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

One Cycling Discipline isn't Enough, A Marianne Vos Profile

Dutch rider Marianne Vos is probably the definition of an all-rounder, winning races in mountain biking, cyclo-cross, road and track racing.

Born 13th May 1987 in 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands; she took to cycling, aged six, after watching her brother racing. Vos would have to train with her brother’s team as she couldn’t take part in racing. Eventually she took up cyclo-cross at the age of eight, where she was old enough to take part in races. Not satisfied with just one sport she also took up, the popular Dutch sports, inline and speed skating.

Bronzini takes the gold in the Elite Women's Road Race as Vos has to settle for silver again

Giorgia Bronzini took Italy’s second consecutive gold in the elite women’s road race as Marianne Vos had to settle for second place the fourth year in a row.

Bronzini came from behind in five way sprint to win the rainbow jersey by inching out Vos, who has come second every year since winning in Austria 2006. The Italian dedicated her victory to Franco Ballerini who was manager of the team until he was killed in a rally accident earlier in the year.

Elite Women's Road Race Results

1 BRONZINI Giorgia ITA 3:32:01 35.997
2 VOS Marianne NED " "
3 JOHANSSON Emma SWE " "
4 COOKE Nicole GBR " "
5 ARNDT Judith GER 3:32:02 +0:01
6 VERBEKE Grace BEL 3:32:04 +0:03
7 WORRACK Trixi GER " "
8 LELEIVYTE Rasa LTU " "
9 ARMITSTEAD Elizabeth GBR " "
10 SWART Carla RSA " "
11 CHEATLEY Catherine NZL " "
12 LONGO-CIPRELLI Jeannie FRA " "
13 ZABELINSKAYA Olga RUS " "
14 GRAUS Andrea AUT " "
15 WHITTEN Tara CAN " "
16 LAWS Sharon GBR " "
17 NEBEN Amber USA " "
18 PITEL Edwige FRA " "
19 VILLUMSEN Linda NZL " "
20 POOLEY Emma GBR " "

Elite Women's Road Race Start list

1 Tatiana  ITALY

2 BERLATO Elena  ITALY
3 BRONZINI Giorgia  ITALY
4 CALLOVI Rossella  ITALY
5 CANTELE Noemi  ITALY
6 CARRETTA Valentina  ITALY
7 PATUZZO Eleonora  ITALY
8 TAMANINI Luisa  ITALY
9 BLAAK Chantal  NETHERLANDS
10 BRUINS Regina  NETHERLANDS
11 GUNNEWIJK Loes  NETHERLANDS
12 TABAK Noortje  NETHERLANDS
13 VAN VLEUTEN Annemiek  NETHERLANDS
14 VISSER Adrie  NETHERLANDS
15 VOS Marianne  NETHERLANDS
16 WILD Kirsten  NETHERLANDS
17 ARNDT Judith  GERMANY
18 BECKER Charlotte  GERMANY
19 KELLER Luise  GERMANY
20 TEUTENBERG Ina  GERMANY

Elite Women's Road Race - Preview

The most anticipated event in the World Championships is always the Road Race and this is no different in the women’s event.

Marianne Vos might be more eager than any to win after she missed out by such small margins in the past two years. The Dutch rider lost to Tatiana Guderzo by 19 seconds in Switzerland last year and by mere inches to Nicole Cooke in Italy the year before. Sitting at the top of the UCI rankings she has to be the biggest favourite.