Just no impressive victory for Marianne Vos. The rider from Babyloniënbroek finished second in Italy in the Sanremo Women on Saturday afternoon. It was the first time since 2005 that the classic Milan-San Remo was also admitted to the women’s calendar.
It must be said immediately that this variant started in Genoa. From there the peloton a course awaited a total of 156 kilometers, which the Rensters led about familiar climbing such as the Cipressa and the Poggio. In – to say the least – spicy conditions. Especially in the initial phase, the riders were treated to the necessary showers and cold.
It ensured that the group was thinned out bit by bit. Nevertheless, the big names – including world champion Lotte Kopecky, her teammate Lorena Wiebes and Demi Volling – remained together for a long time. Even after a large fall about 30 kilometers from the finish. Incidentally, there were also many fox teammates on the ground, but she managed to circumvent the problems herself.
Blood -curdling final phase
On the Poggio it seemed to explode for a while, when several riders placed bright attacks. Yet the favorites made the top together, followed by a blood -curdling descent to the finish. Once downstairs, the Italian Longo Borghini tried to get away from the competition, but they brought her back on time. And so the first San Remo for women in twenty years was decided with a sprint.
It was Marianne Vos himself who was the first to start that final sprint. For a long time she seemed on course for the next prestigious addition to her honors list, but at the last minute it was fellow countryman Lorena Wiebes who spurted her past.