August 23, 2015 (Vargarda, Sweden) – Jolien d’Hoore (Wiggle Honda) claimed victory on the penultimate round of the UCI Road Women World Cup today in Vårgårda. She got the better of teammate Giorgia Bronzini and Lisa Brennauer (Velocio SRAM) in a depleted bunch sprint.

D’Hoore’s win in Vårgårda moves the Belgian champion into first place of the UCI Women Road World Cup overall ranking. Anna van der Breggen (Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team) maintains her second place ahead of Lizzie Armitstead (Boels Dolmans Cycling Team), now third. It’s d’Hoore’s second World Cup victory after winning the first round Ronde van Drenthe earlier this year, and Wiggle Honda’s fourth.

Talented Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team) keeps her lead as best young rider. The SufferPrize by the Sufferfest was awarded to Amanda Spratt (Orica AIS) for her tenacious attacks throughout the day.

Is there anything Wiggle Honda cannot win? 

Three riders were fighting for the overall UCI Road World Cup classification today. The Boels Dolmans Cycling Team were on a mission to keep Lizzie Armitstead in the leader’s jersey. With Anna van der Breggen (Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team) in close second and Eliza Longo Borghini (Wiggle Honda) in third not far behind, the three teams would be watching each other very closely.

The first successful attack of the day was initiated by Elena Berlato (Ale Cipollini) 40 minutes into the 133.5 kilometre race. With a bunch not interested in chasing, her gap stretched to over 50-seconds before getting caught.

The first difficulty of the day came 48-kilometres into the race in the shape of a 2,5-kilometre gravel road section, reminiscent of the Strade Bianche. Lizzie Armitstead (Boels Dolmans Cycling Team) decided to ride this section from the front, stretching out the bunch, showing she meant serious business.

Berlato was caught as the bunch entered the 11-kilometre circuit they would have to tackle seven times.

Multiple attacks soon followed on this technical twisty circuit. Orica AIS were decided to make this a hard race for their protected rider, Emma Johansson.

With 6 laps to go Trixi Worrack (Velocio SRAM) attacked an already stretched out bunch. She was soon joined by Lucinda Brand (Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team) and Megan Guarnier (Boels Dolmans Cycling Team). The move was soon nullified by a fast peloton.

A determined Trixi Worrack (Velocio SRAM) attacked again one lap later, this time joined by Megan Guarnier (Boels Dolmans Cycling Team) and Giorgia Bronzini (Wiggle Honda). The move was caught again. This was going to be the pattern for the rest of the race.

After 2,5 hours of racing, Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team decided to put further pressure on an already depleted bunch. With Lucinda Brand driving the pace, will she force the elastic to finally snap?

The kilometre that changed everything

With only a few kilometres to go, the front group was down to about 20 riders.

On the final kilometre and as the teams were getting ready to launch their sprints, Jolien d’Hoore followed accelerations from one of today’s favourite Anna van der Breggen (Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team). Lizzie Armitstead was sitting in seventh position when she got caught behind an unfortunate crash 200-metre to the line, forcing her to lose momentum, the race and ultimately, her leader’s jersey.

Jolien d’Hoore jumped off van der Breggen’s wheel with 50-metres to go taking Bronzini in her stride to make it a Wiggle Honda 1-2. Lisa Brennauer (Velocio SRAM) rounded off the podium for third.

With only one race to go in the UCI Women Road World Cup, everything is still at play. Although Jolien d’Hoore, was not certain to start the final round in Plouay next week, she may well need to reconsider her schedule and ride to defend her leader’s jersey.

The last round of the UCI Women’s World Cup will take place next week in Brittany.

Results

1. Jolien d’Hoore (Bel) Wiggle Honda 3:19:23
2. Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Wiggle Honda
3. Lisa Brennauer (Ger) Velocio – SRAM
4. Lucinda Brand (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team 0:01
5. Anna Van Der Breggen (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team
6. Amy Pieters (Ned) Team Liv-Plantur
7. Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Velocio – SRAM 0:03
8. Emma Johansson (Swe) Orica – Ais
9. Shelley Olds (USA) Ale Cipollini 0:06
10. Lauren Kitchen (Aus) Hitec Products
11. Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (RSA) Bigla Pro Cycling Team
12. Eugenia Bujak (Pol) BTC City Ljubljana 0:07
13. Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Ita) Ale Cipollini
14. Joelle Numainville (Can) Bigla Pro Cycling Team 0:08
15. Megan Guarnier (USA) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team
16. Trixi Worrack (Ger) Velocio – SRAM
17. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Wiggle Honda 0:09
18. Sara Mustonen (Swe) Team Liv-Plantur 0:10
19. Elizabeth Armitstead (Gbr) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team 0:12
20. Shara Gillow (Aus) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team 0:13
21. Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Pol) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team
22. Alena Amialiusik (Blr) Velocio – SRAM 0:16
23. Katrin Garfoot (Aus) Orica – Ais
24. Amanda Spratt (Aus) Orica – Ais
25. Evelyn Stevens (USA) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team 0:17
26. Kirsten Wild (Ned) Hitec Products 0:33
27. Chantal Blaak (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team
28. Thalita De Jong (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team
29. Carmen Small (USA) Bigla Pro Cycling Team 0:41
30. Hanna Nilsson (Swe) Sweden 0:44
31. Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) Hitec Products 01:45
32. Nina Kessler (Ned) Lensworld.eu – Zannata 02:57
33. Floortje Mackaij (Ned) Team Liv-Plantur
34. Riejanne Markus (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team
35. Sofie De Vuyst (Bel) Lensworld.eu – Zannata
36. Lauren Stephens (USA) Team Tibco – SVB 02:58
37. Evy Kuijpers (Ned) Lensworld.eu – Zannata
38. Jermaine Post (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team
39. Camilla Møllebro (Den) Sweden
40. Vera Koedooder (Ned) Bigla Pro Cycling Team
41. Dani King (Gbr) Wiggle Honda
42. Ilona Hoeksma (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team
43. Sara Penton (Swe) Sweden
44. Rozanne Slik (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team
45. Moniek Tenniglo (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team 02:59
46. Elise Delzenne (Fra) Velocio – SRAM
47. Kathrin Hammes (Ger) Team Tibco – SVB
48. Emilie Moberg (Nor) Hitec Products
49. Polona Batagelj (Slo) BTC City Ljubljana 03:00
50. Martina Ritter (Aut) BTC City Ljubljana
51. Christine Majerus (Lux) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team
52. Emilia Fahlin (Swe) Wiggle Honda
53. Georgia Williams (Nzl) Bepink Laclassica 03:01
54. Natalie Van Gogh (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team
55. Joanne Hogan (Aus) Team Tibco – SVB
56. Ilaria Sanguineti (Ita) Bepink Laclassica
57. Valentina Scandolara (Ita) Orica – Ais 03:02
58. Silvia Valsecchi (Ita) Bepink Laclassica 03:03
59. Lotta Lepistö (Fin) Bigla Pro Cycling Team
60. Malgorzta Jasinska (Pol) Ale Cipollini
61. Beatrice Bartelloni (Ita) Ale Cipollini
62. Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) Velocio – SRAM 03:04
63. Claudia Häusler (Ger) Team Liv-Plantur
64. Gracie Elvin (Aus) Orica – Ais
65. Julia Soek (Ned) Team Liv-Plantur 03:05
66. Sara Headley (USA) Team Tibco – SVB 06:23
67. Chloe Mcconville (Aus) Orica – Ais
68. Katarzyna Pawlowska (Pol) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team 06:24
69. Annelies Dom (Bel) Lensworld.eu – Zannata
70. Marijn De Vries (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team
71. Rosa Törmänen (Fin) Finland
72. Tine Rasch (Den) Denmark 17:13
73. Alexandra Nessmar (Swe) Sweden 17:17
74. Christina Siggaard (Den) Matrix Fitness
75. Linnea Sjöblom (Swe) Sweden
76. Anastasiya Chulkova (Rus) Bepink Laclassica 17:18
77. Ana Maria Covrig (Rom) Bepink Laclassica
DNF Audrey Cordon (Fra) Wiggle Honda
DNF Doris Schweizer (Sui) Bigla Pro Cycling Team
DNF Charlotte Becker (Ger) Hitec Products
DNF Miriam Bjørnsrud (Nor) Hitec Products
DNF Marta Tagliaferro (Ita) Ale Cipollini
DNF Elena Berlato (Ita) Ale Cipollini
DNF Kim De Baat (Ned) Lensworld.eu – Zannata
DNF Marissa Otten (Ned) Lensworld.eu – Zannata
DNF Ursa Pintar (Slo) BTC City Ljubljana
DNF Olena Pavlukhina (Aze) BTC City Ljubljana
DNF Emily Collins (Nzl) Team Tibco – SVB
DNF Kendall Ryan (USA) Team Tibco – SVB
DNF Ilaria Bonomi (Ita) Bepink Laclassica
DNF Ida Erngren (Swe) Sweden
DNF Emma Ahlstrand (Swe) Sweden
DNF Maija Syrjä (Fin) Finland
DNF Katri Lehtonen (Fin) Finland
DNF Antonia Gröndahl (Fin) Finland
DNF Veera Väkevä (Fin) Finland
DNF Heini Salovaara (Fin) Finland
DNF Rikke Lønne (Den) Denmark
DNF Margriet Helena Kloppenburg (Den) Denmark
DNF Michelle Lauge Jensen (Den) Denmark
DNS Molly Weaver (Gbr) Team Liv-Plantur