World Champs: Bronzini retains her title while Vos settles for another second

Giorgia Bronzini rode to her second consecutive World Road Championship, while Marianne Vos had to settle for second yet again.

Bronzini and her Italian team timed the sprint to perfection, as she launched herself off the front and beat Vos by a mere half a wheel. Vos ran out of road, as she chased the defending champion, and had to settle for her fifth silver medal in a row. The Dutch rider tried to move out from behind the bunch, but Teutenberg was also beginning her sprint and momentarily blocked her. This is now Italy’s fourth women’s title in five years, only interrupted by Nicole Cooke in Verese.

Teutenberg’s attack faded towards the line and she was passed by Vos, but still managed to hold off Cooke. It looked like it was going to be an exact repeat of the podium in Geelong, but Cooke timed it slightly wrong and couldn’t catch up with the German. Her teammate Lizzie Armitstead was, for many, one of the pre race favourites, but she could only manage seventh.

World Champs: Elite Women's Road Race 2011 Start List

1 Giorgia Bronzini ITALY
2 Monia Baccaille
3 Noemi Cantele
4 Elena Cecchini
5 Tatiana Guderzo
6 Elisa Longo Borghini
7 Valentina Scandolara
8 Alessandra D'Ettorre

9 Chantal Blaak NETHERLANDS
10 Lucinda Brand
11 Martine Bras
12 Loes Gunnewijk
13 Annemiek Van Vleuten
14 Marianne Vos
15 Kirsten Wild

World Champs: Judith Arndt talks about her Gold Medal Time-Trial

World Champs: Judith Arndt finally takes Gold in the Women's TT

Judith Arndt stormed to victory in the Elite Women’s time-trial, in a wet Copenhagen, beating Linda Villumsen and Emma Pooley to the top spot.

Arndt has only one second place to her name, for 2011, but showed form in a recent invitation race.  The German looked like she had the race under control from the start, passing the first check point only a handful of seconds down on the current leader Clara Hughes. She managed to keep her high pace up and benefited from other riders completing a slower second lap.

Emma Pooley Takes her First Road Title at World Championship Time-Trial

Emma Pooley braved the cold weather to become the first British woman to win the World Championship time-trial.

Pooley stormed ahead of the competition to win her first international road title by beating Germany’s Judith Arndt by 15 seconds with a time of 32 minutes 48 seconds. The Londoner managed to keep her cool despite having to change her bike moments before the start after officials found a problem with it.

Disappointment for Cantele
She came over to Australia earlier this year in February to recce the course and it paid off as she mastered the difficult lumpy circuit. Pooley then had a tense wait after her run while the other seven riders had to come in including Noemi Cantele, who finished second in that time-trial and third in the road race at last year’s event.

Elite Women's Time-trial results

1 Emma Pooley (Great Britain) 0:32:48.44

2 Judith Arndt (Germany) 0:33:03.61
3 Linda Melanie Villumsen (New Zealand) 0:33:04.24
4 Amber Neben (United States Of America) 0:33:26.10
5 Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli (France) 0:33:32.38
6 Evelyn Stevens (United States Of America) 0:33:48.52
7 Tara Whitten (Canada) 0:33:54.35
8 Shara Gillow (Australia) 0:34:01.62
9 Emilia Fahlin (Sweden) 0:34:10.64

10 Tatiana Guderzo (Italy) 0:34:13.99
11 Emma Johansson (Sweden) 0:34:22.32
12 Noemi Cantele (Italy) 0:34:29.59
13 Patricia Schwager (Switzerland) 0:34:39.23
14 Charlotte Becker (Germany) 0:34:42.39
15 Anne Samplonius (Canada) 0:34:43.25
16 Melissa Holt (New Zealand) 0:34:53.83
17 Tatiana Antoshina (Russian Federation) 0:35:04.70
18 Vicki Whitelaw (Australia) 0:35:07.75
19 Alexis Rhodes (Australia) 0:35:12.22
20 Olga Zabelinskaya (Russian Federation) 0:35:18.29