Dutch Championships 2008 – Elite Women
Welcome to the Marianne Vos Show! Vos dominates the race on her way to her second Dutch Road Championships. Photo journal

The Dutch Road Championships were held in Ootmarsum in the province Overijssel. It was a very tough course with lots of turns, some small climbs and on the first day of this event lots of rain. Marianne Vos won the National title in the woman’s category after a giants battle between three world class riders. Mirjam Melchers -van Poppel and Regina Bruins completed the podium.

Elite-Woman
144 woman started on Saturday afternoon for their national championships in Ootmarsum. They had to do ten laps with a total distance of 120,9 kilometer.

The first attack of the day came in the second lap from Iris Slappendel (Team Flexpoint). She immediately got company of Annemiek van Vleuten (Vrienden van het Platteland). But before the end of the second lap the bunch came back and was reduced to about fifty girls due to the high pace, the tough course and of course the rain which stayed with the ladies most of the race.

TeamFlexpoint and DSB controlled the race. Photo © 2008 Bart Hazen

In the third lap Marianne Vos (Team DSB Bank) attacked together with Mirjam Melchers-van Poppel (Team Flexpoint) and Regina Bruins (Odysis). The three worked well together and their gap went up quite fast to one minute at the end of the third lap. It became clear that it would be very difficult for the other teams to chase these three world class riders down again as the top teams had their captains in front, only AA Drink Cycling Team, Vrienden van het Platteland and High Road’s Chantal Beltman missed the break.

World class break, Vos leads Melchers and Bruins in the rain.
Photo © 2008 Bart Hazen

High Road's Chantal Beltman and AADrink Cycling Team chase.
Photo © 2008 Bart Hazen

Behind the break an elite chase group of seventeen riders was organised. The seventeen riders were; Irene van den Broek (AA Drink), Kirsten Wild (AA Drink), Adrie Visser (Team DSB Bank), Elisabeth Braam (Team Flexpoint), Saskia Elemans (Team Flexpoint), Loes Gunnewijk (Team Flexpoint), Elise van Hage (Team Flexpoint), Loes Markerink (Team Flexpoint), Iris Slappendel (Team Flexpoint), Martine Bras (Vrienden van het Platteland), Ellen van Dijk (Vrienden van het Platteland), Annemiek van Vleuten (Vrienden van het Platteland), Chantal Beltman (High Road), Suzanne de Goede (Equipe Nürnberger), Vera Koedooder (Lotto-Belisol), Monique van de Ree (Zuidwesthoek) and Arenda Grimberg (Odysis). The bunch was over 2.00 down already and didn’t play any role in the race after the chase group was away.

First chasers Vera Koedooder and Loes Markerink
Photo © 2008 Bart Hazen

With less than four laps remaining Vera Koedooder (Lotto-Belisol) and Loes Markerink (Team Flexpoint) went on the counter attack. Despite working well together they didn’t get any closer to the fabulous threesome of cycling divas: Vos, Melchers and Bruins. The other fifteen girls didn’t react to the trio's attack.

Marianne Vos makes her attack on Melchers and Bruins. Photo © 2008 Bart Hazen

Just before turning into the final lap Marianne Vos attacked and only Mirjam Melchers was able to follow. Bruins who showed her great potential during the race wasn’t able to react.

Half way through the final lap Marianne Vos attacked once again and this time Melchers couldn't match Vos and was dropped as well. In the background Loes Gunnewijk and Irene van den Broek attacked out of the chasing Group in order to gain a top 10 ranking.

Victory Marianne Vos solo! Photo © 2008 Bart Hazen

Vos never weakened in the last part of the final circuit and finished solo to gain her next Dutch National title. Mirjam Melchers-van Poppel finished in a well deserved second place 22 seconds behind Vos. Bruins was able to finish third 2:25 down on the winner. Vera Koedooder and Loes Markerink rounded off the top 5.

Elite Women's Dutch Championship Race Photo Gallery

2008 Podium: Mirjam Melchers, Marianne Vos and Regina Bruins
Photo © 2008 Bart Hazen

Dutch Championships 2008 Results
1 Vos, Marianne DSB Bank Wielerploeg 3:20:05
2 Melchers, Mirjam FLX Team Flexpoint 3:20:27 0:22
3 Bruins, Regina RCMD de Coureur 3:22:30 2:25

4 Koedooder, Vera LBL Lotto-Belisol Lt 3:23:40 3:35
5 Markerink, Loes FLX Team Flexpoint 3:23:43 3:38

6 Gunnewijk, Loes FLX Team Flexpoint 3:25:00 4:55
7 v.d. Broek, Irene AAD AA-DrinkCyclTeam 3:25:20 5:15
8 de Goede, Suzanne NUR NurnbergerVersir 3:26:30 6:25
9 Wild, Kirsten AAD AA-DrinkCyclTeam
10 Visser, Adrie DSB Bank Wielerploeg
11 Bras, Martine VVP VriendenPlatteld
12 van Vleuten, Annemiek VVP VriendenPlatteld
13 Elemans, Saskia FLX Team Flexpoint
14 Slappendel, Iris FLX Team Flexpoint
15 van de Ree, Monique RSC de Zuidwesthoek
16 Beltman, Chantal Team High Road Women
17 Grimberg, Arenda RCMD de Coureur
18 Van Hage, Elise FLX Team Flexpoint
19 Braam, Elisabeth FLX Team Flexpoint
20 van Dijk, Ellen VVP VriendenPlatteld
21 van Paassen, Sanne WV Schijndel 3:29:45 9:40
22 Spijkerman, Bertine Restore Cycling 3:30:15 10:10
23 Bakker, Liesbeth VVP VriendenPlatteld
24 Wallaard, Jaccolien VVP VriendenPlatteld
25 van Wanroij, Marieke DSB Bank Wielerploeg
26 Hormes, Reza MTB Licht Verzet
27 Profijt, Marije W.V. Eemland
28 Eversdijk, Anne RCMD de Coureur
29 Kanis, Janneke WV Noord-Westhoek
30 Huisman, Marit VVP VriendenPlatteld
31 Groenewegen, Maxime AAD AA-DrinkCyclTeam
32 van den Berg, Debby GRT Swift Racing
33 van Slochteren, Hilde Restore Cycling
34 van Veen, Suzanne FLX Team Flexpoint
35 Brand, Lucinda RSC de Zuidwesthoek
36 Miggels, Kristy VVP VriendenPlatteld
37 Rovers, Gabrielle AAD AA-DrinkCyclTeam
38 Binnendijk, Marlijn AAD AA-DrinkCyclTeam
39 Groenveld, Josephine DSB Bank Wielerploeg
40 Nijhof, Femke AWV de Zwaluwen
41 Ottevanger, Eefje TWC Het Snelle Wiel
42 van Essen, Sharon DSB Bank Wielerploeg
43 Blaak, Chantal AAD AA-DrinkCyclTeam
44 Mulders, Catharina W.V. Eemland
45 Bosman, Andrea DSB Bank Wielerploeg
46 van Alebeek, Sissy RCMD de Coureur
47 Ringlever, Linda WV Barrhopoort

Start: 144 riders
Finished: 47 riders

Elite Women's Dutch Championship Race Photo Gallery

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