World Championships 2018 – Road Race [FULL RACE] (Woman)

September 29, 2018

World Championships 2018 – Road Race (Women) – Kufstein – Innsbruck : 156,2 km

The Women’s road race of the 2018 UCI Road World Championships was a cycling event that took place on 29 September 2018 in Innsbruck, Austria. It was the 58th edition of the event, for which Dutch rider Chantal Blaak was the defending champion, having won in 2017. 149 riders from 48 nations entered the competition.

Anna van der Breggen (Netherlands) soloed to victory in the elite women’s road race at the UCI Road World Championships in Innsbruck. The Olympic champion went on the attack with 40km to go, bridging up to the break before going it alone after dropping Amanda Spratt (Australia).

Spratt, who was leading a dangerous breakaway before the Dutch rider sprung into action, was chasing over three minutes behind Van der Breggen for silver, with the experienced Italian Tatiana Guderzo, who attacked from small group, also solo and chasing third.

Coryn Rivera (USA) kicked off the action as the riders reached the circuit and the climb of Igls for the first time. Her surprise attack saw a strong group including Spratt and Emilia Fahlin (Sweden) join her with 50km to race.

But back in the peloton, Van der Breggen countered an attack by teammate Annemiek van Vleuten, quickly bridging up to the leaders. Midway up the penultimate climb of the day, it was over, with the Dutchwoman and Spratt locked in a solo time trial while groups converged behind to fight for the final medal.

The win was characteristic of Van der Breggen’s one-day dominance in 2018, a fantastic season which has seen her win Strade Bianche, the Tour of Flanders, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and La Flèche Wallonne. All solo wins, of course, ranging from 50 metres to 27km on her own.

“I didn’t know anything,” Van der Breggen said after the finish. “I kept going and I think at the finish line I only believed it was possible, so yeah it’s amazing. I had too many times this season that iI was caught at the finish, so I just kept on continuing and tried to eat and drink good and go as fast as possible.

“I was a bit doubting if it was too early or not but we tried to open things and then I got in this position so I took this opportunity and I had to go. I was actually [surprised to see the gap keep growing] so for me, it was a good thing and I had to keep going.

“The World Championships are always [a goal] and I know its so difficult to win it, so I’m really happy with this title.”

How it happened

Running 156km from Kufstein to Innsbruck, the women’s road race followed the exact same route as the men’s race, taking in the same first four climbs before ending on the Innsbruck circuit. After the lumpy opening kilometres, a period of flat gave way to Gnadenwald, the hill which marked the start of the climbing.

After 63.9km, Gnadenwald – 2.8km at 10.1% – was the first test of the day, followed by a descent onto the Innsbruck circuit. Three laps of that 23.8km circuit would follow, with each one featuring the 7.9km Igls climb, which averaged 5.7% with some 10% sections. A fast, sweeping descent followed, with the top of the day’s final climb coming 13.5km from the finish.

At the start of the race, the attacks flew, with Lotta Lepistö (Finland) among those having a go in the opening kilometres. It wasn’t until Aurela Nerlo (Poland) went away after 15km that the break of the day was established, though. She was soon joined by Ana Sanabria (Colombia), with the peloton happy to let their pair build a lead.

With 120km left to run, including all the climbs, the lead duo enjoyed a two-minute lead. Back in the peloton, Lepistö went again, with Emma Jorgensen (Denmark) joining her in the counter-attack.

At the base of the Gnadenwald climb, the Dutch pair of Ellen van Dijk and Annemiek van Vleuten were among those caught up in a crash, quickly making their way back to the peloton. Up front, the leaders were 2:30 up, but that advantage would quickly evaporate.

The climb thinned things out, with only Nerlo and Lepistö left up front, and by the time they descended onto the circuit, it was over. Van Dijk, Cecilie Uttrup-Ludwig (Denmark) and Tatiana Guderzo (Italy) launched a move which Lepistö latched onto – they had a 30-second lead as the crossed the line for the first time.

Lepistö dropped back on the first climb of Igls while Lucy Kennedy (Australia) worked at the head of the peloton, whittling the group down to around 20 riders. By the top, with 60km to run, the lead group and the ‘peloton’ were back together.

Coryn Rivera (USA) was a surprise attacker over the top, swiftly building a 30-second lead. Heading into the final 50km she was joined out front by Van Dijk, Elena Pirrone (Italy), Emilia Fahlin (Sweden), Amanda Spratt (Australia) and Malgorzata Jasinska (Poland), though Van Dijk didn’t stay there for long.

Further back, the Dutch were active, knowing that Spratt was a danger. Van Vleuten and Anna van der Breggen attacked and countered, with Van der Breggen powering away with 42km to go and quickly reaching the break.

The Dutchwoman kept going, taking Spratt with her, but was soon alone, pulling out a gap over the top of the climb and extending her advantage as the kilometres ticked by. Heading into the final lap of the race, Van der Breggen was 1:19 up on Spratt and 3:06 on the chase group of Fahlin, Jasinska and Rivera.

That chase group swelled to six as Guderzo, Amy Pieters (Netherlands) and Karol-Ann Canuel (Canada) bridged across. They wouldn’t spend much time together though, with Guderzo pushing on alone in search of bronze with 15km to race.

The first three women on the road – Van der Breggen, Spratt and Guderzo – were separated by five minutes heading into the closing kilometres, their medals all but assured. Barring crashes or mechanical problems, the trio could savour the run-in to the finish.

Results :
1 Anna van der Breggen (Netherlands) 4:11:04
2 Amanda Spratt (Australia) 0:03:42
3 Tatiana Guderzo (Italy) 0:05:26
4 Emilia Fahlin (Sweden) 0:06:13
5 Malgorzata Jasinska (Poland)
6 Karol-Ann Canuel (Canada) 0:06:17
7 Annemiek van Vleuten (Netherlands) 0:07:05
8 Amy Pieters (Netherlands)
9 Lucinda Brand (Netherlands) 0:07:17
10 Ruth Winder (United States Of America)
11 Rasa Leleivyte (Lithuania)
12 Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Poland)
13 Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy)
14 Sara Poidevin (Canada)
15 Anastasiia Iakovenko (Russian Federation)
16 Megan Guarnier (United States Of America)
17 Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (South Africa)
18 Clara Koppenburg (Germany)
19 Margarita Victo Garcia Cañellas (Spain)
20 Erica Magnaldi (Italy)
21 Katharine Hall (United States Of America)
22 Jolanda Neff (Switzerland)
23 Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Denmark) 0:07:22
24 Lucy Kennedy (Australia) 0:07:31
25 Leah Kirchmann (Canada) 0:08:18
26 Danielle Rowe (Great Britain)
27 Arlenis Sierra (Cuba)
28 Sofie De Vuyst (Belgium)
29 Stine Borgli (Norway)
30 Polona Batagelj (Slovenia)
31 Coryn Rivera (United States Of America)
32 Hanna Nilsson (Sweden)
33 Urska Pintar (Slovenia)
34 Eider Merino Cortazar (Spain)
35 Shara Gillow (Australia)
36 Sina Frei (Switzerland)
37 Annika Langvad (Denmark)
38 Edwige Pitel (France)
39 Yevgeniya Vysotska (Ukraine)
40 Julie van De Velde (Belgium)
41 Sophie Wright (Great Britain) 0:08:36
42 Kelly van Den Steen (Belgium) 0:09:00
43 Ingrid Lorvik (Norway)
44 Chantal Blaak (Netherlands)
45 Hannah Barnes (Great Britain) 0:10:58
46 Liane Lippert (Germany)
47 Georgia Williams (New Zealand) 0:11:01
48 Grace Brown (Australia)
49 Omer Shapira (Israel) 0:11:14
50 Githa Michiels (Belgium) 0:12:32
51 Alison Jackson (Canada) 0:12:48
52 Blanca Liliana Moreno Canchon (Colombia) 0:13:01
53 Ane Santesteban Gonzalez (Spain)
54 Brodie Chapman (Australia)
55 Maria Novolodskaya (Russian Federation) 0:13:10
56 Olga Shekel (Ukraine) 0:13:46
57 Lorena Llamas Garcia (Spain) 0:14:05
58 Elena Pirrone (Italy)
59 Angelika Tazreiter (Austria) 0:14:26
60 Ellen van Dijk (Netherlands) 0:14:29
61 Juliette Labous (France)
62 Fernanda Yapura (Argentina)
63 Sofia Bertizzolo (Italy)
64 Danielle Christmas (Great Britain) 0:14:51
65 Špela Kern (Slovenia)
66 Grace Anderson (New Zealand)
67 Urška Žigart (Slovenia) 0:14:55
68 Anna Plichta (Poland) 0:16:05
69 Janneke Ensing (Netherlands)
70 Diana Klimova (Russian Federation) 0:18:04
71 Amalie Dideriksen (Denmark)
72 Soraya Paladin (Italy)
73 Audrey Cordon Ragot (France)
74 Sara Bergen (Canada) 0:18:20
75 Stephanie Subercaseaux Vergara (Chile) 0:18:44
76 Paula Andrea Patiño Bedoya (Colombia)
77 Natalya Saifutdinova (Kazakhstan)
78 Caroline Bohé (Denmark)
79 Eri Yonamine (Japan) 0:20:47
80 Jeanne Korevaar (Netherlands) 0:22:33
81 Sarah Rijkes (Austria) 0:23:06
DNF Marta Lach (Poland)
DNF Alice Sharpe (Ireland)
DNF Tayler Wiles (United States Of America)
DNF Lisa Brennauer (Germany)
DNF Anna Henderson (Great Britain)
DNF Anabelle Dreville (France)
DNF Sara Penton (Sweden)
DNF Ana Maria Covrig (Romania)
DNF Mónika Király (Hungary)
DNF Antri Christoforou (Cyprus)
DNF Pernille Mathiesen (Denmark)
DNF Mikayla Harvey (New Zealand)
DNF Katherine Maine (Canada)
DNF Yixian Pu (People’s Republic of China)
DNF Amiliya Iskakova (Kazakhstan)
DNF Trixi Worrack (Germany)
DNF Elena Cecchini (Italy)
DNF Charlotte Becker (Germany)
DNF Eugénie Duval (France)
DNF Aude Biannic (France)
DNF Leah Thomas (United States Of America)
DNF Lotta Pauliina Lepistö (Finland)
DNF Jelena Eric (Serbia)
DNF Eyeru Tesfoam Gebru (Ethiopia)
DNF Kathrin Hammes (Germany)
DNF Varvara Fasoi (Greece)
DNF Anna Potokina (Russian Federation)
DNF Katarzyna Wilkos (Poland)
DNF Alicia Gonzalez Blanco (Spain)
DNF Thi That Nguyen (Vietnam)
DNF Aurela Nerlo (Poland)
DNF Emma Cecilie Norsgaard Jørgensen (Denmark)
DNF Nicole Hanselmann (Switzerland)
DNF Hiromi Kaneko (Japan)
DNF Vita Heine (Norway)
DNF Susanne Andersen (Norway)
DNF Tereza Medvedova (Slovakia)
DNF Claire Faber (Luxembourg)
DNF Teniel Campbell (Trinidad & Tabago)
DNF Wing Yee Leung (Hong Kong, China)
DNF Ana Cristina Sanabria Sanchez (Colombia)
DNF Miyoko Karami (Japan)
DNF Faina Potapova (Kazakhstan)
DNF Anne-Sophie Harsch (Luxembourg)
DNF Rotem Gafinovitz (Israel)
DNF Alice Cobb (Great Britain)
DNF Maja Perinovic (Croatia)
DNF Cristina Martinez Bonafe (Spain)
DNF Tatiana Jaseková (Slovakia)
DNF Sarah Roy (Australia)
DNF Tiffany Cromwell (Australia)
DNF Alexis Ryan (United States Of America)
DNF Tetiana Riabchenko (Ukraine)
DNF Katrine Aalerud (Norway)
DNF Martina Ritter (Austria)
DNF Kseniia Dobrynina (Russian Federation)
DNF Tereza Korvasová (Czech Republic)
DNF Viivi Puskala (Finland)
DNF Kaat Hannes (Belgium)
DNF Camila Coelho Ferreira (Brazil)
DNF Clemilda Fernandes Silva (Brazil)
DNF Valerie Demey (Belgium)
DNF Christa Riffel (Germany)
DNF Elné Owen (South Africa)
DNF Jeydy Pradera Bernal (Cuba)
DNF Mosana Debesay (Eritrea)
DNF Hoi Wah Leung (Hong Kong, China)
DNF Rudina Baku (Albania)