2009 Road World Championships -  Elite Women Road Race
Italy's Tatiana Guderzo Wins Solo! Final lap attack

Italian rider Tatiana Guderzo finished solo with a 20 second gap over the first chase group of Marianne Vos, Kristin Armstrong and teammate Noemi Cantele. Guderzo sat up in the final 100 meters to cross herself and lift her arms above her head and celebrate her victory.

Vittoria Tatiana Guderzo!!    Photo © 2009 Fotoreporter Sirotti

Guderzo attacked on the climb on the final lap as Linda Villumsen was caught; she opened a six second gap and continued to open her gap as the elite group of 25 survivors of the 124 kilometer race shattered behind her during the chase to the finish.

On the climb Kristin Armstrong led the final selection of 3 chasers who pursued Guderzo into the final 1.5 kilometers where her gap had grown to 17 seconds. The three chasers then started positioning themselves for the final sprint losing another three seconds to the Italian.

Cantele led out the sprint for second, but  Marianne Vos came around her to claim the silver medal. Cantele took the bronze with Time Trial Champion Kristin Armstrong 4th.

Armstrong, Cantle and Vos sprint for the silver and Bronze.
Photo © 2009 Fotoreporter Sirotti

The second chase group of 8 followed at 1:07 led by  Diana Ziliute of Lithuania in for 5th. Judith Arndt (Germany) and Erinne Willock (Canada) sixth and 7th.

127 riders started the race under cloudy skies, some rain falling off after the start with wet roads to cover the 124.4 kilometers on the 9 laps of the 13.8 km circuit. After 3 laps the peloton arrived with 86 riders in contention at over  a minute behind; the race having averaged 34.879 km/h.

Living Legend Jeannie Ciprelli-Longo leads the peloton a few minutes befor launching an attack. The most decorated woman in cycling Longo finished 48th today. Photo © 2009 Fotoreporter Sirotti

The attrition continued by the start of the 5th lap Amber Neben abandoned after a crash, and the contenders dropped to 50 with the rest of the peloton in chasing group 1 to 8 minutes behind. Lap 5 gave some respite as the some riders clawed back and the peloton swelled to 60 riders. Emma Pooley of Great Britain and USA duo Evelyn Stevens and Mara Abbot chased down the attacks. Defending Champion Nicole Cooke was on a bad day over 4 minutes down and teammate Katie Clough would abandon the next time they came through the start.

The Women's peloton goes through the narrow streets of Mendrisio.
Photo © 2009 Fotoreporter Sirotti

Denmark's Linda Villumsen took a flyer and kept a 20 second gap but she was chased down by the USA and Pooley. Noemi Cantele launched her attack and took 17 seconds out of the group. Arndt tried to bridge to the Italian but she was too dangerous and was chased back in the next 5 kilometers as they neared the climb.

Cantele went through the finish with 22 seconds gap over the chase of 20 riders led by Stevens and Pooley, with Cantele's teammate Tatiana Guderzo, Abbot and Verbeke in tow. Behind the peloton split again and the contenders dropped to a 38 riders with the others fighting to regain the group. the contenders were cut to about 45 riders with the first chase group at 20 seconds and the second at 1:20 as they approached the start finish area.

"
Linda Villumsen on the attack. Photo © 2009 Fotoreporter Sirotti

With 2 laps and 27 kilometers to go Linda Villumsen attacked again on the climb, Cantele sat up and Armstrong and Stevens led the chase. Villumsen is caught with 13 km to go and Tatiana Guderzo attacked grabbing 17 seconds. The chase destroys the group putting riders into to trouble as they go out the back. The lead chase groupreduces to 19 riders. On the first climb Marianne Vos attacks, Kristin Armstrong responds going with the Dutchie, Cantele jumps and latches onto Armstrong's wheel. Behind there is mayhem as riders fight to react as the three went up the road.

Guderzo opens her gap to 12 seconds. She grew the gap on the longer second climb to 19 seconds, over the top she had 20 seconds on the trio with two of the strongest women in cycling on the chase with team mate Cantele sitting on. By the finish the Italian delivered a surprise to her team as much as to herself to take her first big professional win and the 2009 World Champions jersey.

UCI Road World Championships
Women's Road Race Results
124.2  km - 3:33:34 - 34.917 km/h
1 40 Guderzo Tatiana Italy  3:33:25
2 14 Vos Marianne Netherlands  3:33:44 - 0:19
3 39 Cantele Noemi Italy " "
4 33 Armstrong Kristin USA " "

NOemi Cantele congratulates Tatiana Guderzo after the race.

5 48 Ziliute Diana Lithuania 3:34:32 - 1:07
6 15 Arndt Judith Germany  " "
7 73 Willock Erinne Canada  " "
8 75 Brändli Nicole Switzerland  " "
9 59 Verbeke Grace Belgium " "
10 83 Cheatley Catherine New Zealand " "
11 22 Johansson Emma Sweden  " "
12 25 Corset Ruth Australia  " "
13 45 Pucinskaite Edita Lithuania  " "
14 7 Pooley Emma Great Britain  " "
15 36 Stevens Evelyn Usa  " "

Tatiana Registers her surprise.     Photo © 2009 Fotoreporter Sirotti

16 61 Villumsen Linda Melanie Denmark 3:36:27 - 3:02
17 107 Brzezna Paulina Poland  3:37:06 - 3:41
18 31 Abbott Mara Usa 3:38:16 - 4:51
19 17 Häusler Claudia Ger 3:39:16 - 5:51
20 92 Garcia Antequera Ana Esp 3:39:19 - 5:54

photos and more to come...

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