Amstel Gold Ladies: 114.8 km
Report courtesy of Gennie Sheer of Cycling Australia
Reigning Australian road champion, Olivia Gollan, 29, led home the main field to claim second place in the Amstel Gold Race, the fourth round of the UCI Women’s Road Cycling World Cup raced overnight in the Netherlands.
Victory went to Commonwealth Games champion, Nicole CookeE, 20, (GBR – GS Ausra Groudis) who crossed the finish in a time of 2:45:18, two seconds clear of Gollan with Lithuanian former world champion, Edita Pucinskaite, 27, (Michela Fanini) third. But Queensland’s, Sara Carrigan (Powerplate BIK), 22, crossed the line seventh which was enough for her to maintain the overall lead in the nine race series. She now has 139 points, 27 ahead of Germany’s Regina Schleicher, 28. Eight Australians are currently ranked in the top twenty of the Series with Gollan's second place moving her from 22nd to 9th.
The former Newcastle school teacher was overjoyed with her result which she credited to "good planning and great teamwork."
"It was a really amazing team effort on everyone’s part," said Gollan. "The plan was to have the four girls (Emma James, Naomi Williams, Natalie Bates and Hayley Ruthford) keep it under control and look after Oenone Wood and myself until the final two climbs of the race."
"There was a lot of expectation before the race because the whole team knew Oenone and I had the legs to get on the podium," said Gollan. "There were some nerves but we managed to keep our heads."
"The first 50 kilometres was incredibly hectic and I was struggling to keep myself out of trouble," said Gollan. "Several near crashes put the wind up me so I put some effort into staying near the front of the bunch."
Organisers shortened the distance mid race giving the 160 riders one less steep climb.
"Natalie and Hayley had the bunch strung out for about 8km in preparation for the climb but it just never came and I was thanking the Easter Bunny for the ten kilometre reprieve."
At the second last climb, about ten kilometres from the line, James set the pace with Wood on her wheel. Wood then launched her attack with only Cooke and Spain’s Teodora Ruano-Sanchon able to go with her. The trio held the advantage as they approached the last climb up to finish.
"We hit the 800m ascent as a flying group of 20 and there was heaps of jostling and I actually hit a tourist trying to get a snap shot," explained Gollan. "I managed to fight my way clear and with about 400m to go I put my head down and went into a world of agony."
The bunch caught Wood and Ruano-Sanchon but Cooke proved too strong. Gollan then battled Pucinskaite over the final 200m of the Cauberg climb outside the town of Valkenberg.
"I got her on the line but Cooke was 30m in front and had already taken her victory salute," said Gollan. "But second was enough to bring a few tears to my eyes."
For Carrigan the main aim had been to make sure she kept her major rivals for overall World Cup honours in sight and added to her points tally.
"It was really weird because I thought it would break up a lot earlier but it stayed together until last two hills," said Carrigan. "The second last climb was especially steep and I gave it absolutely everything."
"It was just unfortunate I couldn’t get a bit further ahead at the finish but it was enough to hang onto the jersey," said Carrigan who finished just behind Dutch rival Mirjam Melchers. "I was on her wheel at the finish and tried to get round her but I had nothing left."
The World Cup field has two days rest before they line up for the fifth round in Belgium on Wednesday.
"Fleche Wallone is a good course for me because the climbs are a bit longer and it should split up more," explained Carrigan. "I raced it last year but I’ll ride over it again in the next couple of days to make sure I know it well for the race."
Full Official Results
1 Nicole Cooke WAL 2:45:18
2 Olivia Gollan AUS + 0:00:02
3 Edita Pucinskaite LTU + 0:00:02
4 Regina Schleicher GER + 0:00:04
5 Susanne Ljungskog SWE + 0:00:05
6 Mirjam Melchers NED + 0:00:06
7 Sara Carrigan AUS + 0:00:07
8 Judith Arndt GER + 0:00:07
9 Zoulfia Zabirova RUS + 0:00:08
10 Lyne Bessette CAN + 0:00:09
11 Denone Wood AUS + 0:00:12
12 Nicole Brändli SUI + 0:00:13
13 Theresa Senff GER + 0:00:14
14 Ghita Beltman NED + 0:00:14
15 Aline Camboulives FRA + 0:00:15
16 Anita Valen NOR + 0:00:17
17 Nataliya Kachalka UKR + 0:00:18
18 Adrie Visser NED + 0:00:19
19 Miho Oki JPN + 0:00:19
20 Amber Neben USA + 0:00:21
21 Alexandra Bähler SUI + 0:00:25
22 Barbara Heeb SUI + 0:00:25
23 Chantal Beltman NED + 0:00:26
24 Dori Ruano ESP + 0:00:30
25 Trixi Worrack GER + 0:00:31
26 Ioulia Martissova RUS + 0:00:31
27 Sue Palmer-Komar CAN + 0:00:33
28 Sandy Espeseth CAN + 0:00:33
29 Frances Newstead ENG + 0:00:35
30 Gunn-Rita Dahle NOR + 0:00:36
31 Svetlana Stolova RUS + 0:00:37
32 Margaret Hemsley AUS + 0:00:37
33 Yvonne Brunen NED + 0:00:37
34 Kristin Armstrong USA + 0:00:39
35 Kimberly Bruckner USA + 0:00:39
36 Heidi Van de Vijver BEL + 0:00:40
37 Evy Van Damme BEL + 0:00:40
38 Caroline Payot-Podevin FRA + 0:00:41
39 Tina Liebig GER + 0:00:41
40 Jolanta Polikeviciute LTU + 0:00:41
41 Giovanna Troldi ITA + 0:00:41
42 Rasa Polikeviciute LTU + 0:00:41
43 Sharon Van Dromme BEL + 0:00:41
44 Kim Anderson USA + 0:00:41
45 Suzanne de Goede NED + 0:00:41
46 Lisbeth Simper DEN + 0:00:41
47 Debbie Mansveld NED + 0:00:41
48 Cindy Pieters BEL + 0:00:41
49 Sandrine Marcuz FRA + 0:00:41
50 Katia Longhin ITA + 0:00:41
51 Marta Vilajosana ESP + 0:00:41
52 Diana Ziliute LTU + 0:00:41
53 Vera Koedooder NED + 0:00:41
54 Esther van der Helm NED + 0:00:41
55 Hayley Rutherford AUS + 0:00:41
56 Emma James AUS + 0:00:52
57 Sharon van Essen NED + 0:00:55
58 Marta Evangelisti ITA + 0:00:55
59 Josephine Groenveld NED + 0:00:55
60 Fabiana Luperini ITA + 0:00:55
61 Tanja Schmidt GER + 0:00:55
62 Loes Gunnewijk NED + 0:01:16
63 Baukje Doedee NED + 0:01:21
64 Luisa Tamanini ITA + 0:01:25
65 Isabella Wieser AUT + 0:01:34
66 Areke Hassink NED + 0:01:40
67 Silvia Parietti ITA + 0:02:01
68 Serena Cavicchi ITA + 0:02:08
69 Dorte Lohse DEN + 0:02:08
70 Katrin Leumann SUI + 0:02:08
71 Saskia Elemans NED + 0:02:08
72 Marianna Lorenzoni ITA + 0:02:08
73 Irene Hostettler SUI + 0:02:08
74 Eneritz Iturriaga ESP + 0:02:08
75 Sarah Grab SUI + 0:02:08
76 Annette Beutler SUI + 0:02:08
77 Katy St Laurent CAN + 0:02:16
78 Erika Vilunaite LTU + 0:02:17
79 Emma Davies ENG + 0:02:19
80 Rochelle Gilmore AUS + 0:02:20
81 Katherine Bates AUS + 0:02:20
82 Giorgia Bronzini ITA + 0:02:20
83 Arenda Grimberg NED + 0:02:20
84 Ine Wannijn BEL + 0:02:20
85 Anna Ramirez-Bauxel ESP + 0:02:27
86 Trine Hansen DEN + 0:02:30
87 Diana Elmentaite LTU + 0:02:30
88 Mirjam Senn SUI + 0:02:30
89 Priska Doppmann SUI + 0:02:34
90 Stacey Peters USA + 0:02:34
91 Sandra Rombouts NED + 0:02:34
92 Bertine Spijkerman NED + 0:02:37
93 Mari Holden USA + 0:02:40
94 Béatrice Thomas FRA + 0:02:46
95 Janildes Silva BRA + 0:02:47
96 Elsbeth Vink NED + 0:02:50
97 Zita Urbonaite LTU + 0:02:50
98 Madeleine Lindberg SWE + 0:03:11
99 Catharina Mulders NED + 0:04:15
100 Nathalie Bates AUS + 0:05:47
101 Sara Symington ENG + 0:05:55
102 Charlotte Goldsmith GBR + 0:05:55
103 Alexandra Bähler SUI + 0:07:04
104 Sabine Batz GER + 0:08:19
105 Anneleen van Beek NED + 0:08:24
106 Christina Peick-Andersen DEN + 0:08:30
107 Frederika van der Wiel NED + 0:08:30
108 Anna Farina ITA + 0:08:30
109 Inge Klep NED + 0:08:30
110 Nadine Bruhn DEN + 0:08:30
111 Francesca Castrucci ITA + 0:08:33
112 Caroline Slikker NED + 0:08:33
113 Mirella van Melis NED + 0:08:37
114 Olga Velzen NED + 0:08:37
115 Mieke van der Burg NED + 0:08:37
116 Jaccolien Wallaard NED + 0:08:46
117 Corrien van Haastert NED + 0:08:46
118 Kristy Miggels NED + 0:08:50
119 Bettina Kuhn SUI + 0:08:52
120 Irene Puccioni ITA + 0:08:52
121 Letizia Giardinelli ITA + 0:08:52
122 Goedelieve Jansens NED + 0:09:05
123 Kerstin Scheitle GER + 0:10:05
124 Petra Rossner GER + 0:10:05
125 Emily WIlliams AUS + 0:12:57
126 Indre Januleviciute LTU + 0:12:57
127 Jolanda Cools NED + 0:13:29
128 Abke Francissen NED + 0:13:29
129 Minke van Dongen NED + 0:13:29
130 Blandine Camus FRA + 0:13:44
131 Wendy Kramp NED + 0:13:47
132 Andrea Knecht GER + 0:16:13
133 Petra Pilz AUT + 0:16:30
134 Julie Hutsebaut CAN + 0:16:33
135 Janneke de Jager NED + 0:16:34
136 Editha Bergkotte NED + 0:16:40
137 Eefje Ottevanger NED + 0:16:42
138 Karin Wieser AUT + 0:17:02
139 Claudia Meyer AUT + 0:17:02
140 Eyelien Bekkering NED + 0:17:05
141 Kirsten Wild NED + 0:17:08
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