainly not planned.
 
“I was not the leader for today,” said van Vleuten who started with the aim of helping last year’s Australian winner Amanda Spratt and Australian champion Katrin Garfoot.
 
van Vleuten also hopes to return to Geelong next year to defend her Deakin University Elite Women’s Race title.
 

“I am really impressed with the organisation,” van Vleuten said. “It went really well with all the TV coverage, a wonderful course, a big race, a lot of people are out here.  So yeah … I would love to come back next year.”
 
Tracey Gaudry, Vice President of the Union Cycliste International, President UCI Women’s Commission and President of the Oceania Cycling Confederation labelled the race as a “spectacle” for women’s racing. 
 
“A Japanese rider, an American rider, a Dutch rider …,” Gaudry said of the international podium that resulted. 
 
“What does that do for women’s cycling? It shows that the Deakin University Elite Women’s Race really is on the world stage.”
 
The race, held after the Swisse Peoples’ Ride this morning, was also a great precursor to the final event of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race festival of cycling, the UCI WorldTour Elite Men’s Race over 174km to be held tomorrow. 
 
Australian Paralympic Gold Medallist, Carole Cooke AM completed her third People’s Ride.
 
“I’m enjoying it more and more every year. It’s such a beautiful course to ride. The event’s grown so much and it’s really good to see people of all ages and sizes take part,” Ms Cooke said.
 
The Elite Men’s Race will feature many a big name, including grand tour stars like Great Britain’s triple Tour de France champion Chris Froome (Team Sky), Australian Tour contender Richie Porte (BMC Racing Team) and the Colombian star Esteban Chaves (ORICA-SCOTT).
 
 
How it unfolded
 
Starting in sunshine and a mild 22 degrees, the women’s race was expected to see the peloton split early with the expectation of a headwind turning to cross early.
 
That is what happened, with the peloton decimated, first by a surge from German champion Mieke Kröger (Canyon-SRAM) and then by the ORICA-SCOTT team that created a lead group of about 25 riders after the route first turned left.
 
At the Barwon Heads sprint at 23km German Romy Kasper (Alé-Cipollini) won from van Vleuten and Australian Peta Mullens (Hagens Berman), after which the peloton reformed.
 
A breakaway of two riders – Italian Rachele Barbieri (Cyclance) and Australian Ellen Skerritt (Rush) - then got up to 45 seconds lead before it was reeled in by ORICA-SCOTT.
 
At Torquay, the second intermediate sprint at 46.5km was this time won by van Vleuten from Kasper (Alé Cipollini) and Australian Sophie MacKay (Specialized).
 
The peloton remained intact as it wound its way along the coast towards Bells Beach where at 56.6km the Queen of the Mountain was won by Winder.
 
The acceleration led to a breakaway group of 12 riders forming after 61km as the route headed inland. But like all the others, it was caught by the impetus of the Wiggle High5 team that missed the move.
 

The first solo attack came after 74km mark when Australian Kristy Glover (Rush) darted away and found herself alone in front and milked a maximum lead of 41 seconds at 83km.
 
But under the impulse of the Alé Cipollini, ORICA-SCOTT and Canyon-SRAM teams, Glover was caught with 23km to go.
 
Two of the domestic teams Rush and Holden continued to try their hand, as did the American UnitedHealthcare team.
 
Then on an uphill drag with 17km to go, Australian Gracie Elvin (ORICA-SCOTT) strung out the peloton to find herself in front with Kennedy. After they were joined by a chase group on the descent to Geelong, the finale began to unfold with Pooley igniting it with an attack on the second last climb.
 
Kennedy again gave chase, but Pooley still managed to open up a 30 second lead on the descent with about 9km to go.
 
On the last climb, Pooley still led, but Kennedy’s chase cut the gap to 11 seconds at the top.
 
Pooley was then caught by the four chasers who would finally vie with her for the victory of whom van Vleuten became the worthiest of winners.
 
The UCI WorldTour Elite Men’s Race will be broadcast live on Channel 7 tomorrow from 11am – 4pm AEDT, plus live streamed on the 7 PLUS App.
 
To stay up-to-date with all the event news and entertainment visit www.cadelevansgreatoceanroadrace.com.au.
 
Follow @cadelroadrace on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. #CadelRoadRace