September 26, 2009 (Mendrisio Switzerland) – The Elite women’s road race is underway and began in cool and wet conditions as the riders are over the half way point. The women are completing 9 laps of 13.8km circuit for a total of 124.2 km with 2,205m of elevation. There are 127 starters and Canada has six riders including Alison Testroete (BC), Tara Whitten (AB), Erinne Willock (BC), Julie Beveridge (ON), Joelle Numainville (QC), Heather Logan (ON).

Laps 1-5
Following numerous short-lived attacks several lead by Germany’s Ina Teutenberg, along with crashes on the wet pavement including defending champ Nicole Cooke (Gbr), the peloton has fractured with numerous riders dropped. There’s a group of about 30 riders leading the charge including Canada’s Whitten and Willock.

In the lead group are Noemi Cantele (Ita), Emma Johansson (Swe), Marianne Vos (Ned), Diana Ziliute (Lith), Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli (Fra)… Germany’s Judith Arndt is also up there and has attacked.

Lap 6
The sun is now out as Arndt leads and takes Emma Pooley (Gbr) and Vos with her while Cooke has abandoned – her early crash was apparently quite hard. With 3 laps to go the temp. is 20 degrees and Canada’s Willock and Whitten are still in the main lead group of 30-40 riders.

Lap 7
Now it’s Italy’s Noemi Cantele attacking and she’s got about a 10s gap. The Italian has extended her lead to 19s as a group of about 15 are chasing including Arndt, 2009 ITT champ Kristin Armstrong (USA) and Pooley. Canada’s Willock is still in the mix but it looks like Whitten has dropped off the pace.

Lap 8
With 2 laps to go it’s Cantele in front and the sun is beaming as the pavement has mostly dried out which should make for an interesting finish. Now Arndt attacks again… and it looks like Cantele will be caught as Denmark’s Linda Melanie Villumsen is leading the chase.

Lap 9 Final
With one lap to go there’s a group of about 19 riders at the front lead by Villumsen and Vos including Canada’s Willock. Tara Whitten is in the second group behind – the other Canucks have DNFd.

The attacks are coming but no one has gotten clear as they hit the climbs. Villumsen is caught and the leaders include lots of heavy hitters such as Armstrong, Ziliute, Willock, Vos, Mara Abbott (USA), Johansson, Nicole Brandli (Sui), Edita Pucinskaite (Lit), Pooley, Arndt and Claudia Hausler (Ger), Cantele and Tatiana Guderzo (Ita).

Guderzo attacks and has a gap… the chasers lead by Vos pick up speed. Now it’s Armstrong, Cantele and Vos trying to reel in Guderzo who has a 10s lead as Pooley tries to bridge to them from the group behind.

The Italian Guderzo looks like she may stay away solo as the three chasers are trying to catch her. Canada’s Willock is in the group behind – only 2km to go.

Guderzo wins – Willock finishes in 7th her best placement at Worlds since 2007 in Stuttgart where she was 16th.

Results

1. Tatiana Guderzo (Italy) 3:33:25
2. Marianne Vos (Netherlands) 0:19
3. Noemi Cantele (Italy)
4. Kristin Armstrong (United States Of America)
5. Diana Ziliute (Lithuania) 1:07
6. Judith Arndt (Germany)
7. Erinne Willock (Canada)
8. Nicole Brändli (Switzerland)
9. Grace Verbeke (Belgium)
10. Catherine Cheatley (New Zealand)
11. Emma Johansson (Sweden)
12. Ruth Corset (Australia)
13. Edita Pucinskaite (Lithuania)
14. Emma Pooley (Great Britain)
15. Evelyn Stevens (United States Of America)
16. Linda Melanie Villumsen (Denmark) 3:02
17. Paulina Brzezna (Poland) 3:41
18. Mara Abbott (United States Of America) 4:51
19. Claudia Häusler (Germany) 5:51
20. Ana Garcia Antequera (Spain) 5:54
21. Andrea Bosman (Netherlands) 6:54
22. Ludivine Henrion (Belgium)
23. Chantal Blaak (Netherlands)
24. Julia Martisova (Russian Federation)
25. Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (France)
26. Edwige Pitel (France)
27. Elizabeth Armitstead (Great Britain)
28. Sharon Laws (Great Britain)
29. Trixi Worrack (Germany)
30. Fabiana Luperini (Italy)
31. Karine Gautard (France) 9:52
32. Rasa Leleivyte (Lithuania) 10:11
33. Kaytee Boyd (New Zealand)
34. Carla Swart (South Africa)
35. Sophie Creux (France)
36. Monika Grzebinoga (Poland)
37. Marissa Van Der Merwe (South Africa)
38. Verónica Leal Balderas (Mexico)
39. Christiane Soeder (Austria)
40. Tara Whitten (Canada)
41. Olena Oliinyk (Ukraine)
42. Regina Bruins (Netherlands) 10:13
43. Irene Van Den Broek (Netherlands)
44. Julie Krasniak (France)
45. Loes Gunnewijk (Netherlands)
46. Monia Baccaille (Italy) 10:18
47. Luisa Tamanini (Italy)
48. Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli (France) 12:09
49. Oxana Kozonchuk (Russian Federation) 12:46
50. Eivgenia Vysotska (Ukraine)
51. Laura Lorenza Morfin Macouzet (Mexico)
52. Tiffany Cromwell (Australia)
53. Alona Andruk (Ukraine)
54. Patricia Schwager (Switzerland)
55. Lieselot Decroix (Belgium)
56. Daniela Pintarelli (Austria) 13:02
DNF Nicole Cooke (Great Britain)
DNF Katie Colclough (Great Britain)
DNF Nikki Harris (Great Britain)
DNF Lucy Martin (Great Britain)
DNF Martine Bras (Netherlands)
DNF Charlotte Becker (Germany)
DNF Tina Liebig (Germany)
DNF Ina Teutenberg (Germany)
DNF Emilia Fahlin (Sweden)
DNF Marie Lindberg (Sweden)
DNF Sara Mustonen (Sweden)
DNF Rochelle Gilmore (Australia)
DNF Emma Mackie (Australia)
DNF Alexis Rhodes (Australia)
DNF Vicki Whitelaw (Australia)
DNF Kimberly Anderson (United States Of America)
DNF Meredith Miller (United States Of America)
DNF Amber Neben (United States Of America)
DNF Giorgia Bronzini (Italy)
DNF Inga Cilvinaite (Lithuania)
DNF Edita Unguryte (Lithuania)
DNF Modesta Vzesniauskaite (Lithuania)
DNF Tatiana Antoshina (Russian Federation)
DNF Svetlana Bubnenkova (Russian Federation)
DNF Anna Evseeva (Russian Federation)
DNF Elena Novikova (Russian Federation)
DNF Jessie Daams (Belgium)
DNF Liesbet De Vocht (Belgium)
DNF Trine Schmidt (Denmark)
DNF Julie Beveridge (Canada)
DNF Heather Logan (Canada)
DNF Joelle Numainville (Canada)
DNF Alison Testroete (Canada)
DNF Emilie Aubry (Switzerland)
DNF Jennifer Hohl (Switzerland)
DNF Jessica Schneeberger (Switzerland)
DNF Andrea Wolfer (Switzerland)
DNF Rachel Mercer (New Zealand)
DNF Oksana Kashchishina (Ukraine)
DNF Nina Ovcharenko (Ukraine)
DNF Eneritz Iturriagaechevarria Mazaga (Spain)
DNF Belen Lopez Morales (Spain)
DNF Anna Sanchis Chafer (Spain)
DNF Ane Santesteban Gonzalez (Spain)
DNF Marta Vila Josana Andreu (Spain)
DNF Giuseppina Grassi Herrera (Mexico)
DNF Martina Ruzickova (Czech Republic)
DNF Polona Batagelj (Slovenia)
DNF Sigrid Corneo (Slovenia)
DNF Blaza Klemencic (Slovenia)
DNF Uenia Fernandes Da Souza (Brazil)
DNF Rosane Kirch (Brazil)
DNF Malgorzta Jasinska (Poland)
DNF Sylwia Kapusta (Poland)
DNF Monrudee Chapookham (Thailand)
DNF Wilaiwan Kunlapha (Thailand)
DNF Chanpeng Nontasin (Thailand)
DNF Thatsani Wichana (Thailand)
DNF Fröydis Waerstad (Norway)
DNF Viena Balen (Croatia)
DNF Marina Boduljak (Croatia)
DNF Maja Marukic (Croatia)
DNF Kathryn Bertine (Saint Kitts And Nevis)
DNF Monica Ceccon (Saint Kitts And Nevis)
DNF Olivia Dillon (Ireland)
DNF Siobhan Horgan (Ireland)
DNF Dahlina Rosyida (Indonesia)
DNF Veronica marcela Gerez (Argentina)
DNF Semra Yetis (Turkey)
DNF Ariadna Tudel Cuberes (Andorra)
DNF Ester Alves (Portugal)